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.
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 and some exclusive press photos of Zurg below:
Greg Peltz, Sets Art Director: Adapting Zurg for our movie was a tall order. The original design from Toy Story 2 is iconic and we wanted to draw from that source material as much as possible, but at the same time, our movie has a look that is more mature and detailed than the original toy version of the character. 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. His design has to be intimidating so he could carry the menace and the presence our story demanded. Taking all of those goals together, reimagining the character as a giant robot was a natural fit for the character and the world he occupies. Another reason Zurg's a robot, it's cool. Zurg's design was, of course, influenced by our existing style, but he also needed to be visually distinct, so in addition to our other sci-fi inspirations, Zurg also takes cues from super robots and mecha in Japanese anime, which I am personally a huge fan of. It was so much fun reimagining the character into a form that exudes power and presence. Zurg is a force to be reckoned with in our movie, and he has a crazy array of awesome features that you'll get to see him use in the film. Most importantly, though, Zurg's new mechanized form doesn't mean that he's a mindless automaton. He is still a fully-rounded character just like the rest of our cast.
Of course, Zurg and his robot minions need to be a danger to Buzz to drive the story forward and give the hero his moment in the sun, but Pixar could have easily replicated Toy Story 2's design while still presenting that threat. The animated - and seemingly forgotten - Buzz Lightyear of Star Command television series did just that but aimed to appeal to the same children who loved Toy Story. Lightyear appears to be much more grounded and mature, so designing Zurg as a giant robot influenced by Japanese mecha is an excellent way to give him the status needed to be a "final boss" character for Buzz to defeat to save the day.
Unlike Toy Story's unselfconscious Buzz, who initially cannot believe he's a toy, Lightyear's protagonist is an actual Space Ranger faced with an overwhelming burden. Zurg's redesign is the proper step needed to give Buzz an avenue to herodom and tells fans that the Emperor is a powerful obstacle for the ranger. His new weapons, abilities, and fully-rounded personality should prove that when the film releases this summer.