Disney and Pixar’s new trailer for Lightyear reveals what the Space Ranger was up to in the years before we met him in Toy Story. Chris Evans lends his voice to Buzz during the character’s early career as a Space Ranger.
“Buzz’s world was always something I was excited about,” stated director Angus MacLane. “In Toy Story, there seemed to be this incredible backstory to him being a Space Ranger that’s only touched upon, and I always wanted to explore that world further. So my Lightyear pitch was, ‘What was the movie that Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy?’ I wanted to see that movie. And now I’m lucky enough to get to make it.”
In addition to Chris Evans in the title role, the voice cast of the animated prequel includes Keke Palmer, Dale Soules, and Taika Waititi as ambitious recruits. Peter Sohn is voicing Sox, Buzz’s feline robot companion. Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez, and Isiah Whitlock Jr also lend their voices to Lightyear characters.
“The cast for Lightyear is truly a dream team,” said director MacLane. “Each of the performers immediately inhabited their character, which gave us the opportunity to play a bit during recording sessions. This resulted in a level of specificity that elevated the material and brought additional depth to the characters’ relationships. It has been a privilege to work with such a talented and generous cast.”
Disney and Pixar’s trailer was accompanied by the announcement that Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino (Up) will score Lightyear. Giacchino was also responsible for the scores of Pixar’s The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Cars 2, Inside Out, Coco, and Incredibles 2.
Lightyear is set for release on June 17, 2022.
