Chris Evans to voice Buzz Lightyear in new film

Los Angeles

Pixar's Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter made the announcement on Thursday during Disney Investor Day, reports variety.com.

The animated project is being billed as the "definitive story of the original Buzz Lightyear". Buzz Lightyear is the hero who inspired the toy, voiced by Tim Allen in four "Toy Story" films. The new film will be released in the theaters on June 17, 2022.

Evans is excited about the project, and has assured fans about the project, saying "everyone can rest easy. And get very excited".

"Working with Pixar is a dream come true. I've been a massive fan of their films since the very beginning. My team could barely contain their excitement when they told me that Pixar had a pitch for me. All they said was 'Buzz Lightyear'. I didn't know what that meant, since Tim Allen is Buzz Lightyear, and no one could ever touch his performance," he wrote on Instagram.

He continued: "I needed to know how this character was different and why this story was worth telling. I can say 2 things with absolute confidence: 1.. I didn't stop smiling through the ENTIRE pitch. Ear to ear.

2. Everyone can rest easy. And get very excited."

Assuring fans, Evans wrote: "Trust me when I say that they REALLY know what they're doing over there. This one is gonna special, and it doesn't step on a single thing. I can't even put my excitement into words. I smile every time I think about it. #LIGHTYEAR."

Evans took to Twitter to emphasise Lightyear's new approach to the character, writing: "Just to be clear, this isn't Buzz Lightyear the toy. This is the origin story of the human Buzz Lightyear that the toy is based on."

Also on the way from Pixar is an original film from Domee Shi, director of the Oscar-winning short "Bao". Titled "Turning Red", the film will follow a teenager named Mei, who turns into a giant red panda when she gets too excited. "Turning Red" will open on the big screen on March 11, 2022.