The immense popularity of Pixar's Toy Story film series began when the first installment was released in 1995. Since its inception, the Toy Story films have earned 11 Academy Award nominations, and Toy Story 3 was one of only three animated films to have secured a Best Picture nomination -- the other films were Beauty and the Beast and Up. Toy Story 3 was also the first animated film to earn $1 billion at the box office.
The last time Toy Story fans saw their favorite characters was in the 2019 film Toy Story 4. Since then, many fans of the series' favorite space ranger rejoiced when Lightyear was announced in December 2020. Despite the return of Buzz Lightyear, Chris Evans replaced Tim Allen in the voice-acting role. Marvel Cinematic Universe fans, in particular, can't wait to hear Captain America as a space ranger.
What Is Pixar's Lightyear About?
Lightyear tells the origin story of a young astronaut named Buzz Lightyear -- the inspiration behind Andy's eponymous action figure. Buzz, along with his commander and crew, are deserted on an unfriendly planet over 4.2 million light-years away from Earth. The crew must work together to find their way home, but not without the familiar villain of Zurg stirring up some trouble. Lightyear introduces several new faces to Toy Story fans, like the adorable robot cat friend named Sox.
In addition to Evans joining the voice-acting cast, stars like Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, and James Brolin also lend their voices to Lightyear. A Buzz Lightyear film was previously attempted with the forgettable 2000 direct-to-video movie Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins -- a pilot to the short-lived spin-off series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. Although, there are higher hopes for the success of the upcoming film compared to its predecessors.
Is Lightyear Streaming on Disney+?
Lightyear will be released in theaters on June 17 to give fans the long-awaited story behind the iconic character. For those who prefer watching movies in the comfort of their own home, Lightyear will eventually be available to stream on Disney+. Lightyear could follow Encanto's footsteps and release on Disney+ 30 days after its theatrical premiere date. Thus, Disney+ subscribers might get to watch Lightyear as early as mid-July.
Conversely, Lightyear could follow the typical 45-day theatrical release format, in which case, it would arrive on Disney+ in early August. If fans remain impatient for Lightyear, they can check out Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear on Disney+ in the meantime. This newly released documentary explores the creation process of Buzz Lightyear's transition from toy to human.
Lightyear will be released in theaters on June 17.