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The world of Pixar’s beloved Toy Story franchise is set to expand this summer. The new film Lightyear will tell the story of the human astronaut Buzz Lightyear, the inspiration for the franchise’s iconic toy space ranger. The film is currently set to be theatrically released on June 17, 2022.
In an interview with Fandango, Lightyear director Angus MacLane said he was a huge fan of sci-fi, and telling the origin story of Buzz Lightyear would give him an avenue to explore a sci-fi story. “What was the movie that Andy saw when we made Toy Story?” MacLane wondered, referring to the in-universe sci-fi film that inspired the franchise’s toy Buzz Lightyear.
The recent Lightyear trailer gave us some helpful plot information about what audiences can expect from their favorite space ranger’s origin story. With that, let’s look at everything we know regarding the cast, plot, release, and everything else before the theatrical release this summer.
Cast: What We Know
Fans of the Toy Story franchise know that Tim Allen has been the voice of the iconic space ranger since the first film in 1995. However, Allen will not be reprising his role in this film. Instead, Chris Evans will be taking over the role of Buzz Lightyear. Evans confirmed his enthusiasm for the role in an October 2021 tweet, writing, “Animated movie [sic] were an enormous part of my childhood. They were my escape. My adventures. My dreams. They were my first window into the magic of storytelling and performing. ‘Thank you’ doesn’t even come close.”
Currently, no cast members from the Toy Story franchise are confirmed to appear in the upcoming film. Actors joining the cast of Lightyear include Keke Palmer (Izzy Hawthorne), Uzo Aduba (Alicia Hawthorne), Efren Ramirez (Diaz), Dale Soules (Steel), Isiah Whitlock, Jr. (Burnside), and Taika Waititi (Morrison). Longtime Pixar director and animator Peter Sohn will provide the voice of Buzz’s mechanical cat companion Sox. Buzz Lightyear’s archenemy Emperor Zurg is also slated to appear, though he has not confirmed.
Plot: What We Know
The film’s plot will explore the origin story of the astronaut Buzz Lightyear, the inspiration for the in-universe space ranger of the same name. We can get an idea of the adventures we may expect from the iconic Buzz Lightyear from the trailer. We know that Buzz will be stranded on an alien planet as a part of Star Command, which fans may recall from the Toy Story films. The trailer also depicts Buzz facing off against previously established archenemy Emperor Zurg, joined by Sox, his new robotic cat sidekick.
We will have to wait and see for more detailed plot information, as Disney and Pixar are keeping most of the details confidential, likely to drive up demand for when the film is released.
Release Date: What We Know
The film is currently set to be released in theaters in the United States on June 17, 2022. Unlike other recent Pixar releases, such as Soul and Luca, it is not currently set for a simultaneous streaming release.
However, the situation surrounding the pandemic may change, and Disney and Pixar may need to adjust their release strategy if conditions warrant it. If things go as planned, we can expect the film to stream on Disney+ after its theatrical release.
Everything Else: What We Know
This is not the first time that Pixar has explored the origin story of Buzz Lightyear. In 2000, Pixar released the television series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, which also revolved around the real astronaut that inspired the toy. However, that film focused less on the origins and rather what happened after Buzz was well-involved with Star Command. Buzz Lightyear of Star Command is considered canon within the Toy Story universe as the television series that inspired the toy. How exactly the new Lightyear film will deal with the earlier animated series remains to be seen.
Fans can expect a different feel than the rest of the films in the Toy Story franchise, with Lightyear placing a greater emphasis on sci-fi and action/adventure. However, being a Pixar film, we have no doubt it will feature that same heart and love for deep, engaging stories that the studio has become known for over the decades.
In any case, Lightyear promises to tell the story of one of Pixar’s most beloved and iconic characters. Hopefully, the Toy Story franchise fans will find the film to be a worthy origin story for Buzz Lightyear. With so many details still unknown, all that fans can do is wait for the release to see if the film lives up to the hype and if it goes to infinity and beyond.
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