''Cars'' is a
CGI-animated film series A film series or movie series (also referred to as a film franchise or movie franchise) is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series.
This article explains what film series are ...
and
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
media franchise
A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or ...
set in a world populated by
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
vehicles created by
John Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter (; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, voice actor, and the head of animation at Skydance Animation. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, ...
,
Joe Ranft
Joseph Henry Ranft (March 13, 1960 – August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and voice actor. He worked for Pixar Animation Studios and Disney at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Television Animation ...
and
Jorgen Klubien
Jørgen Klubien (born May 20, 1958) is a Danish animator, storyboard artist, and writer. He is known for working on many Disney films, like ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ''The Lion King'' (1994), ''A Bug's Life'' (1998), ''Cars'' ( ...
. The franchise began with the
2006 film of the same name, produced by
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
and released by
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios uni ...
. The film was followed by
a sequel in 2011. A third film, ''
Cars 3
''Cars 3'' is a 2017 American computer-animated sports comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The sequel to ''Cars 2'' (2011) and the third installment of the ''Cars'' film series, the ...
'', was released in 2017. The now-defunct
Disneytoon Studios produced the two spin-off films ''
Planes'' (2013) and ''
Planes: Fire & Rescue'' (2014).
The first two ''Cars'' films were directed by Lasseter, then-
chief creative officer
A chief creative officer (CCO) is the highest ranking position of the creative team within a company. Depending on the type of company, this position may be responsible for the overall look and feel of marketing, media, and branding associated with ...
of Pixar,
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fro ...
, and Disneytoon Studios, while ''Cars 3'' was directed by
Brian Fee
Brian Stacy Fee (born January 29, 1975) is an American storyboard artist, animator, prop designer, producer, film director and occasional voice actor who works for Pixar.
Fee made his directorial debut at the studio with the feature film ''Cars ...
, a storyboard artist on the previous installments. Lasseter served as
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
of ''Cars 3'' and the ''Planes'' films. Together, all three ''Cars'' films have accrued over $1.4 billion in box office revenue worldwide while the franchise has amassed over $10 billion in merchandising sales within its first five years.
History
The ''Cars'' franchise began with
the original 2006 film. The film was Pixar's least well received by reviewers.
The short ''
Mater and the Ghostlight
''Mater and the Ghostlight'' is a 2006 American computer-animated short film released as a special feature on the DVD of Pixar's film ''Cars'', which was released in the United States on November 7, 2006. The short, set in the ''Cars'' world, tell ...
'' was released as an extra on the ''Cars'' DVD on November 7, 2006. A series of shorts called ''
Cars Toons
''Cars Toons'' is a television series of American computer-animated short films produced by Pixar. It features the main characters Lightning McQueen and Mater from Pixar's ''Cars'' franchise non-canonically in the original plot. Larry the Ca ...
'' were produced and aired on the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
to keep interest up. The brand had sold nearly $10 billion in merchandise by the time of the release of ''
Cars 2
''Cars 2'' is a 2011 American computer-animated Spy film, spy comedy film produced by Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to ''Cars (film), Cars'' (2006), the second film in the Cars (franchise), ''Cars'' f ...
'' in 2011.
[
In 2007, Cars Four Wheels Rally ride opened in ]Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is an entertainment resort in Chessy, France, east of Paris. It encompasses two theme parks, resort hotels, Disney Nature Resorts, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, and a golf course. Disneyland Park is the origin ...
.
In the summer of 2012, the 12-acre Cars Land
''Cars'' Land is a themed area of Disney California Adventure, inspired by the Disney·Pixar franchise, ''Cars'', and Route 66 in America. The area, built as part of Disney California Adventure Park's $1.1 billion expansion project, opened on Ju ...
theme area opened at Disney California Adventure
Disney California Adventure Park, commonly referred to as California Adventure or by its acronym DCA, is a theme park located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Park ...
in Anaheim as the main component of $1-billion park renovation.[
A third film, '']Cars 3
''Cars 3'' is a 2017 American computer-animated sports comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The sequel to ''Cars 2'' (2011) and the third installment of the ''Cars'' film series, the ...
'', was announced on October 8, 2015, and was released on June 16, 2017.
