Moviefone Editorial

Tag: lightyear

Best Pixar Movies Ranked

(L to R) Yonas Kibreab and Remy Edgerly in ‘Elio’. Directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina, and produced by Mary Alice Drumm, Disney and Pixar’s ‘Elio’ releases in theaters June 20, 2025. © 2024 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Pixar Animation Studios has changed the game when it comes to animated feature films.

For almost 30 years the Northern California studio has delivered some of the most critically acclaimed and beloved animated films of all time including ‘Up‘, ‘WALL-E‘, ‘Ratatouille‘, ‘Soul‘ and ‘Coco‘, as well as such popular franchises as ‘Toy Story‘, ‘Cars‘, ‘Finding Nemo‘, ‘The Incredibles‘ and ‘Inside Out‘.

The studio’s latest movie, ‘Elio‘, which features the voice work of recent Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña, opens in theaters on June 20th.

In honor of Pixar’s new film, Moviefone is ranking every movie Pixar has ever made, including their latest.

Let’s begin!

29. ‘Lightyear‘ (2022)

Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) in Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear,’ which opens in U.S. theaters on June 17, 2022. © 2021 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Legendary Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans) embarks on an intergalactic adventure alongside a group of ambitious recruits and his robot companion Sox.
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28. ‘Cars 3‘ (2017)

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician (Cristela Alonzo) with her own plan to win, inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet (Paul Newman), and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!
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27. ‘The Good Dinosaur‘ (2015)

An epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo (Raymond Ochoa) makes an unlikely human friend.
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26. ‘Cars 2‘ (2011)

Star race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and his pal Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.
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25. ‘Elemental‘ (2023)

Pixar’s ‘Elemental.’ © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

In a city where fire, water, land and air residents live together, a fiery young woman (Leah Lewis) and a go-with-the-flow guy (Mamoudou Athie) will discover something elemental: how much they have in common.
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24. ‘Monsters University‘ (2013)

A look at the relationship between Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman) during their days at Monsters University — when they weren’t necessarily the best of friends.
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23. ‘Cars‘ (2006)

Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. On route across the country to the big Piston Cup Championship in California to compete against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets to know the town’s offbeat characters.
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22. ‘Onward‘ (2020)

In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers (Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.
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21. ‘Brave‘ (2012)

Brave is set in the mystical Scottish Highlands, where Mérida (Kelly Macdonald) is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Mérida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Mérida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman and is granted an ill-fated wish. Also figuring into Mérida’s quest — and serving as comic relief — are the kingdom’s three lords: the enormous Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), the surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson), and the disagreeable Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane).
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20. ‘Elio‘ (2025)

Yonas Kibreab in ‘Elio’. Directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina, and produced by Mary Alice Drumm, Disney and Pixar’s ‘Elio’ releases in theaters June 20, 2025. © 2024 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Elio (Yonas Kidreab), a space fanatic with an active imagination, finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.
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19. ‘Luca‘ (2024)

Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and his best friend Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) experience an unforgettable summer on the Italian Riviera. But all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.
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18. ‘A Bug’s Life‘ (1998)

On behalf of “oppressed bugs everywhere,” an inventive ant named Flik (Dave Foley) hires a troupe of warrior bugs to defend his bustling colony from a horde of freeloading grasshoppers led by the evil-minded Hopper (Kevin Spacey).
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17. ‘Finding Dory‘ (2016)

Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) is reunited with her friends Nemo (Hayden Rolence) and Marlin (Albert Brooks) in the search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?
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16. ‘Incredibles 2‘ (2018)

Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) springs into action to save the day, while Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) faces his greatest challenge yet – taking care of the problems of his three children.
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15. ‘Inside Out 2‘ (2024)

Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Teenager Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) mind headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale) and Disgust (Liza Lapira), who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety (Maya Hawke) shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.
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14. ‘Monsters, Inc.‘ (2001)

Lovable Sulley (John Goodman) and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it’s the monsters who are scared silly, and it’s up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home.
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13. ‘Turning Red‘ (2024)

Thirteen-year-old Mei (Rosalie Chiang) is experiencing the awkwardness of being a teenager with a twist – when she gets too excited, she transforms into a giant red panda.
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12. ‘Toy Story 2‘ (1999)

Andy heads off to Cowboy Camp, leaving his toys to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggen (Wayne Knight), owner of Al’s Toy Barn kidnaps Woody (Tom Hanks). Andy’s toys mount a daring rescue mission, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) meets his match and Woody has to decide where he and his heart truly belong.
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11. ‘WALL·E‘ (2008)

What if mankind had to leave Earth and somebody forgot to turn the last robot off? After hundreds of years doing what he was built for, WALL•E (Ben Burtt) discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE (Elissa Knight). EVE comes to realize that WALL•E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet’s future, and races back to space to report to the humans. Meanwhile, WALL•E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most imaginative adventures ever brought to the big screen.
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10. ‘Soul‘ (2024)

Jamie Foxx voices Joe Gardner in Pixar’s ‘Soul’. Photo: Pixar.

Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) is a middle school teacher with a love for jazz music. After a successful audition at the Half Note Club, he suddenly gets into an accident that separates his soul from his body and is transported to the You Seminar, a center in which souls develop and gain passions before being transported to a newborn child. Joe must enlist help from the other souls-in-training, like 22 (Tina Fey), a soul who has spent eons in the You Seminar, in order to get back to Earth.
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9. ‘Toy Story 4‘ (2019)

Woody (Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw). But when Bonnie adds a reluctant new toy called “Forky” (Tony Hale) to her room, a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends will show Woody how big the world can be for a toy.
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8. ‘Ratatouille‘ (2007)

Remy (Patton Oswalt), a resident of Paris, appreciates good food and has quite a sophisticated palate. He would love to become a chef so he can create and enjoy culinary masterpieces to his heart’s delight. The only problem is, Remy is a rat. When he winds up in the sewer beneath one of Paris’ finest restaurants, the rodent gourmet finds himself ideally placed to realize his dream.
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7. ‘Coco‘ (2017)

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.
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6. ‘Toy Story 3‘ (2010)

Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and the rest of Andy’s toys haven’t been played with in years. With Andy about to go to college, the gang find themselves accidentally left at a nefarious day care center. The toys must band together to escape and return home to Andy.
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5. ‘Finding Nemo‘ (2003)

(L to R) Albert Brooks voices Marlin and Ellen DeGeneres voices Dory in ‘Finding Nemo’. Photo: Pixar Studios.

