“You. Are. A. Toy.” These iconic words said by Woody in the first Toy Story film are intended to bring the delusional “Buzz Lightyear” down from his fantasy that he is not, in fact, the space ranger that he thinks he is, but a six-inch figure made of plastic. Pixar Studios are bringing this concept full circle later this year with the release of Lightyear – a look at Buzz’s origins as a test pilot and eventual space ranger.

The new trailer gives us our first fleshed-out look at this world. After being marooned on a planet for a long period, a group of colonists is finally ready to launch a mission to try and send for help, and their best pilot, Buzz, is nominated to take the controls.

It would appear that what follows is an unscheduled trip into a wormhole, that further takes the intrepid character through some unexpected and unchartered reaches of space. Along the way, he meets strange aliens and a giant robot that fans of the franchise will find familiar.

Space Adventure

This isn’t the first time Pixar has ventured into space, with the adventures of Wall-E capturing our imaginations previously. However, that film paints a rather depressing picture of human space exploration, as the expedition is told never to go back to Earth and humanity slowly devolve into Amorphis, useless blobs of flesh.

Lightyear looks as though it will highlight the more positive aspects of human space exploration – especially as that relates to the inherent optimism it can inspire. It feels like after the couple of years we’ve collectively had as a species, a reminder of what we’re capable of when we’re at our best feels very timely.

Great Pedigree, Great Cast

Add to all of this, a great voice cast. None other than Captain America himself, Chris Evans, supplies the voice of the titular space ranger. Also joining the cast is eminent talent Taika Waititi. Although the role is not yet known, it looks like the performance part of the film will be covered.

Beyond that though, there’s the incredible, almost mythic pedigree of the studio itself. Pixar is ridiculously consistent and has been animation’s high watermark since the release of Toy Story way back in 1995. This trailer looks to be another massive hit for the studio. It’s appealing to both children and parents alike. Keep an eye out for this one as it releases mid-year.

FIB are set to review Lightyear once it comes out, later this year. Until then, check out the official trailer below:

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