Film series
''Cars'' (2006)
''Cars'' is the seventh Pixar film. The story is about rookie race car Lightning McQueen
Montgomery "Lightning" McQueen is a fictional anthropomorphic stock car who is the protagonist of the animated Pixar franchise ''Cars'', primarily voiced by actor Owen Wilson. His appearances include the feature films ''Cars'', ''Cars 2'', and ''C ...
(Owen Wilson
Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an American actor. He has had a long association with filmmaker Wes Anderson with whom he shared writing and acting credits for '' Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), and ''The Royal ...
), who gets lost on the way to California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
for a tiebreaker race in the Piston Cup, a famous race worldwide, and ends up in a little town called Radiator Springs
Radiator Springs is a fictional small Arizona town and the principal setting of the Disney/Pixar franchise ''Cars''. A composite of multiple real-world locations on the historic U.S. Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles, it is most prominently fe ...
on Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
, that had been bypassed and forgotten when Interstate 40
Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...
was built. He accidentally wrecks the road and is sentenced to fix it. During his time there, he meets Mater (Larry the Cable Guy
Daniel Lawrence Whitney (born February 17, 1963), known professionally by his persona Larry the Cable Guy, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, country music artist, and former radio personality.
He was one of the members of the ...
), who became his best friend, and Sally (Bonnie Hunt
Bonnie Lynn Hunt (born September 22, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, director, producer, writer and television host. Her film roles include ''Rain Man'', ''Beethoven'', ''Beethoven's 2nd'', ''Jumanji'', ''Jerry Maguire'', '' The Green M ...
).
After McQueen fixes the road, Doc Hudson (Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
) no longer wants him in town, so he alerts the media about McQueen's presence, but it doesn't take long for Hudson to realize how much McQueen has helped Radiator Springs, so he goes back to being the Hudson Hornet and becomes McQueen's crew chief, while most of the Radiator Springs folks become his pit crew. McQueen is about to win the race, but helps The King (Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937), nicknamed "The King", is an American former stock car racing driver who raced from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notabl ...
) cross the finish line after Chick Hicks
''Cars'' is a media franchise including the 2006 film ''Cars'', the 2011 film '' Cars 2'', the 2017 film ''Cars 3'', the 2013 film '' Planes'' and the 2014 film '' Planes: Fire & Rescue''. Characters in the fictional universe include:
Piston ...
(Michael Keaton
Michael John Douglas (born September 5, 1951), known professionally as Michael Keaton, is an American actor. He is known for his various comedic and dramatic film roles, including Jack Butler in ''Mr. Mom'' (1983), Betelgeuse in ''Beetlejuice'' ( ...
) causes him to crash. Chick wins the Piston Cup after being in third on the last lap, but is later booed by everyone as comeuppance, while Lightning receives praise for his sportsmanship.
Despite his loss, Lightning is offered to be the new face and sponsor of Dinoco, but he declines and decides to stay with Rust-eze, his current sponsor. He does, however, arrange for Mater to ride in the Dinoco helicopter just as he promised. The film ends with McQueen setting up his racing headquarters in Radiator Springs, thereby putting it back on the map.
''Cars 2'' (2011)
''Cars 2'' is the twelfth Pixar film. The story starts with Lightning McQueen competing in the first World Grand Prix, a three-race event taking place in Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, and England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, with his racing rival being Italian formula car Francesco Bernoulli
''Cars'' is a media franchise including the 2006 film ''Cars'', the 2011 film '' Cars 2'', the 2017 film ''Cars 3'', the 2013 film '' Planes'' and the 2014 film '' Planes: Fire & Rescue''. Characters in the fictional universe include:
Piston ...
(John Turturro
John Michael Turturro (; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his contributions to the independent film movement. He has appeared in over sixty feature films and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers, ...
).
Along the way, Mater is mistaken for an American spy by British spy Finn McMissile
''Cars'' is a media franchise including the 2006 film ''Cars'', the 2011 film '' Cars 2'', the 2017 film ''Cars 3'', the 2013 film '' Planes'' and the 2014 film '' Planes: Fire & Rescue''. Characters in the fictional universe include:
Piston ...
(Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...
), and falls in love with junior agent Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer
Emily Kathleen Anne Mortimer (born 6 October 1971) is a British-American actress. She began acting in stage productions and has since appeared in several film and television roles. In 2003, she won an Independent Spirit Award for her performanc ...
