Lightyear 2022: When is Lightyear movie release date, Lightyear reviews, and who voices Buzz Lightyear?

A trailer for the movie dropped online in January, to the delight of fans.

The first teaser trailer for Pixar's Lightyear dropped on October 27th. Photo: Pixar.

The first Toy Story film, which came out in 1995, introduced us to Buzz Lightyear, the smooth-talking toy astronaut who would team up with cowboy Woody for four movies in total. The films captivated children and adults like, spanning over 20 years.

Now, Pixar is diving back in time by giving us the backstory of the real-life Buzz Lightyear in a brand new animated film. Here’s all we know about the film so far, including a look at the first trailer and when the new Buzz Lightyear film will come out.

What is Lightyear about?

Lightyear takes the audience into real-life outer space, following the adventures of the actual astronaut who inspired the toy line seen in the Toy Story franchise.

Although we will follow a different character, the trailer already offers some snapshots that remind us of the well-loved toy astronaut, including the iconic white-and-green suit and the voice of Chris Evans starting to say the classic catchphrase: “To infinity and beyond.” The trailer also gives us hints of where Lightyear will explore, including alien planets, a dramatic blast-off into space, and making friends with a bright-eyed robot.

When is Lightyear movie release date?

First announced just under a year ago at the 2020 Disney Investor Day, Lightyear is expected to release on June 17th 2022. It’s been six years since our last Toy Story movie and there’s no sign of a Toy Story 5 anytime soon. That means that Lightyear will be the next chance we have of getting close to our favourite toy-related characters anytime soon.

Lightyear reviews

Lightyear has so far scored 82% on Rotten Tomatoes after 84 votes. The Times has called the film “a sweet but generic Toy Story spinoff”, while the Telegraph were similarly unenthused, calling it “Pixar’s dreariest, most spiritually empty film to date”.

The Guardian were more positive, calling the film “a treat from Pixar”.

Who voices Buzz Lightyear?

Former MCU star Chris Evans is confirmed to be the voice of Buzz Lightyear. He is reportedly delighted by the news, as he stated himself in a tweet.

"Animated movie were an enormous part of my childhood,” Mr Evans wrote. “They were my escape. My adventures. My dreams. They were my first window into the magic of storytelling and performing. To @pixar and @AngusMacLane: ‘Thank you’ doesn’t even come close."

Here, Angus MacLane is the director of Lightyear, working closely with Mr Evans and the rest of the team.