Nemo (Alexander Gould), an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken from his Great Barrier Reef home to a dentist’s office aquarium. It’s up to his worrisome father Marlin (Albert Brooks) and a friendly but forgetful fish Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) to bring Nemo home — meeting vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, hungry seagulls, and more along the way.
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4. ‘Inside Out‘ (2015)

When 11-year-old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) moves to a new city, her Emotions team up to help her through the transition. Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) work together, but when Joy and Sadness get lost, they must journey through unfamiliar places to get back home.
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3. ‘The Incredibles‘ (2004)

Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson) has given up his superhero days to log in time as an insurance adjuster and raise his three children (Sarah Vowell, Spencer Fox and Eli Fucile) with his formerly heroic wife (Holly Hunter) in suburbia. But when he receives a mysterious assignment, it’s time to get back into costume.
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2. ‘Up‘ (2009)

Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai)) gives him a new lease on life.
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1. ‘Toy Story‘ (1995)

(L to R) Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) in Pixar Animation Studios’ ‘Toy Story.’

Led by Woody (Tom Hanks), Andy’s toys live happily in his room until Andy’s birthday brings Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy’s heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.
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June 25, 2025
Peter Sohn to Direct Pixar’s ‘Incredibles 3’
(Left) Director Peter Sohn at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. Photo by Deborah Coleman/Pixar. (Right) The Incredibles in 2004’s ‘The Incredibles’. Photo: Pixar Animation Studios.

Preview:
- Peter Sohn will direct ‘Incredibles 3’.
- Brad Bird, who directed the previous two movies, wrote the script.
- The movie was confirmed at last year’s D23 event.
If you cast your mind back to last August, you might recall that Disney took the opportunity of its D23 event to announce that a third movie in the successful ‘Incredibles’ franchise was in the works.

Little was revealed about it, beyond Pixar animation Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter offering that Brad Bird –– who has written and directed both the previous outings, was developing a third.
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Yet it would appear that Bird’s duties elsewhere (more on that lower down the page) are precluding him from handling the new movie. The Hollywood Reporter brings word that while Bird is at work on the screenplay, ‘Elemental’ director Peter Sohn is the one who will usher the super-powered Parr family back to screens, with ‘Soul’s Dana Murray producing alongside Bird.

Related Article: Director Peter Sohn and Producer Denise Ream Talk Pixar’s ‘Elemental’

What’s the story of the ‘Incredibles’ franchise?

The Incredibles in 2004’s ‘The Incredibles’. Photo: Pixar Animation Studios.

Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe helped superheroes conquer cinema, Bird’s first ‘Incredibles’ movie, released in 2004, told the story of Bob Parr (voiced by Craig T. Nelson).

Bob (A.K.A. Mr. Incredible), and his wife Helen (A.K.A. Elastigirl, played by Holly Hunter), are the world’s greatest famous crime-fighting superheroes in Metroville, always saving lives and battling evil on a daily basis.

But 15 years later, they have been forced to adopt civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs where they have no choice but to retire as superheroes to live a “normal” life with their three children Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Spencer Fox) and Jack-Jack, who were born with secret superpowers.

Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment. He soon discovers that it will take a super family effort to rescue the world from total destruction.

In the 2018 sequel, ‘Incredibles 2’, the Parr family still know that heroism is illegal according to the established law that prevents them from helping people.

But their lives in hiding are cut short when a wealthy philanthropist approaches Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl with the idea to remove the law and make their heroic acts legal. And Elastigirl is chosen to help lead this plan, leaving Mr. Incredible in charge of the kids.

Things get even more complicated when a terrifying new menace called the Screenslaver shows up and threatens to abolish Elastigirl’s attempt to restore heroism. Who is the Screenslaver? Can the Parrs save the world from chaos and destruction? Can the heroic freedom be restored?

(L to R) Jeremy Renner, Tom Cruise Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton in ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.’ ©2021 Paramount Pictures. All Right Reserved.

While Bird, who has also brought us the animated likes of ‘The Iron Giant’ and ‘Ratatouille’ and live-action movies ‘Tomorrowland’ and ‘Mission: Impossible –– Ghost Protocol’, had been predicted to direct the third ‘Incredibles,’ but is in the midst of another animated movie instead.

That project, ‘Ray Gunn’, has been a passion of Bird’s for nearly 30 years. Originally created alongside writer Matthew Robbins, it’s reportedly the story of the last human private detective, Raymund Gunn, in a future world composed of humans and aliens.

Originally aimed for production via Skydance Animation and its deal with Apple, the movie has been mired in creative difference issues and budgetary wrangles, but is now likely to see screens via Netflix, which took over the ‘toon company in 2023.

What else has Peter Sohn worked on?

Oscar® Nominee Peter Sohn, Elemental during the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Oscar Season: Animated Feature Film” Event on Saturday, March 2 at the The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Credit/Provider: Michael Owen Baker / ©Academy Museum Foundation. Copyright: ©Academy Museum Foundation

Peter Sohn feels like the natural pick to follow Bird; he has worked on every animated Bird film (including both ‘Incredibles’) up until ‘Ray Gunn’.

Bird has been a mentor to Sohn, and Sohn was specifically chosen to carry The Incredibles torch by Bird and Pete Docter.

Sohn is a Pixar veteran, having worked on various movies as a story artist, animator and story consultant, and has been a member of the company’s Senior Creative Team (a group of filmmakers who offer input to those making films there) for a decade.

He has also voiced characters in various movies for the studio, like ‘Ratatouille’, ‘Monsters University’ and ‘Lightyear’.

As a director himself, Sohn made ‘The Good Dinosaur’ and the aforementioned ‘Elemental’, Sohn’s second movie, was nominated for the best animated feature Oscar last year.

When will ‘Incredibles 3’ head to theaters?

Disney and Pixar are keeping that particular piece of information locked in a vault for now, but given the usual lead time on CG animated movies, we can’t imagine it being ready much before 2028 or 2029 (the planned sequel to ‘Coco’, for example, is tentatively scheduled for 2029.)

Next up for the Emeryville-based animation team is alien abduction adventure ‘Elio’, which sees the title character (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), a space-obsessed kid who is swept off on a cosmic misadventure.

‘Elio’ will be in theaters on June 20th.

Pixar’s ‘Elio’. Photo: Disney.

