Pixar has released the second trailer for their upcoming science-fiction action-adventure movie, Lightyear, set for a theatrical release on June 17, 2022.
Lightyear is a spin-off to the Toy Story movie series, focusing on the origins of Buzz Lightyear. He is a space ranger hailing from a franchise within the Toy Story universe, made when astronauts were popular among children.
Embark On an Adventure Out of This World With Lightyear
Lightyear is about the title character taking his first test flight for Star Command. He accidentally winds up 62 years in the future on a hostile planet and meets his commander’s granddaughter and her crew. With their help, he strives to return home while saving the universe from the evil Emperor Zurg.
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Disney and Pixar first announced Lightyear in December 2020, along with Chris Evans as the title character. Evans was MacLane’s first and only choice for the role, and the actor happily accepted the role given his love for animation. Other cast members include Keke Palmer, Dale Soules, Taika Waititi, Peter Sohn, Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez, and Isiah Whitlock Jr.Â
Angus MacLane not only co-wrote Lightyear, but he will also make his feature film directorial debut. He previously directed several Pixar short films (BURN-E, Toy Story Toons: Small Fry, Toy Story of Terror!) and co-directed Finding Dory with Andrew Stanton. Having a passion for the Lightyear character and the sci-fi genre, MacLane wanted to bring the film that inspired the space ranger action figures in the Toy Story universe to reality. Disney and Pixar previously explored a similar concept with the 2000 television series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and its direct-to-video pilot movie Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins.
In early March 2022, a kiss scene between Aduba’s character Alisha Hawthorne and another woman was removed. A week later, however, Pixar restored the scene in protest against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act and current Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s handling of the situation. Although animated family films have had fleeting references to LGBTQ characters, including in Pixar’s Onward and arguably Finding Dory, it looks like Alisha’s relationship will be crystal-clear and important to the plot. Lightyear just might make another huge leap for LGBTQ representation in animated features, especially those aimed at families.
As seen in the trailer, Lightyear aims for a realistic, cinematic visual style to capture the spirit of sci-fi movies MacLane enjoyed growing up. Because this version of Buzz is a human, his features are more organic and detailed compared to his toy counterpart from the mainline Toy Story series. The sheer difference between both designs demonstrates how much Pixar’s animation and rendering technology for feature films has evolved in 27 years. Unlike previous Toy Story-related movies, Randy Newman does not compose the score for Lightyear. Instead, Michael Giacchino is in charge, having previously done work for The Incredibles and its sequel, Ratatouille, Up, Cars 2, Inside Out, and Coco.
The trailer introduces the overall plot of the movie and provides more details about Buzz’s character. Right at the beginning, it reveals Buzz’s habit of narrating his mission logs aloud as his way of maintaining focus, casting a different light on how his toy counterpart initially behaved in the first Toy Story. When Buzz arrives 62 years in the future, he meets Alisha’s granddaughter Izzy, who leads the Junior Zap Patrol.
Among the recruits are Darby Steel, a demolitions expert working to reduce her prison sentence, and Mo Morrison, who enlisted because he assumed it would be a fun boot camp for working out. Since Alisha was Buzz’s best friend as well as commander, Izzy looks up to him and believes that he could be the key to thwarting Zurg and his robot army.
What do you think of the latest Lightyear trailer? Will Buzz help the Junior Zap Patrol and make it back home alive? Are you ready to go to infinity and beyond? Let us know in the comments!
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