To infinity and beyond Tim Allen, here’s the first trailer for the upcoming “Toy Story” spinoff movie “Lightyear,” starring Chris Evans as the hero who inspired the children’s action figure.
Hailed as the “definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear” that apparently someone was asking for, the prequel Pixar film sees the “Avengers” star taking the reins from Allen, who famously voiced the character in the four “Toy Story” movies.
Among the trailer’s other revelations, the iconic figure was an actual space ranger who blasted off to faraway worlds and perhaps most notably had a full head of hair under his purple cap and helmet all this time.
Bathed in lens flares and aptly set to the tune of David Bowie’s “Starman,” the short clip seems more inspired by sci-fi epics than what we’ve seen from Buzz before, picking up with the character as a daring young pilot earning his stripes as part of the Universe Protection Unit of the Space Ranger Corps from the Intergalactic Alliance, per Entertainment Weekly.
First announced at a Disney investor event last year as part of the studio’s jam-packed slate of new projects, this is the first footage we’ve seen of “Lightyear,” which is helmed by veteran Pixar animator Angus MacLane, who co-directed “Finding Dory.”
“Back when we created the first ‘Toy Story,’ we designed Buzz Lightyear with the idea that he was a toy based on some really cool character from an epic blockbuster film,” Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter said at the time. “Well, all these years later, we decided to make that film.”
Evans, who utters just a single word of the character’s catchphrase in the trailer, said back in December that he “didn’t stop smiling through the ENTIRE pitch” for the movie.
“The phrase ‘a dream come true’ gets thrown around a lot, but I’ve never meant it more in my life,” Evans said in a statement accompanying the release of the trailer, per EW. “Anyone who knows me knows that my love for animated films runs deep. I can’t believe that I get to be a part of the Pixar family and work with these truly brilliant artists who tell stories unlike anyone else. Watching them work is nothing short of magic. I pinch myself every day.”
And for all those who might feel protective of Lightyear’s legacy, Evans promised when his casting was announced that the film “doesn’t step on a single thing” fans loved about the “Toy Story” franchise.
Upon the trailer’s release, social media was, well, buzzing with reactions about the new take on the figure, with some feeling nostalgic and others predictably thirsting after the strong-jawed animated character.
“Lightyear” is set for release in theaters on June 17, 2022. OK, but where’s our gritty Bo Peep reboot?