Disney/Pixar has released the newest trailer for Lightyear, the studio’s first spinoff film based on the Toy Story film franchise. Though the voice of the toy was made famous by Tim Allen, the origin story explores the man who dared to go to infinity and beyond. As such, it would need a brand-new voice to fill that role. So they looked to Chris Evans (“Avengers: Endgame”) to fill that role. Now, we are getting a look at what sort of adventures Lightyear goes on and what other space dangers he encounters on the way.
“Buzz’s world was always something I was excited about,” said director Angus MacLane. “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.”
And it wouldn’t be much of a space age movie without a crew.Joining the previously announced Evans are Keke Palmer, Dale Soules, and Taika Waititi. All three play a group of ambitious recruits, with Peter Sohn voicing Buzz’s robot companion, Sox. Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez and Isiah Whitlock Jr. also star.
“The cast for ‘Lightyear’ is truly a dream team,” said MacLane. “Each of the performers immediately inhabited their character, which gave us the opportunity to play a bit during recording sessions. This resulted in a level of specificity that elevated the material and brought additional depth to the characters’ relationships. It has been a privilege to work with such a talented and generous cast.”
Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino, who’s behind the scores for the upcoming film “The Batman,” as well as “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” is on board to score “Lightyear.” Giacchino has a long history with Pixar; he won an Oscar, Golden Globe and GRAMMY for the original score in “Up.” His other Pixar credits include “The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille,” “Cars 2,” “Inside Out,” “Coco” and “Incredibles 2,” among others.
While plot details are light, the trailer does make use of David Bowie’s Starman once more. It’s the perfect song for something that shoots for the stars. However, is the film about the man or the film that Andy watched when he was a kid. It should be interesting to see what kind of approach “Lightyear” takes.
Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director of “Finding Dory”) who uses a script written by Pete Docter (“Inside Out”), “Lightyear,” hopefully, hits theaters on June 17, 2022.