List of Pixar Movies:
- ‘Toy Story 2‘ (1999)
- ‘Finding Nemo‘ (2003)
- ‘The Incredibles‘ (2004)
- ‘Cars‘ (2006)
- ‘Toy Story 3‘ (2010)
- ‘Cars 2‘ (2011)
- ‘Monsters University‘ (2013)
- ‘Inside Out‘ (2015)
- ‘Finding Dory‘ (2016)
- ‘Coco‘ (2017)
- ‘Cars 3‘ (2017)
- ‘Incredibles 2‘ (2018)
- ‘Toy Story 4‘ (2019)
- ‘Lightyear‘ (2022)
- ‘Elemental’ (2023)
- ‘Inside Out 2‘ (2024)
- ‘Elio‘ (2025)
Buy Pixar Movies on Amazon
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June 12, 2025
Tim Allen To Reprise His Role As Buzz Lightyear
(L-R) Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, Buzz Lightyear, and Woody from ‘Toy Story 3.’ ©Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

To infinity and beyond … again!

A ‘Toy Story’ sequel was recently announced by Disney CEO Bob Iger during the Q1 earnings call, along with ‘Frozen’ and ‘Zootopia’. “We’ll have more to share about these productions soon, but this is a great example of how we’re leaning into our unrivaled brands and franchises”. This will mark the fifth installment for the Pixar franchise, the third for ‘Frozen,’ and the second for ‘Zootopia.’

Shortly after the announcement, actor Tim Allen took to his personal Twitter account to express his excitement and hinted at the reunion with Tom Hanks:

“See ya soon Woody, you are a sad strange little man and you have my pity. And off we go to a number 5! To infinity and beyond!”
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Allen originated the voice of the space commander action figure in 1995 alongside actor Tom Hanks, who plays Woody. Since then, Allen has been a part of every ‘Toy Story’ sequel except for ‘Lightyear’, the origin story of how the Buzz Lightyear toy came to be.

‘Lightyear’ cast Chris Evans to voice the title character, mainly because that Buzz isn’t exactly the same Buzz that we know in ‘Toy Story.’ Spoilers ahead, so you’ve been warned. ‘Lightyear’ is about space ranger Buzz Lightyear who is trying to find his way home after being lost in space travel and his adventure along the way. The “fictional” movie is the movie that Andy saw as a child, and that movie inspired the toy version of the Buzz Lightyear we see in ‘Toy Story.’

The movie opened domestically at $50.5 million and has grossed $226.4 million worldwide. Many fans were disappointed that Allen was not cast as the voice for Buzz in ‘Lightyear’. The actor finally broke his silence on the topic in an interview with Extra:

“The short answer is I’ve stayed out of this ’cause it has nothing to do (with my Buzz Lightyear).”

Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) in Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear,’ which opens in U.S. theaters on June 17, 2022. © 2021 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Related Articles: ‘Frozen’ ‘Toy Story,’ and ‘Zootopia’ Sequels Are In The Works

A Look At Toy Story’s Success

The first ‘Toy Story’ opened in November 1995 to $223.2 million. It was the first feature film by Pixar, and also the first film to use computer animation entirely. The toys belonged to Andy, a boy who loved playing with his toys but especially Woody – a pull-string cowboy (voiced by Tom Hanks). When new toy Buzz Lightyear was introduced to the group, chaos ensued because Buzz did not believe he was a toy but in fact, a real Space Ranger. Being the new toy with all the bells and whistles, Buzz got a lot of attention from Andy and fellow toys making Woody jealous.

‘Toy Story’ received three Academy Award nominations including Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song, and Best Original Score. The film was a hit across the board and today, it remains at a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The follow-up ‘Toy Story’ films continue to receive praise and win awards, including Academy Awards for ‘Toy Story 3‘ (Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song).

No word yet on who else will return to ‘Toy Story 5‘ or when the film will begin production.

See ya soon Woody, you are a sad strange little man and you have my pity. And off we go to a number 5! To infinity and beyond! pic.twitter.com/bwRzE487Vi

— Tim Allen (@ofctimallen) February 9, 2023

Other Movies Similar to ‘Toy Story 5:’
- ‘Toy Story‘ (1995)
- ‘Toy Story 2‘ (1999)
- ‘Toy Story 3‘ (2010)
- ‘Toy Story 4‘ (2019)
- ‘Lightyear‘ (2022)
Buy ‘Toy Story’ Movies On Amazon
February 13, 2023
Movie Review: ‘Lightyear’

Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) in Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear,’ which opens in U.S. theaters on June 17, 2022. © 2021 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Opening in theaters on June 17th is the spinoff to Pixar’s popular ‘Toy Story’ franchise entitled ‘Lightyear.’

Directed by Angus MacLane (‘Finding Dory’), the new movie is a representation of the in-world blockbuster film that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy Andy played with in the ‘Toy Story’ franchise, and stars Chris Evans (‘Avengers: Infinity War’) as the voice of Buzz Lightyear.

In addition to Evans, the voice cast also includes Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Dale Soules, and Taika Waititi. The result is a fun movie that doesn’t recapture the magic of the ‘Toy Story’ franchise but is still an entertaining animated adventure.

The film begins by introducing us to Buzz Lightyear (Evans), a Space Ranger exploring a new planet with his commanding officer Alisha Hawthorne (Aduba). When danger strikes, Buzz does his best to save his spaceship full of civilians and escape the planet but they are ultimately marooned. Blaming himself, Buzz and Alisha work with the survivors to build a new civilization on the strange planet and rebuild their spacecraft so they can go home.

Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) in ‘Lightyear.’ Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ releases June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

However, when Buzz tests the new ship he realizes that every time he attempts to leave the planet, he is thrusted into the future by four years. Refusing to fail, Buzz attempts to leave again dozens of times, until eventually, Alisha grows old and dies. After Buzz’s latest attempt, he realizes the planet has been invaded by the evil Emperor Zurg (Brolin). Now, Buzz must team-up with Alisha’s granddaughter Izzy (Palmer), Mo Morrison (Waititi), Darby Steel (Soules), and a robotic cat named Sox (Sohn) and learn to work together in order to defeat Zurg and free the planet forever.

As a standalone Pixar animated adventure, ‘Lightyear’ completely soars, but is undermined by the filmmakers’ choice to shoehorn it into the ‘Toy Story’ franchise. The film opens with a title card that explains ‘Lightyear’ is the in-world movie that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy, which Andy played with in the original ‘Toy Story’ movies. The idea that this movie is Andy’s ‘Star Wars’ or even ‘Independence Day’ is laughable, and it’s hard to see how young Andy would fall in love with this movie.

Another question that arises from making ‘Lightyear’ the movie that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy is why doesn’t the character in the “movie” sound like the toy? Typically, when a voice-activated toy is release from a movie, that toy has the voice of the actor that played him in the movie. So, why isn’t Tim Allen the voice of the real Buzz Lightyear? Also, since ‘Lightyear’ is the movie the toy is based on, it means Chris Evans wasn’t actually playing Buzz, he was really playing an actor playing the title character. Best not to think about that one too much.