). The three uncover a plot to sabotage the Grand Prix, which is seemingly led by Professor Zündapp
''Cars'' is a media franchise including the 2006 film ''Cars'', the 2011 film '' Cars 2'', the 2017 film ''Cars 3'', the 2013 film '' Planes'' and the 2014 film '' Planes: Fire & Rescue''. Characters in the fictional universe include:
Piston ...
(Thomas Kretschmann
Thomas Kretschmann (; born 8 September 1962) is a German actor who has appeared in many European and American films. His notable roles include Lieutenant Hans von Witzland in '' Stalingrad'' (1993), Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in '' The Pianist'' ( ...
) and a group of lemon cars. When the event reaches its conclusion in England, Mater deduces that Miles Axlerod (Eddie Izzard
Edward John Izzard (; born 7 February 1962) is a British stand-up comedian, actor and activist. Her comedic style takes the form of what appears to the audience as rambling whimsical monologues and self-referential pantomime.
Izzard's stand- ...
) is the mastermind behind the plot, as he started the event in the first place and had intended for cars everywhere to run on oil as revenge for the lemons' reputation as "history's biggest loser cars", implying that Axlerod is also a lemon.
With the plot foiled and the villains defeated, Mater is knighted by the Queen of the United Kingdom (Vanessa Redgrave
Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, two ...
), and a new race is held in Radiator Springs. Mater is invited by McMissile and Shiftwell to go on another mission, but chooses to stay in Radiator Springs. While his weapons get confiscated, he gets to keep the rocket engines he acquired, as the two agents take off in Siddeley (Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs (born 6 June 1963) is an English actor.
Isaac's film roles include Col. Tavington in '' The Patriot'' (2000), Michael D. Steele in '' Black Hawk Down'' (2001), Lucius Malfoy in the ''Harry Potter'' film series (2002–2011), C ...
), the British spy jet.
''Cars 3'' (2017)
''Cars 3'' is the eighteenth Pixar film. The story focuses on Lightning McQueen, who deals with a new generation of race cars taking over the world of racing. Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer
Armand Douglas Hammer (born August 28, 1986) is an American actor. Hammer began his acting career with guest appearances in several television series. His first leading role was as Billy Graham in the 2008 film '' Billy: The Early Years'', and ...
) is an arrogant high tech racer who leads the next generation. As everyone begins to ask him if he might retire, McQueen struggles with keeping up with these racers and during the final race of the season, he suffers a violent crash.
Four months later, a recovering McQueen mourns the late Doc Hudson and travels to the new Rust-eze Racing Center, now under the management of Sterling (Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion (; born March 27, 1971) is a Canadian-American actor. He played the leading roles of Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds on '' Firefly'' and its film continuation '' Serenity'', and Richard Castle on '' Castle''. , he was starring as J ...
). Sterling assigns Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo
Cristela Alonzo (born ) is an American comedian, actress, writer and producer, who created and starred in the ABC sitcom ''Cristela.'' This made her the first Latina woman to create, produce, write, and star in her own US primetime comedy.
Ear ...
) to train him on the simulator, which McQueen accidentally destroys after losing control. Ramirez's unconventional training methods and lack of racing experience frustrate McQueen, as they race on beaches and a demolition derby. Ramirez reveals that she had always wanted to be a racer but never found the confidence to do so. In Thomasville, they encounter Hudson's old crew chief Smokey (Chris Cooper
Christopher Walton Cooper (born July 9, 1951) is an American actor. He has appeared in several major Hollywood films, including '' American Beauty'' (1999), ''October Sky'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), ''Seabiscuit'' (2003), '' Cap ...
), who trains McQueen and explains to him that Hudson found happiness in mentoring him. Smokey's training methods inspire Ramirez as well.
At the Florida 500, McQueen begins racing, but remembers Ramirez's racing dreams and has her take his place in the race. Using what she's learned on the road, Ramirez found the confidence to catch up to Storm. She wins the race along with McQueen and begins racing for Dinoco, whose owner, Tex, purchases Rust-eze. Under the merged Dinoco–Rust-eze brand, Cruz becomes a racer, sporting #51, and McQueen decides to continue racing, with a new paint job in memory of Hudson, but trains Cruz first for the season.
Potential fourth film
Regarding a possible ''Cars 4'', ''Cars 3'' producers Kevin Reher and Andrea Warren told ''Cinema Blend'' that "If there's a good story to tell I mean our heads kinda break after having gotten this one done, like oh my God, what could you do the further adventures of? But like any sequel, from ''Toy Story 4
''Toy Story 4'' is a 2019 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the fourth installment in Pixar's ''Toy Story'' series and the sequel to ''Toy Story 3'' ( ...
