Lightyear was released in 2022 to mostly positive reviews, but ended up flopping at the box office. The movie only grossed $226 million worldwide, losing Disney and Pixar upwards of $100 million.
While Jurassic World Dominion and Top Gun: Maverick were contributing factors, it was clear that people ultimately weren't interested in spending time with the "real" Buzz Lightyear, despite the Toy Story franchise's continued popularity.
There was also some controversy surrounding Lightyear's same-sex kiss between two women. While it was more problematic in certain countries than others (leading to censorship or the movie not being released), it also generated a lot of discussion on social media and inside Pixar itself.
The studio considered dialling back Lightyear's LGBTQ+ representation, prompting employees to issue a statement accusing Disney executives of actively removing "overtly gay affection" from its films. The kiss was reinstated, and the rest is history.
One person who wishes the smooch had been left on the cutting room floor is rapper Snoop Dogg. He took his grandson to see the animated movie, and didn't appreciate having to field some difficult questions from the child.
"They’re like, 'She had a baby — with another woman.' Well, my grandson, in the middle of the movie is like, 'Papa Snoop? How she have a baby with a woman? She’s a woman!'" he recalled. "Oh shit, I didn’t come in for this shit. I just came to watch the goddamn movie.' They just said, 'She and she had a baby — they’re both women. How does she have a baby?'"
"It f*cked me up," Snoop added. "I’m like, scared to go to the movies. Y’all throwing me in the middle of shit that I don’t have an answer for. It threw me for a loop. I’m like, 'What part of the movie was this?' These are kids. We have to show that at this age? They’re going to ask questions. I don’t have the answer."
Talking when Lightyear was released, lead star Chris Evans made it clear he fully supported the scene being included in the movie's final cut:
"I mean, it’s great. As great as it is — and you know, I’ve been asked the question a few times — it’s nice, and it’s wonderful, it makes me happy. It’s tough to not be a little frustrated that it even has to be a topic of discussion. That it is this kind of ‘news.’ The goal is that we can get to a point where it is the norm, and that this doesn’t have to be some uncharted waters, that eventually this is just the way it is. That representation across the board is how we make films. Look, it’s an honor to be a part of something that is taking those steps, but the goal is to look back on this time and just be shocked that it took us this long to get there."
You can hear more from the traumatised Snoop Dogg in the player below.