February/June 1992: Robin Wright is filming ‘Toys’
Filming for ‘Toys’ (1992) began on February 25 and wrapped on June 26, 1992.
Directed by Barry Levinson, this fantasy comedy had a reported budget of $30 million and starred Robin Williams with Robin Wright playing Gwen Tyler, his girlfriend in the film.
The supporting cast featured Michael Gambon, Joan Cusack, LL Cool J, Debi Mazar and Jamie Foxx, making his feature-film debut.
April 24, 1992: The Playboys is released in U.S. Theaters
Directed by Gillies MacKinnon and starring Robin Wright, Aidan Quinn and Albert Finney, ‘The Playboys’ is an Irish-set romantic drama that earned critical acclaim and enjoyed a sustained theatrical run in the United States.
Distributed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company, the film opened in just two theaters on April 24, 1992, before gradually expanding to a maximum of 68.
It ultimately grossed $4.91 million in the U.S, with its theatrical run continuing until October 8, 1992, a notable achievement for a relatively small independent production.
The film was particularly well received by critics, earning a 92% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Reviews praised its charm, atmospheric setting and Robin Wright as Tara Maguire, a passionate, freethinking, fiercely independent young woman who refuses to conform to the restrictive conventions of conservative Irish society.
‘The Playboys’ also performed well in international markets, particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland, further contributing to its reputation as a successful independent production.
In 1993, plans emerged for a possible sequel titled ‘Tara Goes to America’, which would have continued Tara’s story. However, the project never came to fruition, leaving ‘The Playboys’ as a standalone film.
December 18, 1992: ‘Toys’ is released in theaters
Barry Levinson’s fantasy comedy ‘Toys’ (1992) was released theatrically in the United States on December 18, 1992, distributed by 20th Century Fox.
Robin Wright played Gwen Tyler, the girlfriend of Robin Williams’s character, Leslie Zevo.
The film opened in 1,272 theaters. Its first full week brought in $7.65 million, and its total reported domestic gross eventually reached $23.28 million.
Released in the same year as The Playboys (1992), Toys also illustrates the contrast between two very different roles: Tara Maguire’s rebellious, dramatic intensity and Gwen Tyler’s more whimsical, playful personality.
“Toys” received two Academy Award nominations at the 1993 Oscars: Best Costume Design (Albert Wolsky) and Best Art Direction (Ferdinando Scarfiotti and set decorator Linda DeScenna).