Why Pixar Is Making Lightyear Instead Of Toy Story 5
The Toy Story franchise is one of the most successful animation franchises of all time, but why is Pixar making Lightyear, a spin-off film instead?
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Instead of Toy Story 5, Pixar is making the spin-off film Lightyear — and here’s why. One of the most successful animated franchises, Toy Story introduced the world to toys (and 3D film animation) that are literally alive. Led by vintage cowboy doll Sheriff Woody and Space Ranger superhero Buzz Lightyear, the anthropomorphic toys encountered adventures that challenged their identities and strengthened their bonds.
The Toy Story franchise, which consists of four films: Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Toy Story 4 (2019), was a critical and commercial success, setting box-office records and receiving numerous accolades. It also gave birth to television shows, short films, comic books, video games, and even theme park attractions. Notably, Toy Story also made history as the pioneer for 3D computer animation, influencing succeeding films and video games. Given the wide scope of success and impact the franchise enjoyed, it would only make sense for another Toy Story sequel to be released, so why is Pixar making a spin-off film instead?
The latest Toy Story installment premiered in 2019, nine years after its predecessor was launched. Although it was never directly advertised as the last franchise entry, its plot felt conclusive — with Woody’s chapter finally coming to a close as he became a “Lost Toy,” just like Bo Peep and company. Instead of a simple adventure that would bring the toys back together, Toy Story 4 expanded the characters’ purpose, from making their owners happy to choosing and chasing their own happiness. Since the tetralogy mainly focused on Woody’s relationships and interactions with his owners and the other toys, it was only fitting that he was given a proper emotional send-off. At this point, then, it would be better if the story shifted to the other main Toy Story character, Buzz Lightyear.
The spin-off film Lightyear aims to tell the origin story of the “real” human Buzz Lightyear, who inspired the action figure of the same name. Part of Buzz’s characterization in the Toy Story franchise is his inability to realize that he is not an actual space cadet, so it would be interesting to explore the rich sci-fi mythology of the character. Moreover, Lightyear has already been in development after Finding Dory’s release in 2016, and its standalone nature would not be affected by the franchise ending.
Needless to say, there is still a possibility that Pixar will release another Toy Story sequel, especially since Woody getting separated from the gang means he will have a different set of adventures. However, looking at its pattern of releases, that would take a while before Toy Story 5 even gets developed. In the meantime, the studio has a lot of space-related narratives to dive into, while establishing Lightyear’s connection to the Toy Story franchise.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/pixar-buzz-lightyear-movie-not-toy-story-5/