That being said, whoever Evans is actually playing, he does a great job of making the role his own, while honoring what Tim Allen did before him. It’s also clever casting because there are a lot of similarities between Buzz and Evans’ signature character, Steve Rogers/Captain America. Both characters are government heroes, lost in time, just trying to get home to their loved ones. There is also a comparison to be made to his “Old Man Steve” character from ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ but to talk too much about that would give away spoilers.

(L to R) Izzy Hawthorne (voice of Keke Palmer), Sox (voice of Peter Sohn), Mo Morrison (voice of Taika Waititi), Dale Soules (voice of Darby Steel), and Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) in ‘Lightyear.’ ‘Lightyear’ releases June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

An overall issue I’ve had with Pixar in the past is that they come up with great concepts, and then abandon them halfway through to introduce a cute character that will sell a lot of merchandise. ‘Soul’ is a great example of that, with a truly original concept, but then introducing an adorable cat halfway through. So, I was skeptical when Sox (voiced by Peter Sohn) was introduced about 30min into ‘Lightyear.’ However, I’m happy to say that Sox really works and is a great addition to the story. Yes, it’s another example of Pixar adding a cute animal to its cast, but it doesn’t feel out of place at all and the character definitely steals every scene he’s in.

Rounding out the supporting cast are some really lovely performances from Uzo Aduba and Keke Palmer, as Commander Alisha and her granddaughter Izzy, respectively, who are really the emotional core of the movie. Taika Waititi and Dale Soules are also scene stealers with their wonderful characters of Mo and Darby, who bring the funny with their off-the-wall performances.

James Brolin is fine as the voice of Emperor Zurg, but it’s the characters final reveal that bothers me. Again, to say too much would lead to spoilers, but let’s just say that I saw the film’s big twist coming from a million lightyears away. It’s an interesting idea, but I feel like we’ve seen that twist before and it doesn’t lead to the ‘Empire Strikes Back’ moment that was probably intended. The reveal also puts the integrity of the movie’s lead character in jeopardy.

Don’t get me wrong, ‘Lightyear’ is a really fun and exciting adventure movie, with beautiful animation and a cast of really interesting characters, but in the end, suffers from its desire to remind you its set in the ‘Toy Story’ universe.

(L to R) Buzz Lightyear (Voice of Chris Evans) and Emperor Zurg (James Brolin) in Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear.’ ‘Lightyear’ releases June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

‘Lightyear’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.
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June 18, 2022
Chris Evans Talks ‘Lightyear’

Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” releases on June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Opening in theaters on June 17th is the spinoff to Pixar’s popular ‘Toy Story’ franchise entitled ‘Lightyear.’ The new movie is a representation of the in-world blockbuster film that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy Andy played with in the ‘Toy Story’ franchise.

The film stars Chris Evans (‘Avengers: Endgame’) as Buzz Lightyear, and also includes the voice talents of Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, and Taika Waititi.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Chris Evans about his work on ‘Lightyear.’
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You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Evans, Uzo Aduba, Keke Palmer, James Brolin, Taika Waititi, producer Galyn Susman, and writer/director Angus MacLane.

Moviefone: To begin with, when you first saw an image of Buzz’s cat Sox, did you think he looked like your dog Dodger, because they both have white feet?

Chris Evans: Yeah, I liked the coloring on the cat. I was like, “I wonder if that was a little tribute to Dodger.” Whether it was, or it wasn’t, it made me happy. I had seen some images. I kind of knew it was coming. It seems like he steals the movie. So, I was really happy for him.

MF: Can you talk about the pressure of taking on the iconic role of Buzz Lightyear?

CE: Oh, yeah, enormous pressure. I mean, I’m a fan first. So, I love what Tim Allen did. We all did. I mean that’s why the character is so iconic. It’s why it’s worthy of a standalone movie. So, you have to acknowledge the great work he did.

The truth is this isn’t James Bond where I’m just taking a character we know but making a completely new interpretation. This character is supposed to be the character the toy’s based on. So, you have to acknowledge that overlap and use what Tim Allen did as a compass, and I’d be a fool not to. I mean, he did such a good job. It’ll never not be Tim Allen. But that doesn’t mean it’s not terrifying and intimidating.

(L-R) Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, Buzz Lightyear, and Woody from ‘Toy Story 3.’ ©Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Were there any aspects of Tim Allen’s version of Buzz Lightyear that you adopted for your performance?

CE: All of them. I mean, I think my first recording session was just a shameless Tim Allen impression. You can’t help it. It’s what I know. With the dialogue, you just hear Tim Allen’s voice in your head. I still hear his voice in my head. I mean, he’s Buzz Lightyear! He is. So, you have to, not just pay your respects, but again, steal from him whenever you can.

The goal is to make a good movie. Tim set the bar. So, I’m going to borrow as much as I can. Because, again, it’s supposed to be the same character, so I can at least do it with the justification in my mind that I’m not being a lazy actor.

MF: The movie deals with a lot of themes including the importance of working together as a team. What was one the film’s themes that really resonated with you?

CE: That the mistakes you make in life don’t define you. That when you do make mistakes, it’s an opportunity for growth, as opposed to something to just feel shame and spiral into this sort of stagnant stillness. It’s actually a chance to evolve.

Chris Evans as Buzz Lightyear in Pixar’s ‘Lightyear,’ opening on June 17th. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Finally, did you create a backstory for Buzz’s life on Earth before the events of the movie begin?

CE: Good question. I mean, of course. It’s pretty clear from even Tim Allen’s interpretation the type of man he was, probably the type of man he was since he was a child. I think Buzz is probably a character that when he was a little kid, he was the hall monitor. He’s probably class president. He’s a natural leader.

I imagine him to be a pretty austere, quotidian sort of guy who has a very regiment lifestyle. I just think there’s always a mission, and I think his goal is to climb a certain ladder to achieve a certain level of authority in order to help people. But I would picture him as a man that doesn’t have much time for relationships or pets or things like that, which is why the Sox dynamic is so funny.

Chris Evans voices Buzz Lightyear in Pixar’s ‘Lightyear,’ which opens in theaters on June 17th.
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June 13, 2022
Disney Unveils First Look At ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ opens in theaters on December 16th. Photo courtesy of the movie’s Twitter account.

Though Disney didn’t come to CinemaCon with some giant sequel movie reveal the way Warner Bros. did, the company still had plenty of information (and footage) to share, including about one of the most anticipated sequels in quite some time.

