If there’s a breakout star in Pixar’s Lightyear, it’s Sox. Buzz’s personal companion robot is adorable, but the high-tech cat is nowhere to be seen in the original Toy Story. Surly Andy would want a toy based on such a popular character from his favorite film. Before you scream PLOT HOLE, however, it turns out there’s a simple answer. It’s also a conundrum most parents have faced at one point or another.
“Andy’s mom couldn’t get it,” according to Lightyear‘s writer and director Angus MacLane. “It was sold out everywhere.” Not only was Sox the hot toy from the Lightyear movie within the Toy Story universe, it was also fairly pricey. “It would have been Worlds of Wonder [distributor of Teddy Ruxpin and the original Nintendo Entertainment System] or Tiger Electronics [distributor of Furby, the Talkboy, and Giga Pets.] It would have been a fancy $70 toy.”
So the answer is just that simple. Andy’s mom couldn’t find the sold-out and expensive toy anywhere. Luckily Andy’s Buzz Lightyear birthday gift seemed to make up for the lack of a Sox of his own.
Don’t worry about a repeat of the impossible-to-get Sox robot toy issue from 1995. He’s currently available for pre-sale, and luckily for Andy’s mom, the price of $70 has only risen by about $10, despite almost 27 years of inflation.
If the $79.99 price tag for the Sox Interactive Talking Sound & Motion Cat is still a little too much, there are a few wallet-friendly, low-tech Sox options available, too.
Buy your tickets now to catch Sox and Buzz in Lightyear playing in theaters starting June 17th!
Looking for even more inside scoop about the making of Lightyear? Check out Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear, which is streaming now on Disney+.
Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear
Featuring filmmakers, storytellers, artists and members of the “Lightyear” voice cast, “Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear” details how Buzz’s original action-figure design was realized, and how that look was translated years later into a human hero. Delving into the cultural impact of the galaxy’s most famous Space Ranger and his significance to Pixar filmmakers, this doc grapples with what actually is beyond infinity. It is directed by Tony Kaplan and produced by Sureena Mann.