Director Angus MacLane and producer Galyn Susman spoke about Buzz Lightyear, the latest film from Pixar studios in theaters this Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Interview.
Buzz L’Eclair is back in theaters this June 22, this time without his companion Woody. The character discovered in the Toy Story saga is entitled to his own film. But it’s not Andy’s toy who has the right to solo adventures in this new production from the studios Pixar. On the contrary, we discover the feature film that made Woody want to buy the Buzz Lightyear toy. The spectator then plunges into a real science fiction epic, with many nods to classics of the genre, to discover the man behind the Space Ranger. Director Angus MacLane (Finding Dory) and producer Galyn Susman (Toy Story 4) gave us an interview during their visit to the Annecy Animation Film Festival to discuss the creation of this very special spin-off. .
What inspired you to make a Buzz Lightyear film, and above all, why now, when four Toy Story films have already been released?
Angus MacLane (director) : I’ve always been interested in Buzz and always wanted to know more about his world. After working on Finding Dory, I thought it would be fun to make a light action movie where we could study the story of Buzz Lightyear. This is where the desire to make this film came from.
Galyn Susman (producer) : And from a technical and technological point of view, it would have been difficult to realize earlier a Animation Film and science fiction of this magnitude.
In this film, Buzz is a space ranger who is certainly competent, but who fails, makes himself feel guilty and regrets his actions, a far cry from the hero of Toy Story. Why did you choose such a path for this character?
Angus MacLane : Buzz is so confident, we had to give him emotional tests. He’s confident he can do anything and he’s been very successful, like a traditional hero. It seemed to me that making him doubt, having regrets was a good way to make him move forward and make him evolve. It is expected to accomplish its mission. That he makes a mistake is a perfect counterpoint. He was a good emotional driver for this character.
The fact that it was an animated science fiction film, which is quite rare in the United States, did it make the film more complicated to make?
Angus MacLane : It’s complicated in the sense that the world we created gave us a lot of work. There were a lot of finishes and elements: the ships, the scenery and the characters have a high level of detail and finish. It was indeed difficult, but no more so than any other animated film either. On the other hand, working remotely during the Covid-19, that was complicated.
Galyn Susman : Very complicated, yes. And we were in a movie where even simple things, like the stars in the sky, look very different on a monitor than on a screen. The first time we came back to the office, we looked at the stars and it felt like we had golf balls in space, it was ridiculous (laughs).
“We passionately defend the fact that all children can feel seen and heard in our films”
This film shows the first lesbian kiss in a Pixar film. Is it a political act on your part or is it a screenplay choice?
Galyn Susman : It was not a political act, no. Originally, it was driven by the story: we didn’t want Buzz and Alicia’s relationship to be romantic. She is his mentor, his best friend, they have more of a brother-sister relationship. The way to make it all as clear as possible was to make sure she wasn’t interested in Buzz. It made sense from a script standpoint. And obviously, the representation of minorities is important to us. We weren’t necessarily looking to make a political gesture, but we passionately defend the idea that all children can feel seen and heard.
Were you able to hear the French voices in the film?
Angus MacLane : no Unfortunately
Galyn Susman : we were told that they were very good on the other hand!
Too bad… What qualities were you looking for for the dubbing of Buzz Lightyear?
Angus MacLane : We wanted the tone of the film to be more serious, in the spirit of a science fiction film, but with a little humor. So we needed Buzz to be more serious, able to be funny, but still be a serious hero with a wide range of emotions. Chris Evans [la voix anglaise de Buzz, ndlr] was the best choice for this character.
What message do you want the public, and especially the youngest, to take away from Buzz Lightyear?
Angus MacLane : This film is about a character stuck in his past. Buzz is obsessed with fixing the past, but he doesn’t live in the present and he has no future. Buzz Lightyear reminds us not to forget the people around us.
Galyn Susman : Buzz Lightyear also shows us that we shouldn’t follow the myth of the hero at all costs. Fixing the solutions by yourself saving everyone in a snap is a myth. This is not how we remember the great leaders of our history. Heroes are those who inspire us to do better, to work for the good of all, to build a team and to appreciate what each can contribute.
Can we expect a sequel?
Angus MacLane : I don’t know… (laughs)
But would you like to make a second Buzz Lightyear movie?
Angus MacLane : Why not, I am open to this idea. But it will be necessary to study the various parameters, 5 years on the same film, it is long.