Yes, James Cameron’s first follow-up to his sci-fi hit ‘Avatar’ has an official title and it is… ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’. Not the most inspiring title, but if the world of cinema has learned anything, it’s that you should never count out Cameron.

Though the director wasn’t at CinemaCon, he sent a video message from New Zealand thanking cinema owners for their support and pledging his own backing for the theatrical experience. “We set out to push the limits to what cinema can do,” he said, before adding, “Jon and I are here with you. We can do this.”

“Jon” in this case refers to producer (and longtime Cameron colleague) Jon Landau, who was in person at the event to hype up the movie. “We need to make sure audiences have an experience they can’t get anywhere else, and that needs to be exclusively in theaters,” Landau said, before cueing a teaser.

The impressive footage focuses on Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri and includes gorgeous shots of Pandora’s bright blue water — both above and below the surface; Toruk, the flying creatures introduced in the first film; and new whale-like creatures.

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ opens in theaters on December 16th. Photo courtesy of the movie’s Twitter account.

And the official synopsis for the movie also revealed a few more details: set more than a decade after the events of the first film, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

Old friends and old foes will be back, including Joel David Moore’s friendly Norm Spellman and Giovanni Ribisi’s corporate stooge Parker Selfridge. Also returning? Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang, though we’ll have to wait and see exactly who they’re playing given that both their characters died in the original film. Which is not to say both Dr. Grace Augustine and Colonel Miles Quaritch can’t return, of course…
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New this time are Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, and Kate Winslet, who of course starred for the director in ‘Titanic’ and yet somehow agreed to come back and spend lots more hours in water.

And all this, of course, is just the first sequel – Cameron and co. are still hard at work on three sequels. ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is finally due to hit theaters on December 16th, followed by the third movie on December 20th, 2024, the fourth on December 18th, 2026, and the fifth on December 22nd, 2028. And to keep the story in our minds, the original film will be re-released in theaters on September 23rd with restored picture and sound.

Finally, backing up his and Cameron’s support for theatrical, Landau announced that the teaser will debut exclusively in theaters, attached before ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’.
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Talking of the good Doctor, Disney had Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige on hand to let slip that he and his team are strategizing about the next 10 years of movies and TV shows from the MCU, though (to no-one’s real surprise) offering no details about what that might entail.

He also brought roughly 15 minutes of footage from ‘Multiverse of Madness’ with him, and the action/cameo-packed footage wowed the crowd, providing a helpful boost for the movie, which arrives in theaters on May 6th (including, as mentioned above, that new ‘Avatar’ teaser).

‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Poster. Photo Courtesy of Disney+.
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Team Pixar was present too, and had several minutes of ‘Lightyear’ to show. The movie, which features the “real” space hero Buzz whose cinematic adventures spawned the Buzz toy of the ‘Toy Story’ films, is a throwback to the sorts of sci-fi adventures that dominated the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Directed by longtime Pixar animator and filmmaker Angus MacLane, it stars Chris Evans as the voice of Buzz after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew.

As they try to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.

The voice cast also includes Uzo Aduba as Buzz’s commander and best friend Alisha Hawthorne, Peter Sohn as Sox, plus Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Efren Ramirez, and Keira Hairston. The movie flies into theaters on June 17th.

(L to R) Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) and Alisha Hawthorne (voice of Uzo Aduba) in Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear,’ which opens in U.S. theaters on June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

On a very different animated front was six minutes’ worth of footage from ‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie’. The popular TV ‘toon is making the seemingly traditional leap from small screens to big with this outsize adventure featuring the family-run restaurant.

For the movie’s story, Bob’s (H. Jon Benjamin) plans for a profitable summer are upended when a giant sinkhole opens up in front of his property, and while the kids are delighted to venture within, Bob and wife Linda must explore other revenue avenues. The footage was up to the show’s regular blend of offbeat family interactions, musical moments, and weirdness.

The cast for this one is a blend of the show’s regular voices and some additions, though most have shown up on the series at one point or another. Alongside Benjamin, that includes Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Larry Murphy, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Zach Galifianakis, and Kevin Kline.

‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie’ will head to theaters on May 27.
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Lastly, there was a first look at David O. Russell’s new movie, which finally has a confirmed name: ‘Amsterdam’. Described as a ‘romantic crime epic’, Russell’s first film since 2015’s ‘Joy’ is a blend of fact and fiction as three close friends find themselves at the center of one of the most shocking secret plots in American history.

‘Amsterdam’ reunites Russell with ‘American Hustle’ and ‘The Fighter’s Christian Bale, along with an even more veteran collaborator, Robert De Niro (who, including this one, has now appeared in four of the director’s movies). Other stars include Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Taylor Swift, Timothy Olyphant, Zoe Saldana, and Rami Malek.

Following a sizzle reel from the movie, Disney announced that it’ll open in theaters on November 4th.

Perhaps not as big a presentation from the company that dominates pop culture at the moment as one might have thought, but certainly big enough.

(L to R) Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington in director David O. Russell’s ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.
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April 27, 2022
New ‘Lightyear’ Trailer Lands

(L to R) Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) and Alisha Hawthorne (voice of Uzo Aduba) in Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear,’ which opens in U.S. theaters on June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

With each new trailer for Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’, we learn a little bit more about this latest animated release. And that continues with this third promo for the movie, which reveals that Buzz’s mission has a bigger twist than we imagined.

Pixar describes this new movie as “the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy.” In case you’re still wondering how this all connects to ‘Toy Story’s plastic Star Command toy, ‘Lightyear’ is a movie that Andy in the ‘Story’ world would have seen and craved the toy from.

The plot follows the legendary Space Ranger (Chris Evans) after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander (Uzo Aduba) and their crew. As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox (Pixar veteran Peter Sohn). Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.

In addition to that cast, there’s also Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi and Dale Soules lending their voices to the Junior Zap Patrol’s Izzy Hawthorne, Mo Morrison and Darby Steel, respectively, and James Brolin can be heard as Zurg. The voice cast also includes Mary McDonald-Lewis as onboard computer I.V.A.N., Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Commander Burnside, and Efren Ramirez as Airman Diaz.
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It’s Palmer as Izzy who is one of the key elements here, as the latest promo reveals that Buzz’s mission sends him hurtling, ‘Buck Rogers’-style into the future. Perhaps not as far as Buck, but Buzz certainly ends up a distance from his own time and working with people years ahead of where he took off (62 years and change, to be exact).

Izzy is the granddaughter of Commander Hawthorne, while the others are either part of a prison release program or sign up for the adventure. And Buzz will need all the help he can get with Zurg’s rampaging robots hunting them down.

