“To infinity and beyond!” Pixar has released the first look at the story that supposedly inspired the toy Buzz Lightyear.
Instead of Tim Allen or Patrick Warburton, Buzz Lightyear is voiced by Chris Evans, aka Captain America.
The film is technically not a “Toy Story” film, but it is in the same universe.
According to its director, the movie was pitched as a stand-alone film, Entertainment Tonight reported.
“If Andy saw a movie that got him excited about getting a Buzz Lightyear toy, what would that movie look like? And why don’t we just make a movie like that?” Angus MacLane, who is making his solo directorial feature debut, said. “Where the world was serious and not tongue in cheek, and not winking at the audience, just making kind of a straightforward sci-fi movie.”
Keep in mind you won’t see Andy featured in “Lightyear.”
“The movie doesn’t end and then you see Andy eating popcorn,” MacLane told Entertainment Weekly. “This is its own thing ... This is stand alone. It’s the Buzz Lightyear movie. It’s that character but as the space ranger, not as the toy.”
MacLane had worked on “WALL-E” and developed and directed the film’s short “BURN-E.”
MacLane said Evans was the “first and only choice” to voice Lightyear in this story.
“To me, the comedy comes from the character really believing, being really serious about it, but also knowing how to make that funny in that seriousness,” MacLane said, according to Entertainment Tonight. “Chris had shown that in spades for Captain America.”
He also said to keep a sharp eye out for Pixar Easter eggs in the film though they’re not going to be overt or distracting.
“Lightyear” is scheduled to hit theaters on June 17, 2022.