Lightyear

[Sotiris]

This is just a promotional image and it’s not meant to be taken as overall canon.

It just adds to the confusion as to where the movie fits in the Toy Story universe. It's clear the filmmakers just wanted to make a modern sci-fi movie with Buzz in it and didn't give a damn about canon and continuity. All the hoopla about this being the movie Andy watched when he was a kid was a half-baked idea they came up with at the last minute to sell it. This concept could have been cool and interesting had it been done right, but they chose the lazy and convenient way instead.

[estefan]

Lightyear opened to an estimated $51 million this weekend. Below expectations, but this is the biggest domestic opening weekend for an animated film since the pandemic shut down theatres back in March 2020 (the previous #1 was Space Jam: A New Legacy with $31 million). So it has that going for it. Although it's #2 behind family films, with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 having the biggest opening with $72 million.

I'm curious to see how Lightyear holds up in the coming weeks and also how much Minions: The Rise of Gru opens to in two weeks.

[Disney's Divinity]

Don’t judge a movie based on political Woke Ness or anything like that for despite anything you read you may actually like/not mine how it’s portrayed, for just because this is An overdone thing even with/especially with Disney nowadays it doesn’t mean it’s a Cearley bad and order you may not necessarily not like it the age? Just because you hear about something doesn’t mean you may not like it why I’ve heard lots of things about movies online and I end it up actually quite liking them in the end so the same could be said for you EH?

The truth is that films from the past, if they were coming out now, would also be getting labeled "woke" because the word means nothing. TLM--Ariel singing about wanting to be in a world where daughters don't get reprimanded (where she can stand, read, do what she wants, etc.), the coming-of-age factor that has a sexual aspect (her coming out of the water post-PUS) to it like Turning Red, wanting independence WOKE. Aladdin--Muslim characters, Jasmine's "I am not a prize to be won," the Genie's story being made a direct metaphor to slavery, the Sultan changing the law for Jasmine to do what she wants WOKE. Pocahontas--Native American characters, White people as the aggressors, environmentalism in "Colors of the Wind," WOKE. Mulan--Asian characters, Mulan in drag, Mulan finding her true self as a soldier after being a failure at OTT femininity with the Matchmaker, WOKE. Hunchback--Esmeralda is a saint while the White guy is evil, WOKE. It's a word that can be applied to anything, because the only intention behind its use is to discourage the film industry from incorporating diversity or active female characters. Disney burned down that bridge with their original content decades ago and have never reversed course, so...

Turning Red, Lightyear, Raya, Encanto, Moana, TP&TF, etc. aren't majorly different than films of old (leaving aside the buddy roadtrip formula debate), the only thing that's changed is the state of real life in the U.S. Racism, misogyny, and homophobia are off-the-charts here more than they have been in decades. And that's ultimately why diversity in film is becoming more common (well, that and changing demographics), tbh--it's an attempt to make you empathize with people who aren't like you, who don't look like you, to recognize that people you don't know or understand are human just like you are via stories.

[Sotiris]

Lightyear opened to an estimated $51 million this weekend.

It underperformed overseas as well.

The Toy Story spinoff came in below projections with a $34.6M offshore bow in 43 material markets.

Source: https://deadline.com/2022/06/lightyear- ... 235048336/

[rodrigo_ca]

You're all overreacting about a movie that doesn't deserve any of it. It's pretty to look at even if Buzz look weird, but I finish it finding out that I didn't care about any of it. The first Disney gay character that is also animated and black and has lines and moves and has a kid who breathes is done well. For a studio that made us care about plastic toys, this is a far cry (and I cared so much I remember exactly when and where I saw Toy Story 3 since it basically traumatized me because of how much it made me cry) Ironically, the only character I have found myself caring a little about was another "toy" - Sox

[PatrickvD]

PIXAR can’t seem to catch a break. To be honest, this is the film I would have sent straight to D+, not Luca or Turning Red. Both of which are charming.

Lightyear looked completely unwatchable. This was fully expected.

[rodrigo_ca]

If this was a Disney+ Original I'd be much happier with it. I agree completely that Luca and Turning Red deserved the theatre spot better.

[Patricier21]

I don’t Say this in the reaction, but my mom and I thought that this is one of the best D box Experiences we’ve ever had, throughout it really has you feel like you were there in the movie! Also there are three post credit scenes one of which I missed because it’s actually after the Disney and Pixar logos so please be sure you stay for it!

[Sotiris]

Lightyear had the #7 worst domestic opening weekend for a Pixar film (not adjusted for inflation).

01. Toy Story: $29.1 million
02. A Bug's Life: $33.3 million
03. Onward: $39.11 million
04. The Good Dinosaur: $39.15 million
05. Ratatouille: $47.0 million
06. Coco: $50.8 million
07. Lightyear: $51.0 million
08. Cars 3: $53.6 million
09. Toy Story 2: $57.3 million
10. Cars: $60.1 million

[Jäger-Rose]

I'm not surprised by the performance tbh. I mean... this may the first animated Disney or Pixar movie in many years where I have absolutely zero ambition to watch it.
Despite doing interviews with the filmmakers, I honapestly didn't even realize the film was already coming out. So I don't know, it's really a movie I wouldn't mind watching in a couple of years when I'd randomly zap through TV and it was on somewhere.

[Farerb]

I'm not surprised by the performance tbh. I mean... this may the first animated Disney or Pixar movie in many years where I have absolutely zero ambition to watch it.
Despite doing interviews with the filmmakers, I honapestly didn't even realize the film was already coming out. So I don't know, it's really a movie I wouldn't mind watching in a couple of years when I'd randomly zap through TV and it was on somewhere.

