In what is a pretty clever idea, the filmmakers behind Lightyear have decided to take a fictional character, who in reality is actually a toy, and provide the "real-life" backstory in the form of a separate CG film from the series that inspired him. Angus MacLane, who had previously directed the short Toy Story of Terror!, takes on the reins of this one.
"Buzz's world was something I was excited about," he explained in a statement. "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."
Peter Docter, the writer of Pixar's Soul, Up and Inside Out, has written the screenplay. He also co-wrote Toy Story, for which he was one of the winners of an Academy Award. Of course, the character of Buzz was voiced in all previous big-screen adventures by Tim Allen.
Besides being featured in all four Toy Story films, Buzz was a part of various short films inspired by them, and in the traditionally animated television series, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. Lightyear will be released on June 17.