Disney & Pixar has done it again. With the highly anticipated release of the feature film “Lightyear” set to be released on June 17th, stars, filmmakers and special guests poured into Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre to celebrate Pixar Animation Studios’ 26th feature film world premiere of “Lightyear” last night. Lightyear is a spin-off to the hit Pixar series Toys Story that has grossed over $3,054,457,147 in sales worldwide. As the character “Buzz Lightyear” was one of the main characters in this series, it only makes sense to further explore the development of his background and heroism. The story plot of this movie entails Buzz Lightyear being cast away on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew. Pixar lovers are in for a special treat as this never before told story captivates the mind from beginning to end.
Members of the voice cast in attendance for this epic night include Chris Evans (Buzz Lightyear), Keke Palmer (Izzy Hawthorne), Peter Sohn (Sox), Dale Soules (Darby Steel), James Brolin (Zurg), Uzo Aduba (Alisha Hawthorne), Mary McDonald-Lewis (I.V.A.N.), Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Commander Burnside) and Efren Ramirez (Airman Díaz). Joining them were filmmakers Angus MacLane (directed by/story by/screenplay by), Galyn Susman, p.g.a. (produced by), Jason Headley (story by/screenplay by) and Michael Giacchino (music by). Special guests in attendance include Jabari Banks, Yvette Nicole Brown, Sherry Cola, Matt Cornett, Denise Crosby, Patrick Fabian, Xochitl Gomez, Jack Dylan Grazer, Tiffany Haddish, Skai Jackson, De Andre Jordan, Nathan Kress, Tom Marshburn, Griffin Matthews, Aaron Paul, Kristen Schaal, Iman Shumpert, Patrick Starr, Andre Swilley, Jon Voight, Ramona Young and Idara Victor.
As you will notice, some of the voiced cast are actually NBA players Iman Shrumpert and Deandre Jordan. Shurmpert, who was crowned the 2021 Dancing With The Stars champion, is married to 2022 season 7 Masked singer winner Teyana Taylor who is also the creative director for Pretty Little Things. It is good to see these NBA stars transitioning to a different lane generating more influence in a different form of entertainment. They also bring a layer of diversity to the cast as you do not often see many athletes playing animated characters in kids movies. This for sure will be a movie you will not want to miss.
“Lightyear” opens in theaters June 17, 2022. Be sure to stay tuned for more more information about how this mysterious agenda will unfold before your eyes. Visit the official “Lightyear” twitter account here.