Director Angus MacLane has been doing the rounds for the movie, talking about his influences for this latest Pixar adventure. “The visual aesthetic is a collection of different things, just stuff that I think is cool and fun and tactile,” MacLane tells The Wrap.

“You can see in the design of sci-fi, well there’s ‘Star Wars’ and then ‘Aliens’ combines real-world tactical military stuff with an industrial design functionality, that’s really interesting,” Maclane continued. “And, then when you get to ‘District 9,’ how it brings in more anime influence into that design aesthetic. And that’s pretty much a straight line from ‘Star Wars.’ And, then before that it’s ‘2001.’ There’s a lot of those feelings, but there’s a pocket in there in the ’80s of consumer electronics and there was just this wonderful sense of goofy push button chunk that I’ve always enjoyed.”

‘Lightyear’ will be in theaters – initially, only in theaters unlike other recent Pixar movies – on June 17th.

(L to R) Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) and Alisha Hawthorne (voice of Uzo Aduba) in Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear,’ which opens in U.S. theaters on June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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April 21, 2022
New ‘Lightyear’ Trailer

Chris Evans in Pixar’s ‘Lightyear.’

While trying to avoid overloading on sequels, Pixar has found an interesting way to keep exploring the ‘Toy Story’ universe with this new movie about the “real” Buzz Lightyear. And there’s a new trailer for the adventure featuring the character, with the movie simply known as ‘Lightyear’.

Chris Evans provides the voice for Buzz here, marking this as a distinct, human take on the Star Command hero so memorably brought to life with the vocal tones of Tim Allen in the four ‘Toy Story’ movies. Here, the basic concept is that we’re watching one of the movies that the confused Buzz astronaut toy is based on.

The new trailer does shed a few more details on ‘Lightyear’s story, revealing that he and his Star Command team are stranded on an alien planet and looking for a way off, spending lots of time working on a craft that can escape the place, with the heroic Buzz in the pilot’s seat.

But even if he does manage to blast off safely, there are other challenges to be found, including a threat that very much looks like Emperor Zurg from ‘Toy Story’, which makes us wonder whether the toy’s comical reveal that he’s Buzz’s dad will hold true here. It’s still unknown, not least because the version of Zurg presented here mostly seems to be a dangerous android and not quite the Darth Vader-style baddie we’ve seen.
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Also new is more of a cast list for those around Evans. Keke Palmer, Dale Soules and Taika Waititi voice a group of ambitious recruits, while Pixar veteran/’The Good Dinosaur’ director Peter Sohn plays Buzz’s robot companion, Sox (who could be this movie’s answer to Baby Yoda).

Plus, there’s Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. “The cast for ‘Lightyear’ is truly a dream team,” says director Angus MacLane in a statement released alongside the new trailer. “Each of the performers immediately inhabited their character, which gave us the opportunity to play a bit during recording sessions. This resulted in a level of specificity that elevated the material and brought additional depth to the characters’ relationships. It has been a privilege to work with such a talented and generous cast.”

As for why MacLane decided to tap back into ‘Toy Story’s mythos but in a fresh way? “In ‘Toy Story,’ there seemed to be this incredible backstory to him being a Space Ranger that’s only touched upon, and I always wanted to explore that world further,” he says. “So, my ‘Lightyear’ pitch was, ‘What was the movie that Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy?’ I wanted to see that movie. And now I’m lucky enough to get to make it.”

Finally, we also now know that Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino, a long-time Pixar collaborator, is back again to provide the ‘Lightyear’ score.

‘Lightyear’ will be headed to infinity – and theaters – on June 17.
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February 8, 2022
Chris Evans Joins Dwayne Johnson in ‘Red One’

Chris Evans in ‘Defending Jacob’ on Apple TV+.

A movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson sounds like a Christmas gift. But to learn that the former cinematic Captain America himself, Chris Evans has joined forces with him, that’ll have you wondering if we all somehow got on the Nice List.

Yet it’s true: Evans, who played Steve Rogers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is on board for a holiday-themed action-adventure comedy called ‘Red One’.

Exact details of what the movie will be about are being stashed in Santa’s sack for now, but we wouldn’t be surprised, given its “holiday” tag, to see Johnson either playing some version of Santa Claus, or helping him out in some way. We can see the poster now… “This Year, Christmas Rocks!”

The idea sprang from the brain of Hiram Garcia, who is Johnson’s producing partner in his Seven Bucks production company. But the person bringing the script to life has also worked with Johnson in the past – Chris Morgan, who wrote many of the ‘Fast & Furious’ movies, including its 2019 spin-off, ‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.’

(L to R) Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in ‘Hobbs & Shaw.’

And continuing the theme of past Rock collaborators is director Jake Kasdan, who worked on the ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ and ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’, both of which featured Johnson and became big box office hits. All involved are clearly hoping for success with this one, and perhaps the birth of a new franchise, as with Johnson’s recent Netflix movie “Red Notice” (2020), which is already spawning not one, but two sequels.

Christmas movies don’t typically tend to feature lots of action, so it’ll be interesting to see how Johnson adapts his usual brand to the holiday season.

Aside from his Disney/Marvel work, Evans is known for appearing in the comic book company’s two Fox ‘Fantastic Four’ films and, also in the graphic novel vein, the cult movie 2010’s ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World’.

Next up for the actor is voicing ‘Lightyear’ from Pixar, which will feature the “human” version of ‘Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear, the inspiration for the astronaut toy. He’ll also be seen in ‘The Gray Man’, a Netflix action thriller that co-stars Ryan Gosling and reunites Evans with regular MCU directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo.

Chris Evans in Pixar’s ‘Lightyear.’

Johnson’s schedule is also typically packed, with two films headed to screens this summer. First is the animated ‘DC League of Super-Pets’, in which the canine companion of Superman and a group of shelter animals who unexpectedly develop powers must save the Justice League from the clutches of villain Lex Luthor. That movie finds him working once again (albeit in a voice booth) with old friend Kevin Hart and is in cinemas on May 20.

Then, staying with the DC Universe, Johnson is starring in ‘Black Adam’, a powerful anti-hero with abilities like Superman but a commitment to justice by any means that brings him into conflict with other characters. It’ll arrive on July 29.

As for ‘Red One’, Amazon jumped to acquire the rights to make the movie, and while it doesn’t have a specific release date yet, it should be on screens around Christmas 2023.
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January 25, 2022
Best Movies of 2022

2021 has come and gone and with every new year comes a whole new slate of movies to look forward to. This year will be no different with five films based on characters from Marvel Comics, four movies based on characters from DC Comics, long awaited sequels, animated spinoffs, and a video game adaption, not to mention new installments from popular franchises like Mission: Impossible, Jurassic World, and Fantastic Beasts.

