Why Lightyear's Taika Waititi Isn't Afraid To Rip Off Pixar's Masterpieces
Since the 2020 announcement of "Lightyear," fans have seen multiple trailers detailing what will happen to Buzz (Chris Evans) and the rest of his team during a dangerous mission that leads them to Emperor Zurg (James Brolin). A few new characters are also prepared to help Buzz on his mission, including Izzy Hawthorne (Keke Palmer) and Mo Morrison (Taika Waititi). Although we know that Izzy is the granddaughter of Buzz's friend from the past, Alisha (Uzo Aduba), there hasn't been much revealed about Waititi's Mo — except that he thought joining the Junior Zap Patrol would be fun.
Waititi is an incredibly versatile figure in the entertainment industry, as he has directed, produced, and acted in some incredibly popular films, including "Thor: Ragnarok" and the Academy Award-winning "Jojo Rabbit." Although Waititi only serves as an actor in "Lightyear," he directs and will again portray Korg in the upcoming "Thor: Love and Thunder" (via IMDb).
Although Waititi's directorial vision and personal touch on a project are certainly his own, he recently revealed that he's not afraid to borrow from his fellow masters of cinema. Here is why Taika Waititi isn't afraid to rip off Pixar.
Taika Waititi admires Pixar's methods
In a recent press event for "Lightyear," Taika Waititi was asked about his thoughts on the way Pixar makes their films after being a part of "Lightyear."
Waititi began by highlighting what he most appreciated about the studio, noting, "I think, especially with Pixar, it's the relentless pursuit of a perfect story." Taika continued to explain that he often goes back to many different Pixar animated movies not only for his own personal entertainment but to study the way those projects are structured. Waititi noted that Pixar can "annoyingly get it right every time" and concluded by saying that he isn't afraid to admit that he rips off Pixar's methods and structures when looking toward his own filmmaking, simply because it inspires him.
Although Waititi is already an accomplished filmmaker, whether drawing from ideas through Pixar movies or not, he told Interview Magazine in 2012 that he never truly expected to be one. He actually enjoyed art and painting more, but loved comedy and acting as well. Making films was just something he did, but when "Boy" began winning awards he "inadvertently got a job." Either way, fans are sure to soon see great examples of Waititi's talents as an actor in "Lightyear" and as a filmmaker in "Thor: Love and Thunder."