by See: Keke Palmer talks about representation in Light-year
Keke Palmer said it was important for the new Pixar animation Light-year — in IMAX and UK cinemas from June 17 — to deliver the message that people of color and the LGBT+ community have ‘always been a part of history’.
In the new space, the swordsman framed as Andy from toy storyThe star’s favorite movie star plays Izzy Hawthorne, a close ally of Chris Evans’ version of Buzz.
Palmer told Yahoo that the film’s portrayal was very meaningful to her, especially since the “film within the toy story films’ would have been made in the 1990s.
Read more: Why isn’t Tim Allen in Light-year?
She said, “I love that. It also pushes into the reality that these kinds of people have always been a part of history. A lot of times, it hasn’t been shown in movies and TV and things like that.”
“The fact that this is the movie that Andy saw just shows that these were people who were always a part of the story, so let’s make sure we show that. It’s easy and it just is. It’s not something you have to explain.” .”
Palmer’s character is the granddaughter of Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), Buzz’s commanding officer on a mission that leaves them stranded on a hostile alien planet.
In his attempts to find a way back to Earth, Buzz experiences time dilation and returns to the planet years later, aging only moments while Alisha and her colleagues experience the passage of time as normal.
Read more: An inside look at the making of Light-year
Through brief snippets of time spent on the planet between missions, Buzz sees Alisha marry her female partner and have children and grandchildren.
A kiss between Alisha and her partner has caused Light-year it is banned in more than a dozen countries, including Saudi Arabia, with a China release also unlikely.
Director Angus MacLane added: “I think we’re very proud that the character is LGBTQIA+, but we wanted to make sure it was something substantial and not a window dressing of the character.
“Narratively it was important to us because we wanted to show that Buzz was not interested in having a relationship with [Alisha] aside from the platonic relationship they have, so when we meet Izzy it’s not a second chance at a relationship he never had.
Read more: Ahead introduces Pixar’s first LGBT+ character
“One thing is very clear when he talks to them in the hallway, you don’t feel any tension that he’s interested in Alisha at all.
“It was something that helped us narratively and it was also great representation that felt substantial. Both of those things were important to us.”
For Palmer, it was huge to take on a role within the toy story universe, having had a relationship with movies since his childhood.
“When you have a nostalgic and near and dear character like Buzz, you want to make sure that if you’re going to reinvent the IP, you want to be a part of it in the right way,” he said.
Read more: Mind-Blowing Inside Jokes From Disney And Pixar
Palmer added, “Obviously with Disney and Pixar, I think they always get it right. There’s still an element, while maintaining that nostalgia, of something new and fresh.”
“Especially with me playing a completely new character as Izzy and this being the movie that Andy saw that made him love the character of Buzz Lightyear. It’s like we could go back in time.”
Light-year has a brilliant cast of famous faces on its voice list, with Evans and Palmer joined by Taika Waititi, Bill Hader, Peter Sohn, James Brolin and Isiah Whitlock Jr.
There is also a cameo appearance by real life British astronaut Tim Peake as the voice of “Tim from Mission Control”.
Read more: Billy Crystal admits to rejecting toy story It’s career regret
Reviews for the film have been strong, with aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes currently showing an approval rating of 81% and the critical consensus saying the film is a “superbly animated adventure”.
Light-year opens in IMAX and UK cinemas from June 17.
See: Trailer for Light-year
