At one time likely expected to be a major hit for Disney and Pixar, Lightyear turned out to be anything but. A commercial failure that only performed somewhat better critically, the movie is seen as one of its company's biggest flops in years. There were numerous explanations for why this was, but no one likely saw its most recent failure coming.
Lightyear has disappointed yet again on Disney+, with its streaming numbers failing to impress. Though this may be a blight on Disney, it's only confirming how many already felt about the movie. Now flopping in various forms and fashions, the "true" story behind Buzz Lightyear is officially one that audiences didn't care about.
Lightyear Failed at the Box Office and Through Streaming
When Lightyear was first revealed with its teaser trailer, the film certainly had potential. The idea of showcasing the origins of the "real life" Buzz Lightyear was interesting, but this premise was sadly unfulfilled in the final product. The movie was a dark and serious affair, but it curtailed this by unnecessary kid-friendly comedic sidekicks and other elements that felt entirely out of place.
Amid these choices, Lightyear ended up receiving a less than astronomic box office intake. Some believed the film would perform better on Disney+, which was a fate given to the much more popular movie Encanto. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, with Buzz lacking the buzz of the family Madrigal. It's an ignominious end to what's become of the Toy Story franchise, but it's not unexpected.
Audiences Never Wanted Lightyear
The lack of hype for Lightyear's release on Disney+ says a lot, confirming that the weak box office receipts weren't just due to moviegoer apprehension. If families were waiting to stream the film on Disney+ as many believed they did for Encanto, surely the streaming numbers would reflect that. After all, Lightyear, no matter how far removed, is a spinoff of the legendary Toy Story series. Those who had grown up watching those movies now had children of their own, allowing the film to tap into nostalgia for the series in ways that even Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4 didn't. Encanto, on the other hand, was an entirely original affair, lacking any of these marketing advantages.
At the same time, no one wanted a Buzz Lightyear movie, or at least not the one audiences got. The film was incredibly half-hearted, being neither the realistic space film that it thought it was nor a tie-in to Toy Story. If anything, this made the movie come off as a lazy cash grab instead of a heartfelt addition to Pixar's original franchise. If a young version of Andy was seen watching the film at one point, or even his older self seeing the movie with his own kids, it would have given fans more of a reason to check the film out.
The movie's lackluster reception wasn't helped by Pixar's somewhat tarnished reputation, especially given the recent slew of sequels from the once more original studio. Many are more critical of Disney, be it the company's animated fare or recent live-action entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With very few of Disney's offerings in the past two making a real splash without any controversy, the result was death by 1000 paper cuts for Lightyear. The deepest cut of all, though, was that audiences didn't care for the movie's mere existence, and they've made that clear by ignoring it in any form.