Disney and Pixar Deliver Action Packed ‘Lightyear’ Trailer
This summer, get ready to go infinity and beyond in a whole new way
Disney and Pixar have launched a new trailer for their upcoming animated adventure ‘Lightyear’, an origin story about the beloved space ranger that inspired the beloved action figure from the studio’s ‘Toy Story’ series. However, where those films focused on the toy version, this will be centered on Buzz as a human and aspiring astronaut who eventually becomes an icon.
Angus MacLane, who is directing the film, has stated that the original Toy Story inspired him to create an animated feature that focused on the world Buzz lived in that was hinted at but never truly explored. In a press release from Disney, MacLane stated: ”Buzz’s world was always something I was excited about,” “In ‘Toy Story,’ there seemed to be this incredible backstory to him being a Space Ranger that’s only touched upon, and I always wanted to explore that world further. So my ‘Lighytear’ pitch was, 'What was the movie that Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy?’ I wanted to see that movie. And now I’m lucky enough to get to make it.”
Although Buzz has been voiced by Tim Allen in the previous four ‘Toy Story’ films, the younger version of the character in this iteration will be voiced by none other than Captain America himself Chris Evans, whose casting was confirmed alongside the film’s official announcement at Disney’s Investor Day in December 2020. In addition to Evans, the voice cast will be rounded out by Keke Palmer, Dale Soules, Taika Waititi, Peter Sohn, Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez and Isiah Whitlock Jr. and the musical score will be provided by Pixar regular and Academy Award winning composer Michael Giacchino.
Upon a look at the trailer, the animation is typical top tier Pixar in that it is gorgeous to look at and does a fantastic job promising viewers that they will be in a fun and creative world. Being an action film set in space, we can also expect there to be a lot of great action scenes that may very well rival ‘The Incredibles’. Evans does a solid job making Buzz his own while still taking aspects of what made Allen’s take so beloved. Although the trailer doesn’t really give us much of a plot or a delve into the other characters outside of the lead, Pixar’s track record is enough to trust that these areas will be done well in the final product.
“My ‘Lighytear’ pitch was, ‘What was the movie that Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy?’ I wanted to see that movie. ”
Disney confirmed the release date of June 17 and it is widely expected to be one of Disney’s big summer blockbusters that appeals to a broad audience beyond families. However, the last three Pixar films ‘Soul’, ‘Luca’ and this March’s ‘Turning Red’ have been shafted from the big screen to Disney+. Part of that is of course due to COVID but despite improved box office numbers, some speculate that Disney is using Pixar to grow its streaming numbers to appease its stockholders. Whereas those three aren’t based on any piece of IP, ‘Lightyear is spun off from the film that started it all with a top star in the lead and filled with spectacle worthy of the big screen meaning it is likely to be released to theaters making it the first theatrical Pixar since ‘Onward’ which had the misfortune of hitting screens just as pandemic restrictions entered our lives. Regardless of how it is released, it seems clear that Pixar has another winner on their hands.