Ever since theaters got opened here again back in May 2021, I went to see three animated films: Luca, Encanto and Lightyear, and Lightyear was the one that made me realize that I need to be more selective when it comes to Pixar and Disney (yes, not even Encanto did that).

[Disney's Divinity]

For it to have an opening as good or slightly better than Coco, Ratatouille, Toy Story, and ABL is pretty good considering the theater business isn't still fully back to normal, particularly for animated films (thanks to Disney moronically training people to wait for streaming). I mean, all those films were hits, so... And Coco and Ratatouille in particular both came while PIXAR were the big thing, too.

I personally still haven't got to the point that I would support PIXAR films in theater yet. I know the situation is improving with Lasseter gone and baby steps being taken away from the buddy roadtrip formula--in retrospect, wouldn't have minded supporting Turning Red and Luca since both broke away from the formula to degrees--but Lightyear was never something I was excited about and Elemental looks like a step backwards. So I'm still not sure if I want to help PIXAR at the box office. Deep down I'd be fine if the company eventually went belly up over the next decade and a half, and WDAS was the only animation studio at Disney again.

Maybe I should simply make it Domee Shi films I'll watch in theaters for now until I feel more sure PIXAR's not just going to revert, since Turning Red is the most original thing they've put out in decades, imo. I feel a little more confidence in her creativity than PIXAR in general.

[estefan]

Deep down I'd be fine if the company eventually went belly up over the next decade and a half, and WDAS was the only animation studio at Disney again.

Over a thousand people are employed at Pixar, working on movies that are enjoyed by billions of people around the world. Seems a little mean to want them to lose their jobs, just because some of the movies aren't to your liking.

I don't like Domino's Pizza, but I would never wish for the company to go bankrupt, because then tens of thousands of people would be out of work and there are probably several customers who get a lot of joy and satisfaction eating their food. And that's not something I would want to take away from them.

[Disney's Divinity]

Over a thousand people are employed at Pixar, working on movies that are enjoyed by billions of people around the world. Seems a little mean to want them to lose their jobs, just because some of the movies aren't to your liking.

Too bad you didn't feel that way when PIXAR leeches were taking over WDAS and throwing out hundreds (thousands?) of hand-drawn talent. It all comes back around. At least many of them will be able to seek work at WDAS, whereas hand-drawn animators had nowhere to go. In the streaming era, it will become more about creating cheaper product quickly... Two companies that make expensive and slow 3D films would be unnecessary, and WDAS does have the longer legacy. Plus, PIXAR's own studio legacy is sort of tainted by the Lasseter takedown because Lasseter made himself so synonymous with PIXAR... It would be easy to fold the PIXAR films into WDAS; after all, hasn't the blending of the product all these years had the goal of making the two companies look the same to the public anyway?

Disney's already shut down BlueSky and they'll eventually shut down FOX, too. That's business for you. One minute you're on top, the next you're being shown the door. Disney bought all these companies largely to absorb their IP for Disney+, not because they wanted to manage more companies. Marvel and Lucasfilm are really the only two worth keeping around to do something Disney couldn't simply do themselves.

[Sotiris]

The theater reversed the decision and took down the sign after online backlash.

Oklahoma Theater Posted ‘Lightyear’ Gay Kiss Warning: We’ll Try to Fast-Forward Through It
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/okla ... 235301733/

[Sotiris]

Interesting article on why Lightyear underperformed.

Lightyear’ Box Office: Behind the Pixar Movie’s Family Problem
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie ... 235169002/

[Sotiris]

According to two people who have spoken with him, Lasseter has been extremely critical of Lightyear and Strange World, Disney’s two $200 million animated flops this year, especially the one based on the Toy Story character that Lasseter created and nurtured for 25 years. He sees big opportunity for a realignment in the animation space.

Source: https://puck.news/the-hollywood-hero-of-the-year-is/

[D23ExpoVisitor25]

Honestly, f-k Lassetter. Who cares what that sexual predator thinks anymore?

[Farerb]

Not that Docter’s time as COO has been without its speedbumps, the biggest being the release last summer of “Lightyear,” a bold science fiction adventure that just so happened to be tangentially connected to the “Toy Story” universe. When asked what happened with the film, which boasted an all-star cast including Chris Evans and Keke Palmer, plus whip-smart direction from Pixar mainstay Angus MacLane, Docter was open and honest.

“We’ve done a lot of soul-searching about that because we all love the movie. We love the characters and the premise. I think probably what we’ve ended on in terms of what went wrong is that we asked too much of the audience. When they hear Buzz, they’re like, great, where’s Mr. Potato Head and Woody and Rex? And then we drop them into this science fiction film that they’re like, What?” Docter said. “Even if they’ve read the material in press, it was just a little too distant, both in concept, and I think in the way that characters were drawn, that they were portrayed. It was much more of a science fiction. And Angus, to his credit, took it very seriously and genuinely and wanted to represent those characters as real characters. But the characters in ‘Toy Story’ are much broader, and so I think there was a disconnect between what people wanted/expected and what we were giving to them.”

https://www.thewrap.com/pete-docter-int ... y-story-5/

[singerguy04]

I think it really boils down to Buzz Lightyear being a campy subject matter and them taking it all entirely too seriously in this film. It really should have been more of a silly romp through space, more akin to the animated series, than a serious science-fiction flick. It seems like they're still discovering that...