Fans of the “Toy Story” franchise are in for a treat coming this June. After four “Toy Story” movies comes “Lightyear,” a spinoff set in the same universe and the latest creation from Disney and Pixar that promises to explore the backstory of Buzz Lightyear. For the first time, we get to see the man behind the toy as he and his crew work to free themselves after being “marooned on this planet.” The official trailer was released on YouTube last Tuesday by Pixar and has since garnered over 15 million views. 

Have you ever wondered what movie Andy saw in “Toy Story?” Director Angus MacLane (“Finding Dory”) asked the same question when pitching the idea for the movie, according to an October 2021 online article in Collider. He also expressed that he had wanted to pursue a story for Buzz for a long time, as sci-fi is his personal favorite genre. MacLane will be making his directorial debut with the film, after mainly working in animation for Pixar since 1997. 

The roles of the cast have not yet been fully disclosed, but viewers can expect the voices of a few favorites. Chris Evans (“Avengers: Endgame”) will be voicing Buzz Lightyear, and Keke Palmer (“Hustlers”) will be voicing Izzy, who briefly appears in the trailer. Who better to voice the iconic Space Ranger than Captain America himself? Other big names such as Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit”), Uzo Aduba (“Orange Is the New Black”) and Isiah Whitlock Jr. (“The Wire”) are among the cast as well. For now, only the character names are listed beneath them, so it is not known what Hawthorne and Morrison look like. Little kids and adults alike are sure to get a kick out of Peter Sohn (Executive Producer, “Luca”) as Sox, an orange robot cat joining Buzz for the ride. 

The “Lightyear” trailer is just shy of two minutes long, but it is breathtakingly gorgeous and Pixar’s expert tailoring shines through yet again in its flawless animation. Just when we thought computer animation could not get any more precise and intricate, the iconic studio duo still manages to outdo itself in showcasing a gritty yet fun sci-fi setting. How long has it been since we have seen a good animated sci-fi, anyway? Pixar shows they have come a long way since “Wall-E” with this trailer. Its beauty and quality cannot be overstated, as we see high-tech spaceships and towering robots, presumably in Emperor Zurg’s army, nearly resembling “Star Wars” sets. A snippet of David Bowie’s (“Life on Mars?”) “Starman” plays in the second half, combined with some orchestra music composed by Michael Giacchino, who has composed the music for several other Pixar movies like “Up” and “The Incredibles.” There really is no better song to encapsulate a movie about Buzz Lightyear. The sound alone elicits nostalgia and wonder, no doubt purposefully engineered by Giacchino. 

As any good trailer should, it leaves you with some questions: what planet are they on? Who is who? Can we expect some easter eggs in reference to the previous movies? Perhaps we can expect more trailers as the release date approaches- we will have to wait to find out. Until then, stay buzzed for Buzz and his friends.

Image from Pixar via YouTube