After three straight-to-streaming original animated films were dumped on Disney+, Pixar is finally making its return to theaters with “Lightyear,” a sci-fi adventure film focused on the character Buzz Lightyear that the action figure from “Toy Story” is based on. There had been rumblings the new movie could be heading to this year’s Cannes Film Festival, but that isn’t going to happen.
Deadline has confirmed that not only is “Lightyear” not part of the festival lineup but it was never going to be programmed to begin with, despite the previous speculation that Disney was bringing the animated flick to Cannes.
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“Lightyear” was written by the studio’s Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter (“Inside Out“) and directed by Angus MacLane (“Finding Dory“). Disney recently restored a same-sex kiss between two female characters in the film after the company faced backlash for supporting backers of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
The voice cast consists of “Captain America” actor Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, Uzo Aduba, and James Brolin. Evans, of course, is taking over for Tim Allen, who previously voiced the “Toy Story” incarnation of Buzz Lightyear in four feature films, most recently with “Toy Story 4” in 2019.
I’m sure Pixar fans are curious about whether the new film is aiming to become a new franchise. The heroic sci-fi character previously had an animated television series, “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command,” which took place outside of the “Toy Story” reality, so there is reason to believe they might include some of those characters in the future.
“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 film reveals how a young test pilot became the Space Ranger that we all know him to be today.
Disney will release “Lightyear” on June 11.