Pixar’s Lightyear is all about time travel, being a fish out of water, and the dark side of nostalgia and living in the past, according to Director Angus MacLane.
Pixar’s Lightyear is coming to theaters soon, and is said to be the Andy’s favorite movie. Because of this it has ties to the Toy Story universe, but is still something different. In Director Angus MacLane’s mind, Andy’s Buzz Lightyear toy is from the cartoon series, that is based off of the movie, Lightyear. In order to differentiate this movie from the others, the team took a more cinematic approach and gave Buzz a new voice with Chris Evans.
The main plot of Lightyear focuses on Buzz traveling through time rapidly, but still trying to bring himself back his past to correct a mistake that he made. Those that he loves slip further and further away from him, because they age years, while he ages only minutes. Eventually he finds himself in a future he does not recognize at all. A true fish out of water, man out of time, story.
One of the major themes of Lightyear is the dangers of nostalgia and living in the past. “They say you can’t live in the past, but what if you could?” questions MacLane. That was his major inspiration behind this film, and the building block he started with. He adds, “We all wonder what it’s like to go back in time, but instead, we’re jumping forward in time, all of us. So that’s the truth I wanted to build a hand around for Lightyear. Nostalgia for the past, while rapidly jumping to the future.”
Because of Buzz’s job, he is traveling through time in this film, but that separates him from society and his loved ones. Lightyear is a fish out of water story — think Rip Van Winkle trapped in a future he doesn’t recognize. Buzz is trying so desperately to get back to where he came from and correct the mistake of his youth. This is something we haven’t seen much of before. At least not to this level.
“Lightyear is a celebration of movies and sci-fi epics in gen-uh, in general, but also inspired by the dark side of nostalgia, and the dangers of living in the past. As a director, it’s the movie I’ve always wanted to make. And as a film goer, it’s the movie I’ve always wanted to see.” – Angus MacLane (Director/Screenwriter)
Will Buzz find solace in his new time, or will he discover a way back? For now we can only speculate, but chances are wherever he ends up, he will be happy with his decision. This is a Pixar movie after all, and they are all about happy endings and fantastic life lessons. Having seen thirty minutes of Lightyear, Pixar has certainly done a great job of kicking off the movie, making it intriguing and mysterious.
Find out Buzz Lightyear’s fate when Pixar’s Lightyear comes to theaters on June 17th.
NEXT: Why Chris Evans Is The Perfect Buzz Lightyear
About Lightyear
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.
Lightyear hits theaters June 17th!
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.