Lightyear star Chris Evans finally gets his "Plays with Puppies" interview, and it's far more adorable than it is informative.
Evans' entry into the puppular BuzzFeed interview series sees the Hollywood star attempt to answer questions while under playful assault from a roving pack of small puppies. Before the interview properly starts, Evans asks, "Are they just gonna, like, come running in here?" He quickly tempers his expectations, saying, "I have to chill, because I'm expecting like a waterfall of puppies." When the dogs do arrive, the actor quickly becomes too overwhelmed to answer the interviewers questions with much more than a string of giggles and laughter.
Evans is currently starring in Lightyear, which explores the "real" adventures of the titular character made famous by actor Tim Allen in 1995's Toy Story. Director Angus McLane previously commented on Lightyear's place in the wider Toy Story continuity. "Now you remember in Toy Story, Andy had a birthday party. His favorite gift was a character that he loved, Buzz Lightyear the Space Ranger. And it was a toy that would redefine playtime for Andy." He continued, "And I've always wondered what movie was Buzz from, you know? Why couldn't we just make that movie? So that's what we did. Presenting Lightyear, the movie that Andy saw that changed his life. Andy's Star Wars. A sci-fi epic designed to inspire a new generation."
The director has spoken out about why Evans was chosen for the role of Buzz Lightyear over Allen, the original Buzz voice actor. MacLane said, "The tone [of Lightyear] is a lot different [to that of the Toy Story movies]. Tim is hilarious, but this character wouldn’t work as well with him doing the Space Ranger voice. It would not be as emotional." He continued, "It just changes the tone of the movie. We were going for more of a classic sci-fi film."
Evans has also previously touched on picking up Allen's nearly 30 year legacy as Buzz Lightyear. Evans explained, "As proud as I am to play this role and as honored as I am to be a part of this universe now, that line belongs to someone else. It almost kind of felt like I was wearing someone else's clothes or something, you know? So you do your best to honor it and put your own spin on it." In reference to the character's iconic motto of "To infinity, and beyond!," Evans added, "But let's be honest, that's Tim Allen's line."
Lightyear premiered on June 17, and has been received with mixed-to-positive reviews from both critics and audiences. The film has also been the subject of some controversy regarding its depiction of same-sex relationships and a kiss between Uzo Aduba's character, Alisha Hawthorne, and her wife. Though the scene was pulled from the film following minor backlash, Disney ultimately chose to include it in the final version.
Evans weighed in on the Lightyear controversy, saying that "It's tough to not be a little frustrated that it even has to be a topic of discussion." He explained, "That representation across the board is how we make films. Look, it's an honor to be a part of something that is taking those steps, but the goal is to look back on this time and just be shocked that it took us this long to get there."
Lightyear is playing in theaters now.
Source: YouTube