It’s been nearly 11 years since the release of Cars, the Pixar movie that introduced anthropomorphic vehicles named Lightning McQueen, Mater, and Doc Hudson, among others. The movie was a massive success for Pixar, not least because the Cars seen on screen could be replicated exactly in a vast range of toys, which brought in over $10 billion in revenue. Following Cars being such a hit, Cars 2 was released in 2011, but its story didn’t match up to Cars, and many still regard the movie as one of Pixar’s weakest offerings. Regardless, Cars 2 still pulled in respectable audiences and young children in particular seemed to warm to it.
Many still hold Cars in high esteem, though, and most are warmly welcoming the arrival of Cars 3; Lightning McQueen and his adventures are always fun to watch, and the advancements in animation mean that the racing scenes should look extremely realistic on the big screen. Ahead of its June release, and following the release of a brief teaser, a new trailer for Cars 3 has dropped online.
The new Cars 3 trailer or “extended sneak peek” debuted on ESPN during the 2016 college football playoff national championship. Give it a watch, above.
Not only has animation advanced since McQueen’s invention; the world of Motor Racing has also evolved, and it is this that brings the focus for Cars 3. Now considered past his prime, McQueen is being edged out of the sport by younger, faster cars. His nemesis comes in the form of Jackson Storm (voiced by Armie Hammer), while representing the more caring side of the millennial generation is Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo), who takes on the task of becoming McQueen’s trainer.
Cars 3 sees the return of Owen Wilson as the voice of Lightning McQueen, and Larry the Cable Guy as the lovable Mater. The movie is the directorial debut for Brian Fee, who has served as a storyboard artist for Cars and Cars 2. Music comes from Pixar stalwart Randy Newman, with a script by another Pixar favorite, Daniel Gerson. He has previously written the screenplay for Big Hero 6, Monsters University and Monsters, Inc. among others.
The previously-released Cars 3 teaser allegedly upset younger viewers, who thought it highlighted the end of everyone’s number one racing car, but we now know that McQueen has merely had a makeover, and will come back stronger and faster than ever (we hope). Even so, Cars 3 does look more gritty and darker than previous installments, and executive producer John Lasseter has teased a ‘very emotional’ storyline for the movie.
Source: Disney/Pixar
- Cars 3 Release Date: 2017-06-16