'' to ''Incredibles 2
''Incredibles 2'' is a 2018 American computer-animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it is the sequel to ''The Incredibles'' (2004) and the second fu ...
'', as long as there's a good story to tell, it's worth investing; we do love these characters, we love them as much as the public does." Regarding which character would be the main protagonist in the movie, Reher and Warren stated that "if Cruz is a breakout character, kind of like Mater was", "she ould Ould is an English surname and an Arabic name ( ar, ولد). In some Arabic dialects, particularly Hassaniya Arabic, ولد (the patronymic, meaning "son of") is transliterated as Ould. Most Mauritanians have patronymic surnames.
Notable p ...
be involved in a ''4''". Owen Wilson stated at a ''Cars 3'' press event that possible stories have been discussed for a ''Cars 4'', though he would personally like for a fourth ''Cars'' movie to delve into aspects of the thriller genre, akin to ''Cars 2''. In an interview with ''Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'', Lea Delaria
Lea DeLaria (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actress, and jazz singer. DeLaria is credited with being the first openly gay comic to appear on American television with her 1993 appearance on ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. She is best kno ...
expressed interest in reprising her role as Miss Fritter while promoting the release of the short movie ''Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool'' with the ''Cars 3'' DVD and Blu-ray release.
Television series
''Cars Toons''
''Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales'' (2008–12)
''Mater's Tall Tales'' is a series of short animated films or ''Cars Toons'' featuring the characters Mater and Lightning McQueen
Montgomery "Lightning" McQueen is a fictional anthropomorphic stock car who is the protagonist of the animated Pixar franchise ''Cars'', primarily voiced by actor Owen Wilson. His appearances include the feature films ''Cars'', ''Cars 2'', and ''C ...
from the ''Cars'' franchise. The first three shorts premiered in 2008 on Toon Disney
Toon Disney was an American multinational pay television channel owned by Disney Channels Worldwide, a subsidiary of Disney-ABC Television Group. The channel's target audience was children ages 2–11, and children ages 6–13 during the Jetix ...
, Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
, and ABC Family
The American cable television, cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and s ...
. Not exclusive to television, the episodes have also been released on DVDs/Blu-rays or as a theatrical short. A total of 11 episodes have been released with "Time Travel Mater" (2012) being the most recent.
All shorts in the series follow the same tall-tale formula: Mater tells a story of something he has done in the past. When Lightning questions Mater over whether the events in the story actually occurred (or in some episodes asks him what he did next), Mater always claimed that Lightning was also involved and continues the story including Lightning's sudden participation. The shorts end with Mater leaving the scene, often followed by characters or references to the story that was being told, suggesting that story might be real.
''Cars Toons: Tales from Radiator Springs'' (2013–14)
''Tales from Radiator Springs'' is a series of short animated films or ''Cars Toons''. The first three two-minute episodes - "Hiccups", "Bugged", and "Spinning" - premiered on March 22, 2013, on Disney Channel, and have been available online since March 24, 2013. A fourth short in the series, titled "The Radiator Springs 500 ½", was released in spring 2014 on the digital movie service Disney Movies Anywhere. It premiered August 1, 2014, on Disney Channel. The short has a running time of 6 minutes rather than the usual two-minute running time.
''Cars on the Road'' (2022)
On December 10, 2020, Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
announced on Disney Investors Day that an animated series starring Lightning McQueen and Mater traveling the country while meeting friends, new and old, was in development. On November 12, 2021, it was announced that the show would be titled ''Cars on the Road
''Cars on the Road'' is an American Computer animation, computer-animated Streaming television, streaming television series of shorts produced by Pixar Animation Studios for the Disney+ streaming service and based on the Cars (franchise), ''Cars'' ...
'', and that Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy would reprise their respective roles as Lightning McQueen and Mater. It was released on Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
on September 8, 2022 as part of Disney+ Day
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
.
Short films
''Mater and the Ghostlight'' (2006)
''Mater and the Ghostlight'' is a 2006 Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
computer-animated short created for the DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
of ''Cars'', which was released on October 25, 2006, in Australia and the United States on November 7, 2006. The short, set in the ''Cars'' world, tells a story of Mater being haunted by a mysterious blue light.
''Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool'' (2017)
''Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool'' is a 2017 Pixar computer-animated short created for the Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and DVD of ''Cars 3'', which was released in the United States on November 7, 2017. The short, set in the ''Cars'' world, follows the "blindsided testimonials from the Crazy 8's, touting the transformative impact Miss Fritter's Racing School has had in reshaping the direction of their lives".
''Pixar Popcorn'' shorts
In December 2020, two Cars short films were announced as part of Disney+'s ''Pixar Popcorn
This is a list of animated short films produced by Pixar Animation Studios.
Beginning with Pixar's second film ''A Bug's Life'', almost all subsequent Pixar feature films have been shown in theaters along with a Pixar-created original short fil ...
'' series, which was released on January 22, 2021. As with most of the shorts present in this series, none of the characters have voice roles.
''Unparalleled Parking'' (2021)
In this short, the cars have a friendly parallel parking
250px, Parallel-parked cars in Washington, D.C.
250px, A motorist gets assistance parallel-parking
250px, Parallel parking animation
Parallel parking is a method of parking a vehicle parallel to the road, in line with other parked vehicles. ...
competition.
''Dancing with the Cars'' (2021)
In this short, the residents of Radiator Springs show off their dancing skills at Flo's V8 Café.
Spin-off film series
In 2013 Disneytoon Studios, Pixar's now-defunct sister company, released a spin-off film set in the ''Cars'' world titled '' Planes'' featuring planes as the main characters. The film was followed by a sequel titled '' Planes: Fire & Rescue'' in 2014.
''Planes'' (2013)
''Planes'' is a computer-animated ''Cars'' spin-off film produced by Disneytoon Studios. The first film in a planned trilogy where the main characters are planes, the film was released in theaters by Walt Disney Pictures on August 9, 2013. The film was directed by Klay Hall
Klay Hall (born September 11, 1958) is an American animator, storyboard artist, television director, and film director.
Klay launched his animation career on ''Amazing Stories'', ''Cool World'', and '' Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures'', before ...
and executive produced by John Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter (; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, voice actor, and the head of animation at Skydance Animation. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, ...
. In the film, Dusty Crophopper, a small-town cropdusting plane, follows his dreams by competing in a world air race despite his fear of heights.
''Planes: Fire & Rescue'' (2014)
A sequel, titled ''Planes: Fire & Rescue'', was theatrically released on July 18, 2014. This film is also produced by Disneytoon Studios. Bobs Gannaway, co-developer of ''Jake and the Never Land Pirates
''Jake and the Never Land Pirates'' (titled ''Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates'' for the fourth season and associated merchandise) is an American animated musical and interactive preschool children's television series shown on Disney Junior ...
'' and ''Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
''Mickey Mouse Clubhouse'' is an American interactive computer-animated children's television series which aired from May 5, 2006, to November 6, 2016 on the Disney Channel. Produced by Disney Television Animation, it is the first computer-anima ...
'', and co-director of ''Mickey Mouse Works
''Mickey Mouse Works'' (also known as ''Disney's Mickey Mouse Works'' or simply ''Mouse Works'') is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation featuring Mickey Mouse and his friends in a series of animate ...
'' and ''Secret of the Wings
''Secret of the Wings'' (originally titled as ''Tinker Bell and the Mysterious Winter Woods'' or alternatively ''Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings'') is a 2012 American computer-animated fantasy film, and the fourth installment in the ''Disn ...
'', directed the film. Lasseter again served as executive producer. In the film, Dusty is now a world-famous air racer, but learns he will never be able to race again due to an engine problem. After accidentally starting a fire, Dusty decides to become a firefighter and trains at Piston Peak Air Attack.
Spin-off short film
''Vitaminamulch: Air Spectacular'' (2014)
A ''Planes'' short film titled ''Vitaminamulch: Air Spectacular'' was released on the DVD and Blu-ray of ''Planes: Fire & Rescue''. It was directed by Dan Abraham and executive produced by John Lasseter. In the short film, Dusty Crophopper and Chug need to replace two daredevils in an airshow Leadbottom is hosting. At first unsuccessful, Dusty and Chug accidentally start a series of events that captures the audience's attention, eventually completing the stunt.
Cancelled projects
''To Protect and Serve''
A fifth ''Tales from Radiator Springs'' short film, titled ''To Protect and Serve,'' was announced to be in development for a 2015 release. However, it was never released.
