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We all love Disney/Pixar’s first ever animated film, Toy Story, but have you ever wanted to learn about Buzz Lightyear’s Story? Get excited because Disney/Pixar will be premiering LIGHTYEAR, which will arrive in theaters nationwide on June 17th.

TRIAL AND ERROR – After being marooned on a hostile planet, Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) attempts multiple test flights in an effort to recreate the complicated fuel required to reach hyperspeed so he and the whole crew can return to Earth. Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”) and produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”), Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” opens in U.S. theaters on June 17, 2022. © 2021 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Can you believe Lightyear will be  Pixar’s first sci-fi action-adventure movie? We will really find out what it truly means to go “to infinity and beyond”.

TRAILER

Quick Synopis: Disney/Pixar “Lightyear,” revealing new details about the upcoming sci-fi action adventure. 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 light-years 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. A new poster and images are also available.

MAKING SPACE – In Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear,” Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) and Alisha Hawthorne (voice of Uzo Aduba)—his long-time commander, fellow Space Ranger and trusted friend—are marooned on a hostile planet. Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”) and produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”), the sci-fi action-adventure opens in U.S. theaters on June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

I am truly excited to share I was able to do an early exclusive press screening of LIGHTYEAR (approx. the 1st 30 mins of the film).  It was an exclusive sneak peak, and I will share in future post my thoughts of it. I will say the bit I saw was nothing short of amazing. The storyline is impeccable! Lightyear is actually the movie that inspired the action figure Andy received.  A movie within a movie! Angus MacLane, the director and screenwriter for Lightyear, described the movie as “Andy’s Star Wars.  A sci-fi epic designed to inspire a new generation.” So Toy Story’s story is expanding!

PRESS JUNKET/SNIPPETS OF LIGHTYEAR

TO INFINITY… — Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” is an all-new, original feature film that presents the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans)—the hero who inspired the toy—introducing the legendary Space Ranger who would win generations of fans. Prepare to blast off for a thrilling adventure that will take you “To infinity… and beyond.” Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”) and produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”), the sci-fi action-adventure releases on June 17, 2022. © 2021 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

I was also invited for a special Zoom press invite with the Lightyear team, where they dived deep into the animation and technical process of creating this film.   The press junket was hosted by director and screenwriter for the film Angus MacLane.  Angus has been an animator & director at Pixar since 1997.

More Lightyear staff inclusions:  Galyn Susman (Producer), Greg Peltz (Sets Art Director), Fran Kalal (Tailoring and Simulation Supervisor), Jane Yen (Visual Effects Supervisor) and Jeremy Lasky (Director of Photography).

Agnus Mclane: Buzz always has a disagreement over the nature of reality.  In Toy Story, Buzz thinks he’s a space ranger.  Woody disagrees.  Toy Story 2, Buzz thinks he’s the Buzz Lightyear.  The other Buzz Lightyear disagrees.

Fran Kalal (Tailoring and Simulation Supervisor gave us all some insight on how the Lightyear team has an actual research trip to NASA for this film. At NASA they learned about spacesuits, the international space station, and of course space travel and the importance of buttons and dials . Kalal also expressed Buzz’s spacesuits evolved for each mission with the passing of time and new technology.

Lightyear includes a plethora of robots. What’s a space movie without robots? Well we will get a very “cute” variation of a smart robot with new character Socks The Cat. Think of Socks The Cat as Buzz’s robotically smart companion.

Angus Mclane explain Socks the Cat aka “a cute thing”  role in the film. 

HERO’S BEST FRIEND — Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” is an all-new, original feature film that presents the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans)—the hero who inspired the toy—following the legendary Space Ranger on an intergalactic adventure. But Buzz can’t do it alone—he shares space with a dutiful robot companion cat called Sox (voice of Peter Sohn). A hidden grab bag of gizmos in a cute kitty package, Sox is Buzz’s go-to friend and sidekick. Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”) and produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”), the sci-fi action-adventure releases on June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Mclane: What is the cute thing?  Well, you know, the cute thing.  The-the-the protagonist’s loyal sidekick.  The thing that makes you go, “Oh.”  Cute thing is not new.  It’s been around th-throughout the history of cinema.

Jane Yen (visual effects supervisor) Lightyear spoke about the look of the film.

Yen: Lightyear is a stylization that not only was more graphic and less hyper-realistic, but a stylization that felt exceptionally cohesive in every element of our world, both in the way it was animated and in the way it looked.

Fun Fact: A progression for a sequence called “First Mission” had 2,472 storyboards created.

TEAMING UP – Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” is a sci-fi action adventure and the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans), the hero who inspired the toy. The all-new story follows the legendary Space Ranger on an intergalactic adventure alongside a group of ambitious recruits (voices of Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi and Dale Soules), and their robot companion Sox (voice of Peter Sohn). Also joining the cast are Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez and Isiah Whitlock Jr. Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”) and produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”), “Lightyear” releases June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

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 will be in theaters June 17th