Without any further ado, let’s take a look at the most anticipated movies of 2022!

Uncharted – Opens February 18, 2022

Columbia Pictures

Based on the popular video game series of the same name, the film stars Tom Holland (‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’) as young fortune hunter Nathan “Nate” Drake. Mark Wahlberg (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’) plays Nate’s mentor, Victor “Sully” Sullivan, while Antonio Banderas (‘Pain and Glory’) plays the movie’s antagonist. Directed by Ruben Fleischer (“Venom’), the movie will act as an origin story to the game, featuring Drake and Sullivan meeting for the first time and going on a dangerous adventure together to find hidden treasure, while also picking up clues to Nathan’s long-lost brother’s whereabouts.
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The Batman – Opens March 4, 2022

Warner Bros. Pictures

Directed by Matt Reeves (‘War for the Planet of the Apes’), ‘The Batman’ takes place during Bruce Wayne’s second year as Gotham’s costumed vigilante and features Robert Pattinson (‘Tenet) as the title character. The movie will see Batman battle his classic rogue’s gallery including the Riddler played by Paul Dano (‘There Will Be Blood’), the Penguin played by Colin Farrell (‘Dumbo’), and Catwoman played by Zoe Kravitz (‘Mad Max: Fury Road’). Helping Bruce Wayne clean up the streets of Gotham will be GCPD officer James Gordon played by James Wright (‘The French Dispatch’), and Wayne’s trusty butler, Alfred Pennyworth portrayed by Andy Serkis (‘Black Panther’).
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The Lost City – Opens March 25, 2022

Paramount

Directed by Aaron and Adam Nee (‘Band of Robbers’), ‘The Lost City’ is one of the few movies on this list that is not based on a preexisting property. The film stars Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock (‘Gravity’) as a reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with her cover model (Channing Tatum) that get caught up in a kidnapping attempt, which lands them both in the middle of a dangerous jungle adventure. The cast also includes Daniel Radcliffe (‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) as the movie’s villain, and Oscar-winner Brad Pitt in cameo role.
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Morbius – Opens April 1, 2022

Columbia Pictures

Directed by Daniel Espinosa (‘Safe House’), and based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, it’s still unknown which corner of the Marvel multiverse ‘Morbius’ will take place in. While the trailer has clues to both Tobey Maguire’s ‘Spider-Man’ franchise and Andrew Garfield’s ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ series, Michael Keaton’s scheduled appearance as villain Adrian Toomes/Vulture indicates that the film may be set in the MCU. Regardless, the movie stars Oscar-winner Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius, a scientist suffering from a rare blood disease who attempts to develop a dangerous cure that afflicts him with vampirism. In addition to Leto and Keaton, the cast also includes Tyrese Gibson, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, and Jared Harris.
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Opens May 6, 2022

Marvel Studios

Directed by Sam Raimi (‘Spider-Man’) and following the events of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ ‘WandaVision’ and the first season of ‘Loki’ is the sequel to ‘Doctor Strange,’ entitled ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as the title character, whose use of a forbidden spell has opened the doors to the multiverse. When an alternate version of Strange threatens to destroy humanity, the MCU’s Strange must team with Wong (Benedict Wong) and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) to stop the threat. In addition to Cumberbatch, Wong and Olsen, the movie also stars Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as Loki, and Xochitl Gomez as popular Marvel Comics character America Chavez.
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DC League of Super-Pets – Opens May 20, 2022

Warner Bros. Pictures

Marking the first of two movies scheduled for release in 2022 starring Dwayne Johnson as a DC character, the animated film ‘DC League of Super-Pets’ will feature the actor formally known as The Rock as the voice of Superman’s dog, Krypto. The movie will also see Johnson reteam with his ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ co-star, Kevin Hart as Ace the Bat-Hound. Directed by Jared Stern (‘The Lego Batman Movie’), the movie centers on Krypto, who teams with a group of shelter pets with special powers to save Superman and the Justice League from Lex Luthor. In addition to Johnson and Hart, the movie will also star John Krasinski as the voice of Superman, Marc Maron as the voice of Lex Luthor, and Keanu Reeves, Kate McKinnon, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz and Jameela Jamil in undisclosed roles.
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Top Gun: Maverick – Opens May 27, 2022

Paramount

After several delays due to the pandemic, the long awaited sequel to ’Top Gun,’ which was the movie that made Tom Cruise a household name, is set to finally open on May 27th and is entitled ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ Set thirty years after the events of the original film, the new movie sees Cruise’s Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell return to train a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission. The trouble begins when Maverick discovers that one of his new students is Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late best friend Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), and that Rooster still blames Maverick for his father’s death. In addition to Cruise and Teller, the movie also features Val Kilmer reprising his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, as well as new cast members Jon Hamm, Ed Harris, Glen Powell, Danny Ramirez, and Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly.
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Jurassic World Dominion – Opens June 10, 2022

Universal Pictures

The third film in the Jurassic Park sequel series, ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ will once again star Chris Pratt as Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing, as well as original series stars Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm, Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant, and Oscar-winner Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler. The new movie is set four years after the events of ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ where genetically engineered dinosaurs were auctioned off around the world, while others were released in the United States. The movie will explore how humanity handles no longer being on top of the food chain. Also reprising their roles from previous movies are Justice Smith as Franklin Webb, Omar Sy as Barry Sembene, and BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu, while Campbell Scott is set to play Dr. Lewis Dodgson, a role previously played by Cameron Thor in ‘Jurassic Park.’
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Lightyear – Opens June 17, 2022

Walt Disney Pictures

Directed by Angus MacLane and written by Pete Doctor (‘Up’), ‘Lightyear’ is the upcoming Pixar animated movie set in the world of ‘Toy Story.’ The film will examine the fictional origin story of the “real” Buzz Lighyear, the character that inspired the popular toy. Chris Evans (Captain America: Civil War’) stars as the voice of Buzz Lightyear, and Taika Waititi (‘Free Guy’) will also voice an undisclosed character in the film.
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Minions: The Rise of Gru – Opens July 1, 2022

Universal Pictures

Directed by Kyle Balda (‘Despicable Me 3’), ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ is the fifth animated film in the ‘Despicable Me’ franchise, and a sequel to the 2015 spinoff, ‘Minions.’ Set in the early 1970s, the movie centers on a 12-year-old Gru (Steve Carell), who desperately wants to join a team of evil villains called the Vicious 6. When the group fires their leader Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin), Gru interviews for the job but is denied. With the help of his Minions, Kevin Stuart, Bob and Otto (all voiced by Pierre Coffin), Gru steals a precious stone from the Vicious 6 and must team with Wild Knuckles in order to defeat his former team. In addition to Carell, Coffin, and Arkin, the voice cast also includes Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Julie Andrews, and Russell Brand as Dr. Neforio.
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Thor: Love and Thunder – Opens July 8, 2022

