‘TO infinity… and beyond’ is the classic catchphrase of the animated astronaut Buzz Lightyear, made famous over the course of four Toy Story movies – the first of which premiered in 1995. He was voiced by Tim Allen, most famous for TV sitcom Home Improvement.
And it appears the new spin-off, supposedly based on the exciting ‘real’ story that inspired the character, will not be making its way into our cinemas. In this film, he is voiced by Chris Evans, himself well known for playing another boy scout, Captain America.
Originally set to release on June 16, preview listings that once listed the movie as ‘coming soon’ are no longer available.
There has yet to be any official statement from the movie’s distributor, Walt Disney Company Malaysia, with the movie pulled so soon from release it appears unlikely that it will come to cinemas.
Similarly, there has been no statement from the Film Censorship Board on whether the animated movie has been outright banned.
According to some international press, Lightyear has been banned in countries such as Saudi Arabi and Egypt for homosexual themes, including a scene featuring a kiss between a same-sex couple.
The scene, involving the female character Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) and her partner, was originally cut from the film, but added back in after an uproar led by Pixar employees against Disney CEO Bob Chapek and his handling of anti-gay legislation in the US state of Florida.
Other recent films from Disney like The Eternals from November of last year, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness were also banned in some of the same countries. Both came out here with those scenes cut, often quite sloppily.
Of course, these censorship guidelines do not apply to streaming services, with The Eternals appearing scandalously unedited on Disney+ Hotstar. So if Lightyear never comes to the big screen in Malaysia, it will likely be on the small screen within a couple months. – The Vibes, June 13, 2022
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