Disney / Pixar LIGHTYEAR Trailer and Poster Release

Lightyear - Image from Disney / Pixar

The movies of the Toys Story franchise have entertained fans for more than two decades. After what I personally thought was a less than fantastic Toy Story 4, it appeared that we had seen the end of our old pals Woody and Buzz, but the imaginative minds at Disney and Pixar had different plans. While the story of Woody, Buzz, and Andy may be done, we are finally getting the origin story we've always wanted to explore.

Lightyear, releasing in June 2022 will go to infinity and beyond to showcase how Buzz became the intergalactic superhero we all know and love.

Chris Evans takes over the voice talents of Buzz Lightyear from Tim Allen. No stranger to hero work himself, Evans embodies the strong heroic voice we are used to hearing and seems like a natural fit for the role. The movie also stars Keke Palmer, Dale Soules, Taika Waititi, Peter Sohn, Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino is teaming back up with Pixar (he previously worked on Pixar films Up, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Inside Out, Coco, and more!) to score the film. Lightyear is directed by Angus MacLane and produced by Galyn Susman.

I'm excited that this movie builds on the familiarity of the Toy Story franchise, but branches the story in a different direction. I was not a big fan of Toy Story 4 - maybe because I felt like Toy Story 3 was the PERFECT animated movie and end to the story. The fact that we can now go back in time to see Buzz's origin story has me looking forward to the film and also gives me a few Toy Story 2 vibes where we learned a lot more about Woody. . .it's about time Buzz got his due too!

This movie is sure to appeal to both kids and grown-ups alike. The parents (like me) who grew up on Toy Story seem to be just as excited about this release as our kids who are looking forward to another action packed adventure featuring the famous space ranger.

Lightyear releases June 2022 in theaters from Disney / Pixar. Stay tuned for more details closer to it's release!