Lightyear may not be the all-conquering smash-hit that Pixar is used to delivering, but it’s a very fun adventure with some unexpected twists and a lot of heart. One of the highlights of any Pixar movie is an excellent voice cast, with Lightyear boasting Chris Evans in the lead role, James Brolin as Emperor Zerg, and – best of all – Taika Waititi as green colonial defense recruit Mo Morrison.
Waititi is often celebrated as a director, with the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder perhaps the hottest film in the 2022 slate of summer blockbusters. But along the way he’s amassed a decent voice-acting resume, voicing Korg in the MCU and popping up in Rick and Morty and The Mandalorian.
It sounds like Pixar is something of an ambition realized for Waititi, as he’s explained in an interview with Collider that he takes inspiration from their polished storytelling style:
“I would say the thing about Pixar that I’ve always been inspired by and come back to a lot, and also ripped off a lot when I’m trying to write stuff, is that their screenplays, structurally, are perfect. They get it right every time. It’s economical, emotional, and I’m trying to think of another E-word because I just realized that would be three E-words.”
Right now the future looks incredibly bright for Waititi. His next movie after Love and Thunder will be Next Goal Wins (which was extensively reshot after they recast Armie Hammer’s role due to the whole cannibalism thing), then he’s lined up to direct the long-awaited live-action adaptation of classic anime Akira, before finally embarking on a trip to a galaxy far, far away with his hugely anticipated Star Wars movie.
Further in the distance are an animated Charlie and the Chocolate Factory show for Netflix, a Flash Gordon movie, and an adaptation of Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius’ awesome sci-fi comic The Incal. Somewhere tucked away in all that is the second series of Our Flag Means Death.
Looks like Waititi has a busy schedule for the next decade!