The short would have been focused on Sheriff as he takes a mandatory vacation and leaves two rookies (voiced by Wendi McLendon-Covey
Wendi McLendon-Covey (née McLendon; born October 10, 1969) is an American actress and comedian. She is known primarily for her work in comedic and improvisational roles. Since 2013, McLendon-Covey has played the role of Beverly Goldberg, a fami ...
and Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ismail Ansari (; born February 23, 1983) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is known for his role as Tom Haverford on the NBC series ''Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015) and as creator and star of the Netflix series ''Master ...
) to take over his duties as police officer. This, however, causes problems in Radiator Springs as the rookies over-do every aspect of their job in an attempt to score commendations, turning the town into a hotbed of taped-off crime scenes. Sheriff soon senses an imbalance and returns home to right the "justice" that has been served.
Untitled ''Planes'' sequel and spin-offs
At the D23 Expo
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 2009, the organization is known mainly for its biennial exposition event, the D23 Expo. The name ''D23'' refers to ''D'' for ''Disney'' and ''23' ...
held in July 2017, John Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter (; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, voice actor, and the head of animation at Skydance Animation. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, ...
announced a third film in the ''Planes'' series. Tentatively titled ''Beyond the Sky'', the film would have explored the future of aviation in outer space
Outer space, commonly shortened to space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth and its atmosphere and between celestial bodies. Outer space is not completely empty—it is a near-perfect vacuum containing a low density of particles, pred ...
. The film had a release date of April 12, 2019. It was removed from the release schedule in March 2018 and on June 28, shortly after the announcement of Lasseter's departure from Disney, Disneytoon Studios was shut down, ending development on the film.
Prior to its closure, the studio was planning several more spin-offs of the franchise focusing on boats, trains and other vehicles. In November 2022, concept art for one of the proposed films, tentatively titled ''Metro'', was leaked online.
Reception
Box-office performance
Earning over $1.7 billion, ''Cars'', including its ''Planes'' spin-off films, is the eleventh- highest grossing animated franchise.
In its opening weekend, the original ''Cars'' earned $60,119,509 in 3,985 theaters in the United States, ranking number one at the box office. In the United States, the film held onto the number one spot for two weeks before being surpassed by '' Click'', and then by ''Superman Returns
''Superman Returns'' is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris (screenwriter), Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris based on the DC Comics character Superman. I ...
'' the following weekend. It went on to gross $461,983,149 worldwide (ranking number six in 2006 films) and $244,082,982 in the United States (the third-highest-grossing film of 2006 in the country, behind '' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'' and ''Night at the Museum
''Night at the Museum'' is a 2006 fantasy comedy film directed by Shawn Levy and written by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. It is based on the 1993 children's book of the same name by Croatian illustrator Milan Trenc. The film had an ensem ...
''). It was the highest grossing animated film of 2006 in the United States, but lost to '' Ice Age: The Meltdown'' in worldwide totals.
''Cars 2'' has earned $191,452,396 in the United States and Canada, and $368,400,000 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $559,852,396. Worldwide on its opening weekend, it made $109.0 million, marking the largest opening weekend for a 2011 animated title.
Critical and public response
Awards and nominations
''Cars'' had a highly successful run during the 2006 awards season. Many film critic associations such as the Broadcast Film Critics Association
The Critics Choice Association (CCA), formerly the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), is an association of television, radio and online critics. Their membership includes critics who review film and television. Founded in 1995, it is the ...
and the National Board of Review
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...
named it the best Animated Feature Film of 2006. ''Cars'' also received the title of Best Reviewed Animated Feature of 2006 from Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
. Randy Newman
Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early Americana (music), Americana-influenced songs (often ...
and James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...
received a Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for the song "Our Town", which later went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...
(an award it lost to "I Need to Wake Up" from ''An Inconvenient Truth
''An Inconvenient Truth'' is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate people about global warming. The film features a slide show that, by Gore's own e ...
''). The film also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, but it lost to ''Happy Feet
''Happy Feet'' is a 2006 computer-animated jukebox musical comedy film directed, produced, and co-written by George Miller. It stars the voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, and E.G ...
''. ''Cars'' was also selected as the Favorite Family Movie at the 33rd People's Choice Awards. Perhaps the most prestigious award that ''Cars'' received was the inaugural Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film
The Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film is a Golden Globe Award that was awarded for the first time at the 64th Golden Globe Awards in 2007. It was the first time that the Golden Globe Awards had created a separate category for anim ...
