How will ‘Lightyear’ affect ‘Toy Story’ movie canon?
Just yesterday, the first teaser trailer was released for Pixar’s upcoming movie, Lightyear. Following the space adventures of the Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear, the new animated film will reveal the grand Buzz Lightyear identity, not the toy. Voiced by Marvel’s Chris Evans, Lightyear will show who Buzz always assumed he was in the Toy Story movies, despite his plastic form.
Confused? No worries, director Angus MacLane explains that Lightyear is more like a movie that would be watched within the Toy Story universe, rather than a sequel to it. See the latest teaser and what to expect from the upcoming Buzz Lightyear origin film.
The new trailer of Lightyear
In the teaser trailer, we observe as Buzz Lightyear (the space ranger, not the toy) suits up for a dangerous space mission. With David Bowie’s “Starman” playing, Buzz Lightyear travels to alien planets, converses with robots, and even reveals his iconic green & white spacesuit.
The movie will evidently not be taking place in Andy’s bedroom but instead, in the world Buzz Lightyear was programmed to believe he existed. A daring space ranger, Lightyear will follow Buzz’s harrowing space adventures that he never seems to shut up about in the first Toy Story movie.
Director explains how Lightyear fits the Toy Story canon
“‘Set in the world of Toy Story’ is kind of weird,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “Another way to get at it, it’s a straightforward sci-fi action film about the Buzz Lightyear character.”
MacLane continued, “In the Toy Story universe, it would be like a movie that maybe Andy would have seen, that would have made him want a Buzz Lightyear figure.”
“The movie doesn’t end and then you see Andy eating popcorn,” he added. “This is its own thing. . . This is standalone. It’s the Buzz Lightyear movie. It’s that character but as the space ranger, not as the toy.”
Buzz Lightyear’s identity crisis
MacLane further explained the connection to Toy Story’s universe: “When you hear about the Buzz Lightyear of Toy Story talk about his space ranger-ness or Star Command, it’s very much a one-note amalgam of sci-fi cliches, which is the point of that movie.”
“If you were going to make that world real, you can’t have it constantly feeling like it’s this derivative thing.”
He went on to detail that Lightyear also references the entire franchise when “Buzz has a disagreement over the nature of reality,” such as when the character doesn’t accept that he is a toy in the 1995 film.
“So, for us, the core idea that we wanted to build upon was, how do you have a character out of step with the world around them?” the director concluded.
Essentially a Buzz Lightyear origin story
Pixar’s Pete Docter earlier called Lightyear the “definitive story of the original Buzz Lightyear” but with “a new twist to an iconic character”.
Captain America’s Chris Evans is voicing the titular space ranger in Lightyear. Evans called being part of the film a “dream come true”. He confessed, “I can’t believe that I get to be a part of the Pixar family and work with these truly brilliant artists who tell stories unlike anyone else. Watching them work is nothing short of magic. I pinch myself every day.”
No other cast members have been revealed for the film. Lightyear was first announced almost a year ago at the 2020 Disney Investor Day. The film is scheduled to premiere in theaters on June 17th, 2022.
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Will you be watching Lightyear when it releases next summer? Should Pixar just have made another Toy Story sequel instead? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
