Why Pixar's Lightyear Movie Zurg Design is So Different to Toy Story 2
Lightyear's art director delves into the motivations behind upgrading evil Emperor Zurg's design from the original films and turning him into a truly imposing villain. Like many toys, the characters of Toy Story all have backstories, particularly Woody and Buzz, the latter of which is a Space Ranger from Star Command whose archnemesis Zurg seeks to rule the galaxy. Pixar's new film explores Buzz's origin story more personally, offering a realistic look at his journey of becoming a hero and taking down the despot outside the plastic confines of his toy body.
A vital aspect of this new take on the classic character is creating a sci-fi world that feels genuine and reflects the consequences of Buzz and Zurg's practical motivations for either saving or controlling the galaxy. That means generating real intergalactic threats, a tumultuous voyage of self-discovery, and luscious locks of hair for the «human» version of Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans). Additionally, it requires a fresh approach to the villain standing in Buzz's way, resulting in a menacing robotic frame for evil Emperor Zurg.
Related: Lightyear: Why Zurg Looks So Different To Toy Story
At a recent press junket for the film, Screen Rant had an opportunity to hear from Lightyear's Sets Arts Director Greg Peltz, who described the production team's reasonings for Zurg's drastic redesign compared to Toy Story 2. He explained, "We needed our Zurg to fit within the hard boiled sci-fi world that we had created, but above all, he needs to be a threat." To that end, Peltz said that while robots are cool and a natural fit for their new sci-fi universe, the character needed to exude power and presence and be an authentic antagonistic force. Check out the full quote
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