Lightyear director Angus MacLane has clarified the connection between the new film and the Toy Story franchise. Lightyear, Pixar’s upcoming animated sci-fi film, follows the story of the real-life space ranger Buzz Lightyear as he learns to become a galactic hero in Star Command. The character originally appeared in 1995’s Toy Story, voiced by Tim Allen. Buzz Lightyear has since become a vital part of the family film series; appearing in all four installments including 2019’s recent Toy Story 4.
Lightyear is set to see Avengers: Endgame star Chris Evans take up the role of the real Buzz that inspired Toy Story’s astronaut action figure. Distancing itself from the whimsical talking-toy franchise, Lightyear looks to offer a more action-based sci-fi tale of a Buck-Rogers-esque space hero. The film is being directed by Pixar’s Angus MacLane. MacLane previously directed several short films featuring the Toy Story characters; including Toy Story Of Terror and Small Fry. Having co-directed 2016’s Finding Nemo sequel Finding Dory, MacLane will now helm the latest Pixar feature film release.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director has reiterated the loose connection this Buzz Lightyear spinoff has with the original Toy Story films. MacLane confirms “This is standalone," before clarifying “It’s that character but as the space ranger, not as the toy." MacLane also dashed any hopes of an Andy cameo by saying the film won’t feature the young toy-enthusiast “eating popcorn” while watching the spinoff in cinemas. Instead, the director reaffirms the film’s new focus, and its more realistic take on the character. Read the full quote below:
“The movie doesn't end and then you see Andy eating popcorn […] This is its own thing… This is standalone. It's the Buzz Lightyear movie. It's that character but as the space ranger, not as the toy."
While Lightyear will certainly draw on audiences' familiarity with Toy Story as a selling point to generate interest, it's great to hear the actual movie itself isn't going to force connections to the larger franchise. Shoehorning in Easter eggs and references (like the hypothetical Andy cameo) could distract from Lightyear's narrative and make the film come across as more of a cash grab than anything. Pixar has always been renowned for their innovative and emotional storytelling, and it sounds like Lightyear will be following that approach. At first glance, it looks to be a somewhat unique entry in Pixar's filmography as a pure sci-fi action/adventure movie that just happens to feature the real Buzz Lightyear. Even if Buzz wasn't already an established character, Lightyear has intriguing potential.
The Toy Story franchise itself seems relatively dormant for now, with 2019’s fourth film seemingly tying a bow on the story of Tom Hanks’ toy cowboy Woody and his lost love Bo Peep. However, should this upcoming spinoff prove a successful experiment, perhaps more origin story spinoffs will find their way to theaters (or, at the very least, Lightyear sequels). For now, Lightyear looks to distance itself from its parent franchise, and introduce a new generation of audiences to the helmeted hero and his catchphrase “to infinity and beyond."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
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