Lightyear | Conquering new horizons

Buzz Lightyear expands his horizons by becoming much more than an action figure. In Lightyear, he is the central character of the film that Andy would have seen and who would have led the young boy to want the toy in his likeness so badly. Interview with Angus MacLane, director, and Galyn Susman, producer of 26^e Pixar animated film.

Danielle Bonneau
The Press

“It’s the movie I’ve always wanted to see and always wanted to do, with a character I’ve loved from the moment I saw him,” Angus MacLane said in an interview with video conference.

His relationship with Buzz dates back to his debut at Pixar in 1997, as part of the animation team of the animated film. Toy Story 2. Galyn Susman, meanwhile, can boast of having worked on Pixar’s very first animated film, Toy Storyand for helping to save Toy Story 2 of the disaster when it was accidentally erased. Working from home because she had a baby, she had a copy at home. Buzz Lightyear therefore holds a special place in their hearts. As the launch date of Lightyear approach, they realize the scope of the character.

“It’s amazing to hear the testimonials and I’m glad in a way that I didn’t know how important Buzz is to so many people,” said Angus MacLane, also the animated film’s co-writer.

“I was nervous at first, I didn’t want to disappoint the spectators,” adds Galyn Susman. Then we noticed quite early in the process that the expectations were very diverse. We had to make a great film hoping that people would have fun and accept what we were offering. »

Fight Zurg

Brave Captain Buzz Lightyear finds himself on his way back to Earth when he decides to take a detour to explore an unknown planet. His impulsive decision becomes the first blunder of his impressive career, since it is impossible to leave. Consumed by remorse, he makes it his mission to bring the members of his crew back to Earth, which is light years away. To develop the necessary fuel, he multiplies the tests. However, during each attempt, the principle of time dilation comes into play. The speed he reaches means that what he experiences in the space of minutes is calculated in years for those left behind. Using young recruits and soldiers, they will join forces to fight the powerful Zurg (James Brolin) and his army, who threaten Buzz’s mission.

The creators were inspired by their experience for the idea of ​​the film. “It takes us four or five years to make an animated film, and every time you stick your head out to breathe a little, you find that time has slipped away,” says Angus MacLane, who pitched the idea after have completed the co-production of Finding Dory (Finding Dory). To establish a distance with the toy Buzz Lightyear, closely related to the voice of Tim Allen, it is Chris Evans (Captain America) who lends his voice to the Space Patroller.

Make way for diversity

It made sense to encourage diversity among Buzz’s entourage, says Angus MacLane, who grew up watching star trek. “To me, what science fiction represented was a disparate group of people with different experiences coming together to accomplish something. Ultimately, that’s what our story is about, that it takes a team of people with different skills and backgrounds to solve problems. »

This diversity is particularly embodied in the character of Commander Alisha Hawthorne, who was queer from the start, he says. “We wanted to show that she was living her life, while Buzz wasn’t. She had her career, at the head of the space station, and her family life with her spouse. »

The furtive kiss that the two women exchange, which had been removed and then reinstated following protests from employees at Pixar, is “just normal and the natural extension of the relationship between the two characters”, specifies Mr. MacLane. “Our team is made up of a wide variety of artists. We made sure that it was done well and that we handled this relationship in the right way. »

Kept in secret

Actor and director James Brolin, who lends his voice to the fearsome Zurg, was kept in the greatest secrecy until the end of the recording sessions. He was never told what drove his character to face Buzz Lightyear.

“I assumed certain things, from the way I was asked to say certain sentences, but it remains a mystery,” he said in a videoconference interview. During his career, which began in 1963, he never did voice acting in an animated film. “I never thought of that. But in the past, we have seen actors with a lot of experience whose careers have restarted after playing bad guys. I enjoyed the experience and am open to all suggestions. And I can’t wait to go back to the Eastern Townships and Montreal! »

Lightyear hits theaters on Friday.