Once again directed by Taika Waititi, ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ is the forth film in the franchise following Waititi’s ‘Thor: Ragnarok.’ Set after the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ little is known about the upcoming film other than Natalie Portman returning as Jane Foster and becoming Mighty Thor. We also know that the Guardians of the Galaxy will also appear, and that the main villain will be Gorr the God Butcher, played by Christian Bale. Reprising their MCU roles in the new movie are Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Jamie Alexander as Sif, Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster, Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Sean Gunn as Kraglin Obfonteri, and Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot. Waititi is also set to reprise his role as Korg, while Oscar-winner Russell Crowe will cameo as Zeus, and Matt Damon, Sam Neill, Luke Hemsworth, and Melissa McCarthy will play Asgardian actors
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Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – Opens July 15, 2022

The third movie in the ‘Harry Potter’ spinoff series, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,’ is set to star Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne reprising his role as Newt Scamander. Set in the 1930s, the story will focus on the Wizarding World’s involvement leading up to World War II, and the ensuing battle with Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen). With Grindelwald’s power growing rapidly, Aldus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists Newt and his friends to embark on a dangerous mission to stop Grindelwald and his army before it becomes too late, while Dumbledore debates just how long he can stay neutral before he has to choose a side. Directed by David Yates (‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’), in addition to Redmayne, Law, and Mikkelsen, the movie also stars Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Callum Turner, and Katherine Waterson.
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Black Adam – Opens July 29, 2022

‘Black Adam’ is set to be the second movie released in 2022 to star Dwayne Johnson as a DC Comics character, with the popular actor taking on the title role. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (‘Jungle Cruise’), little is known about the plot of the film, other than that Johnson’s Black Adam will fight the Justice Society of America. Sarah Shahi is set to play Adam’s love interest, Adrianna Tomaz, while the JSA will be portrayed by Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, and Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate. In the comics, Black Adam is the archrival of Shazam, but there has been no official confirmation that Zachary Levi will appear.
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Mission: Impossible 7 – Opens September 30, 2022

The second Tom Cruise movie set for release in 2022, it’s likely that ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ will get an official title before it premieres. The seventh film in the popular spy series, is once again written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. Little is known about the plot, other than that it will star Tom Cruise reprising his role as Ethan Hunt, along with his IMF team played by Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby. They will be joined by new cast members Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Rob Delaney, Indira Varma, Carey Elwes, and Esai Morales as the movie’s primary villain. Also returning for the first time since 1996’s original ‘Mission: Impossible’ is Henry Czerny reprising his role as former director of the IMF, Eugene Kittridge.
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) – Opens October 7, 2022

A sequel to the Oscar-winning animated movie ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)’ will once again star Shameik Moore as the voice of Miles Morales/Spider-Man. The movie will see Morales team with Gwen Stacey/Spider-Woman (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) and a new group of Spider-People to battle a powerful villain. In addition to Moore and Steinfeld, Jake Johnson and Oscar Isaac will also reprise their roles as Peter B. Parker and Spider-Man 2099, respectively, and Issa Rae will be joining the cast as Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman.
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The Flash – Opens November 4, 2022

One of the most anticipated movies of the year, not only will ‘The Flash’ mark the Scarlet Speedster’s first solo feature film, it will also mark the return of Oscar-nominated actor Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman, reprising his role from Tim Burton’s 1989 ‘Batman.’ Based loosely on “Flashpoint” published by DC Comics, the plot sees Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) using his powers to travel back in time and save his mother, which has many unexpected consequences. The movie will explore DC’s multiverse, and in addition to Miller and Keaton reprising their iconic roles, the film will also feature Ben Affleck returning as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and Michael Shannon and Antje Traue reprising their ‘Man of Steel’ roles as General Zod and Faora, respectively, as well as introducing Sasha Calle as Supergirl.
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Opens November 11, 2022

Once again directed by Ryan Coogler, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is the highly awaited sequel to 2018’s Oscar nominated ‘Black Panther.’ Unfortunately, Chadwick Boseman who played the title role passed away unexpectedly in August of 2020, leaving the future of the popular MCU character up in the air. While Boseman’s character of T’Challa will not be recast, it is possible that the MCU will get a new Black Panther, and there are several characters that could take on the mantle. The obvious choice is Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, as she becomes the new Black Panther in the comics. But other possibilities include Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, Danai Gurira’s Okoye, or even Winston Duke’s M’Baku, all of which will be returning for the sequel. Another possibility is that Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger could return from his assumed death to claim the crown, but the actor’s participation in the project has yet to be announced. We do know that actress Dominique Thorne has been cast as Riri Williams, a young genius inventor who becomes Ironheart, the successor to Tony Stark’s Iron Man.
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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – Opens December 16, 2022

Following up the success of 2018’s ‘Aquaman,’ which earned over $1 billion at the box office, director James Wan returns for the sequel, ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.’ Jason Momoa will once again play the title character, with Amber Heard returning as Mera, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II reprising his role as Black Manta. Also reprising their roles from the first film are Patrick Wilson as Orm, Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin, and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman as Atlanna. Little is known about the plot at this time other than it will feature Aquaman as King of Atlantis, discovering a lost kingdom, and fighting Black Manta.
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Avatar 2 – Opens December 16, 2022

Releasing over ten years after ‘Avatar’ premiered and became the highest grossing movie of all time, Oscar winning director James Cameron returns with the long-awaited sequel, ‘Avatar 2.’ Set years after the original, the sequel follows Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully and Zoe Saldana’s Neytiri, who now have a family together, as they fight old threats forcing them to leave their home and explore the different areas of Pandora. In addition to Worthington and Saldana, CCH Pounder, Cliff Curtis, and Giovanni Ribisi will also reprise their roles form the original, with Edie Falco, Michelle Yeoh, Jermaine Clement, Vin Diesel, and Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ star Kate Winslet also joining the cast. While Stephen Lang’s Colonel Miles Quaritch and Sigourney Weaver’s Dr. Grace Augustine both died in the original, both actors are expected to return, with Lang playing a “new version” of his character, and Weaver playing an entirely new role.
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While all release dates are subject to change, there is no doubt that the 2022 movie slate has something for everyone!

Best Movie Trailers of 2022
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January 17, 2022