. ''Cars'' also won the highest award for animation in 2006, the Best Animated Feature Annie Award
The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in cinema and television. Originally desi ...
. The film was also nominated for AFI's 10 Top 10
''AFI's 10 Top 10'' honors the ten greatest American films in ten classic film genres. Presented by the American Film Institute (AFI), the lists were unveiled on a television special broadcast by CBS on June 17, 2008. In the special, various acto ...
in the "Animation" genre.
Cast and characters
This is a list of characters from the 2006 film, ''Cars
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
'', its 2011 and 2017 sequels: ''Cars 2
''Cars 2'' is a 2011 American computer-animated Spy film, spy comedy film produced by Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to ''Cars (film), Cars'' (2006), the second film in the Cars (franchise), ''Cars'' f ...
'' and ''Cars 3
''Cars 3'' is a 2017 American computer-animated sports comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The sequel to ''Cars 2'' (2011) and the third installment of the ''Cars'' film series, the ...
'', its 2013 and 2014 spin-off films: '' Planes'' and '' Planes: Fire & Rescue'', its 2006, and 2017 ''Cars'' short films '' Mater and the Ghostlight
''Mater and the Ghostlight'' is a 2006 American computer-animated short film released as a special feature on the DVD of Pixar's film ''Cars'', which was released in the United States on November 7, 2006. The short, set in the ''Cars'' world, tell ...
'', and ''Miss Fritter’s Racing Skoool'', its 2014 spin-off short film ''Vitaminamulch: Air Spectacular'', and its 2008 and 2022 television series ''Cars Toons
''Cars Toons'' is a television series of American computer-animated short films produced by Pixar. It features the main characters Lightning McQueen and Mater from Pixar's ''Cars'' franchise non-canonically in the original plot. Larry the Ca ...
'' and ''Cars on the Road
''Cars on the Road'' is an American Computer animation, computer-animated Streaming television, streaming television series of shorts produced by Pixar Animation Studios for the Disney+ streaming service and based on the Cars (franchise), ''Cars'' ...
''.
* Note: A grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
Crew
Other media
Video games
In May 2007, the ''Cars'' video game was announced to be a "Platinum Hit" on the Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
, "Greatest Hit" on the PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
and PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
, and Player's Choice
''Nintendo Selects'' (formerly ''Player's Choice'') was a marketing label used by Nintendo to promote video games on current Nintendo game consoles that have sold well. ''Nintendo Selects'' titles were sold at a lower price point (usually $19.99 ...
on the GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
. Two sequels were released, ''Cars Mater-National Championship
''Cars Mater-National Championship'' is a 2007 racing game published by THQ for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and Wii.
The game received mixed reviews from critics. A sequel, ''C ...
'' and ''Cars Race-O-Rama
''Cars Race-O-Rama'' is a racing video game based on the ''Cars'' franchise that was released on October 12, 2009. It is the sequel to ''Cars Mater-National Championship'', which was released on October 29, 2007.
Gameplay
''Cars Race-O-Rama'' i ...
''. A video game based on ''Cars 2'' was developed by Avalanche Software
Avalanche Software is an American video game developer based in Salt Lake City, Utah and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It was founded in October 1995 by four programmers formerly of Sculptured Software, including John ...
and published by Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Interactive Studios, Inc. was an American video game developer and publisher owned by The Walt Disney Company through Disney Interactive. Prior to its closure in 2016, it developed and distributed multi-platform video games and interactiv ...
for the PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
, Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
, Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
, PC, and Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
on June 21, 2011. The PlayStation 3 version of the game was reported to be compatible with stereoscopic 3D gameplay. In October 2014, Gameloft released ''Cars: Fast as Lightning'', a customizable, city-building racing game for smartphone platforms. Lightning McQueen appears as a playable character in ''Lego The Incredibles
''Lego The Incredibles'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by TT Fusion, based on both ''The Incredibles'' and ''Incredibles 2'' films. The game was released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on 15 June 2018 in Nort ...
'' which was released in June 2018.
Similar films
From the start, at least two inspired or knock off direct to video series appeared, ''A Cars Life'' and ''The Little Cars'', that amounted to being mockbusters.
It has also been noted that the plot of ''Cars'' bears a striking resemblance to that of ''Doc Hollywood
''Doc Hollywood'' is a 1991 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Caton-Jones and written by Daniel Pyne along with Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, based on Neil B. Shulman's book ''What? Dead...Again?'' The film stars Michael J. F ...
