Exclusive: Director/Screenwriter Angus MacLane & Producer Galyn Susman Talk Pixar’s Lightyear
Hitting theaters on June 17, 2022 from Disney and Pixar is their new original sci-fi action-adventure “Lightyear.” featuring Chris Evans, who lends his voice to Buzz, Keke Palmer, Dale Soules, Taika Waititi, Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez and Isiah Whitlock Jr. The film was written and directed by Angus MacLane and produced by Gayln Susman.
The definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy, “Lightyear” follows the legendary Space Ranger after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew. As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.
In a previous statement, director Angus MacLane, said “Buzz’s world was always something I was excited about. 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 ‘Lighytear’ 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.”
For director, animator, screenwriter, and voice actor MacLane, who previously directed short films BURN-E, Toy Story Toons: Small Fry, the television special Toy Story of Terror!, and co-directed the film Finding Dory, Lightyear marks his feature film directorial debut.
Galyn Susman has been with the Disney and Pixar family for nearly 30 years having worked her way up from being a lighting supervisor / modeling artist on the original Toy Story, to being an associate producer on Ratatouille, and working on the DVD & promo production team for several Disney titles. She recently was a producer on Toy Story 4.
Director/ Screenwriter Angus MacLane and Producer Gayln Susman talk to Blackfilmandtv.com's Wilson Morales about the making of Lightyear.