Disney andPixar’s newest animated feature film,Lightyear, officially arrived in theaters this past weekend. TheToy Storyspin-off centered around the emblematic Space Ranger and looked to capitalize on the beloved nature of the animated franchise, but director Angus MacLane questioned the future of spin-offs for the studio.
Pixar’sLightyearis the studio’s first appearance back in theaters since 2020 after the pandemic and other factors derailed a number of the studio’s releases. The animated film looked to approach theToy Storynarrative from a unique angle, focusing on the fictional movie that sparked Andy’s desire to acquire the Buzz Lightyear action figure. The brand-new project hoped to earn roughly $70 million by the end of its debut weekend, but the space adventure struggled to reach that domestic number.
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Lightyearearned $51 million over the weekend, which placed the film second behindJurassic World Dominion. While the premiere number fromLightyearsurpassed the accumulated theatrical openings of films such asUnchartedandScream, it’s difficult to imagine that the studio didn’t expect more from a spin-off attached to their most beloved animated franchise. MacLane, who previously worked onAndrew Stanton’sFinding Nemospin-offFinding Dory, noted that rising directors should avoid the spin-off allure. “I wouldn’t recommend it,” said MacLane while speaking with GameSpot, “It’s so, so hard.”
InToy Story, Buzz Lightyear is not a centerpiece but an element of the narrative that works in unison with the story’s main focus, which would happen to be Woody. MacLane noted that one of the more difficult things was turning Lightyear into the headlining star and a likable figure for audiences. “When we took on this project we ran into the problem of having to change a side character to a main character and that’s a really hard thing,” said MacLane. “Having worked onFinding Dory, that was just tremendously hard.” However, the desire tocapture Lightyear’s backstoryin a sci-fi action-adventure kept MacLane motivated to push forward, despite the difficulty in elevating the character.
Casting Chris Evansto voice the iconic Space Ranger added some fuel to the fire, but ultimately audience’s expectations can be the biggest hurdle for directors to traverse when it comes to creating spin-offs. “I think it’s funny to hear people ask things like ‘how is this compared to Toy Story?’ because when you see the movie, you realize it’s its own thing,” expressed MacLane, who acknowledges that the comparison between a spin-off and the original work that inspired it comes with the territory. “And I get that, really,” expressed MacLane. “I think it would be even harder if it were the Toy Story Buzz going off into this movie, you know? Then you’d be like, ‘where’s Woody?!’ Because that’s what makes Toy Story Buzz work.”
It’s unclear what may have derailed audiences from seeing the film the way the studio envisioned, but what’s undeniable is the difficult nature of bringing a spin-off such asLightyearto life. Lightyear’s role in theToy Storyfranchise, while necessary, is not the centerpiece driving the narrative, which makes the individual story challenging to build up. So many variables are at play when it comes to crafting spin-offs, butthe disappointment ofLightyeardoesn’t mean the studio won’t venture down the path in the future. More may come, but their intentionality has to be considered.
