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Lightyear Featurette: Legacy of a Space Ranger

Today, Disney and Pixar have released a new Lightyear featurette called Legacy of a Space Ranger. You can check out the new Lightyear featurette in the player below.

The definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy, Lightyear follows the legendary Space Ranger after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew.

Lightyear Featurette: Legacy of a Space Ranger

As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox.

Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.

Lightyear Special Look and New Poster Debut

The June 17, 2022, release features the voices of Chris Evans as accomplished Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear, Uzo Aduba as his commander and best friend Alisha Hawthorne, and Peter Sohn as Sox.

Keke PalmerTaika Waititi, and Dale Soules lend their voices to the Junior Zap Patrol’s Izzy Hawthorne, Mo Morrison, and Darby Steel, respectively, and James Brolin can be heard as the enigmatic Zurg.

The voice cast also includes Mary McDonald-Lewis as onboard computer I.V.A.N., Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Commander Burnside, Efren Ramirez as Airman Diaz, and Keira Hairston as Young Izzy.

The film is directed by Angus MacLane (co-director of Finding Dory) and produced by Galyn Susman (Toy Story That Time Forgot). It features a score by award-winning composer Michael Giacchino (The BatmanUp).

“Buzz’s world was always something I was excited about,” said Lightyear movie director Angus MacLane previously. “In ‘Toy Story,’ there seemed to be this incredible backstory to him being a Space Ranger that’s only touched upon, and I always wanted to explore that world further.

“So my ‘Lightyear’ pitch was, ‘What was the movie that Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy?’ I wanted to see that movie. And now I’m lucky enough to get to make it.”

“The cast for ‘Lightyear’ is truly a dream team,” added MacLane. “Each of the performers immediately inhabited their character, which gave us the opportunity to play a bit during recording sessions.

“This resulted in a level of specificity that elevated the material and brought additional depth to the characters’ relationships. It has been a privilege to work with such a talented and generous cast.”

Lightyear Movie

“The phrase ‘a dream come true’ gets thrown around a lot, but I’ve never meant it more in my life. Anyone who knows me knows that my love for animated films runs deep,” said Chris Evans previously.

“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.”

It makes sense that Disney would want to continue the Toy Story franchise, which has already grossed more than $3 billion worldwide for the company.

The franchise consists of four CG-animated films, including Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Toy Story 4 (2019). The first installment was the first feature-length film to be made entirely using computer-generated footage.