The “Toy Story” film franchise serves as Disney•Pixar’s signature flagship. As such, the studio continues to expand upon the mythology with new stories. But “Lightyear” takes a different approach. Rather than revisit the space ranger action figure that we all know and love, we see the movie based on the character that would later inspire the toy. And now, a newly released trailer teases what we can expect to see from the upcoming film.
Directed by Angus MacLane, “Lightyear” is billed as Disney•Pixar’s first Sci-Fi epic. Based on the previous trailers we’ve seen so far, it certainly lives up to that, as it has nods to “Star Wars” and “Aliens.” Even this new trailer hints that the film has echoes of “Interstellar” as Buzz experiences a form of time dilation during his test flights. One such test flight was supposed to be for four minutes. However, upon his return, he finds out that 60 years have passed by. So not only has he lost friends and colleagues, he comes to find out there’s a new alien threat that he and a ragtag group of junior space rangers can stop.
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
The definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy, “Lightyear” follows the legendary Space Ranger after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million lightyears from Earth alongside his commander and their crew. As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.
The film features the voices of Chris Evans as accomplished Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear, Uzo Aduba as his commander and best friend Alisha Hawthorne, and Peter Sohn as Sox. Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, and Dale Soules lend their voices to the Junior Zap Patrol’s Izzy Hawthorne, Mo Morrison, and Darby Steel, respectively, and James Brolin can be heard as the enigmatic Zurg. The voice cast also includes Mary McDonald-Lewis as onboard computer I.V.A.N., Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Commander Burnside, Efren Ramirez as Airman Diaz, and Keira Hairston as Young Izzy. Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”), produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”) and featuring a score by award-winning composer Michael Giacchino (“The Batman,” “Up”),
“Lightyear” opens only in theaters on June 17, 2022.
