Disney has been taking over the theaters because, just over a month after the release of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, Lightyear made its way to cinemas. This is the story of Buzz Lightyear, the character that the Toy Story toy was based on. Of course, we know that this is a Pixar production, which is owned by Disney, and that means that it is going to make its way to Disney+ in the future. But when will Lightyear be on Disney+?
There is yet to be a confirmed release date for Lightyear on Disney+. However, based on the trend of the recent Disney movies that were subsequently released on Disney+, we can say that Lightyear will be released on the streaming platform 45 to 70 days after its theatrical release date.
In the past, it often took three months for big movies to find their way to streaming platforms. But, considering that we are still in a pandemic (although the numbers are dropping), people are still likely to wait for their favorite movies to become available for streaming. This includes Lightyear. With that said, let’s look at what we know about Lightyear’s Disney+ release date.
What Is Lightyear About?
We all know that Toy Story has always been one of the most popular animated movie franchises of all time, even before Disney acquired Pixar in the 2000s. One of the most popular characters in Toy Story is Buzz Lightyear, the astronaut toy that believes that he is actually a real astronaut. Of course, there is a reason why the toy believes he is an astronaut, as he is based on a fictional astronaut character in the Disney Pixar world.
In that regard, the Lightyear movie aims to tell the story behind the actual Buzz Lightyear character that the toy is based on. It follows the story of the legendary space ranger that found himself getting marooned on a planet 4.2 million lightyears away from Earth, alongside a group of other humans.
The story of the movie is focused on Buzz and the crew’s attempt to find a way back home through space and time, as he is joined by Sox, a robot cat companion that adds a comedic touch to the movie.
However, as Buzz attempts to find a way home, his mission is made complicated by the imposing figure named Zurg, who has an army of robots that make things tough for Lightyear and his crew. Of course, his agenda is still a mystery as this mysterious figure, who also found himself getting a toy version in Toy Story, is set to become the main antagonist of the movie.
The movie features the voices of different notable names in the industry, such as Chris Evans (Buzz Lightyear), Uzo Aduba, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, and Keke Palmer. We also know that James Brolin, who we all know as the man who portrayed Thanos, is the voice behind Zurg as he simply lent his talent from one space warlord to another.
Is Lightyear Going To Be On Disney+?
Over the past two years, one of the things that we saw was the fact that a lot of different Disney and Pixar movies were able to make their way to Disney+ instead of having theatrical releases. Of course, this was due in large part to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, even when the pandemic restrictions were easing up and theaters were opening, some of the other Pixar movies, such as Soul, Luca, and Turning Red all skipped their theatrical releases and went straight to Disney+. So, does that mean that Lightyear is also going to have a Disney+ release instead of getting released in the theaters?
Due to the popularity of the character and the budget of the film, Lightyear will first see a theatrical release window and will only be exclusively shown in cinemas during that time. That means that it won’t be released on Disney+ at the same time as its theatrical release window.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that it won’t be on Disney+. Considering that Pixar is owned by Disney, Lightyear will eventually make its way to Disney+ sometime in the future and after its exclusive theatrical release window.
When Will Lightyear Be on Disney+?
Now that we know that Lightyear will eventually make its way to Disney+, when will it be released on the streaming site?
As of the moment, we really don’t know when Lightyear will be released on Disney+ because no word has been confirmed by Disney regarding how long the exclusive theatrical release window will be. However, we can make an educated guess based on the recent trend that we had seen from Disney movies and how long they were in theaters before they made their way to Disney+.
Based on the trend, there isn’t an exact timeframe in relation to how long movies stay in the theaters but what we do know is that most movies have been staying in cinemas longer as pandemic restrictions are getting lifted in different places around the world.
For example, Shang-Chi took 70 days to appear on Disney+ after its theatrical release date. Eternals, meanwhile, took 68 days. However, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness will be released on June 22 on Disney+, and that means that it only had 47 days in the theaters.
In that regard, the exclusive theatrical release window depends on the movie, as there is no exact timeframe in relation to how long a film stays in theaters. The decision is still up to Disney in terms of how long they plan to keep a movie in cinemas before allowing them to find their way to Disney+.
Nevertheless, in the past, movies often had to be in the theaters for three months before they got their digital and DVD/Blu-ray releases. However, the window was shortened during the pandemic. That means that it is possible that Lightyear will be released on Disney+ somewhere between 45 to 70 days after its theatrical release date. And this often happens at 12am Pacific, or 3am Eastern.
Still, we don’t know the exact date of Lightyear’s Disney+ release because Disney is yet to confirm the information. But we are confident enough to say that it could be closer to 45 days after the theatrical release, considering that Disney probably doesn’t want it to compete with the other upcoming Disney releases in theaters. And Lightyear, as popular as it is, doesn’t come with the same fanfare as a Marvel movie, and that