'', the 1991 romantic comedy which stars Michael J. Fox
Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American retired actor. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1 ...
as a hotshot young doctor, who, after causing a traffic accident in a small town, is sentenced to work at the town hospital, falls in love with a local law student and eventually acquires an appreciation for small town values.
''The Autobots''
''The Autobots
''The Autobots'' () is a 2015 Chinese computer-animated motorsports comedy film directed by Zhuo Jianrong. It was released on July 4, 2015. The film received heavy criticism for its plot, animation quality, characters, and being a direct plagia ...
'' was released in July 2015 by Chinese companies Bluemtv and G-Point. On January 1, 2017, Disney and Pixar were awarded damages in their lawsuit against the two companies. The Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Court ruled that the Chinese film titled ''The Autobots'' was an illegal copy of ''Cars'' thus fined the film's producer and distributor the equivalent of US$194,000. In his defense, director Zhuo Jianrong claimed he had never seen ''Cars''.
''A Cars Life''
''A Cars Life'' was a series animated by the UAV Corporation and distributed by Allumination Filmworks. There were a total of three films issued from 2006 to 2012.
''The Little Cars''
''The Little Cars'' is a big series animated by the Toyland Video ( Vídeo Brinquedo) and distributed by Branscome International. There were a total of eight films issued from 2006 to 2011. Toyland Video considers its "mockbuster" to be following a "Bollywood" approach of borrowing from Hollywood.
Marcus Aurelius Canônico of ''Folha de S.Paulo
''Folha de S.Paulo'' (sometimes spelled ''Folha de São Paulo''), also known as simply ''Folha'' (, ''Sheet''), is a Brazilian daily newspaper founded in 1921 under the name ''Folha da Noite'' and published in São Paulo by the Folha da Manhã c ...
'' described ''The Little Cars'' series (''Os Carrinhos'' in Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
), a Brazilian computer graphics film series, as a derivative of ''Cars''. Canônico discussed whether lawsuits from Pixar would appear. The Brazilian Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to:
*Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania)
* Ministry of Culture (Algeria)
*Ministry of Culture (Argentina)
*Minister for the Arts (Australia)
*Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)
* Ministry of ...
posted Marcus Aurelius Canônico's article on its website.
Merchandising
The Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
-produced 1/55 scale Toy Cars were some of the most popular toys of the 2006 Summer Season. Dozens of characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
are represented, with some having multiple versions available. Several stores had trouble keeping the toys in stock, and some models are still difficult to find because of being shipped in lower numbers than other characters.
Some online Disney enthusiasts are comparing it to the same shortage that Mattel faced with its ''Toy Story
''Toy Story'' is a 1995 American computer-animated comedy film directed by John Lasseter (in his feature directorial debut), produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The first installment in the '' Toy Story ...
'' line in 1995. On August 14, 2007, the die-cast Sarge car, made between May and July 2007, was recalled due to "impermissible levels of lead" used in the paint. Another ''Cars'' product which followed the Disney-Pixar Cars Die-Cast Line were miniature versions of the characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
which were painted in different colors to represent different events called Mini Adventures. Also, Lego
Lego ( , ; stylized as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of variously colored interlocking ...
has sets for the sequels
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
.
On June 22, 2006, Disney Consumer Products announced that ''Cars'' merchandise broke records for retail sales based on a Disney-Pixar product, recording 10-to-1 more volume than ''Finding Nemo
''Finding Nemo'' is a 2003 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton with co-direction by Lee Unkrich, the screenplay was writ ...
''. DCP reports that product expansion will take place in the fall alongside the DVD release of the film. Mattel has announced that Cars toys will continue through 2008 with the release of at least 80 new vehicles.
A 36 car pack called "Motor Speedway of the South" will feature most of the race cars seen during the opening race sequence of the film. (This is also the name for the track race in the film) Estimates from the ''New York Daily News
The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'' indicate that sales of ''Cars'' merchandise two weeks out from the release of the film amounted to US$600 million. Estimates put out in November by the Walt Disney Company peg total sales for the brand at around $1 billion.
Kelley Blue Book
Kelley Blue Book is an Irvine, California-based vehicle valuation and automotive research company that is recognized by both consumers and the automotive industry. The company is owned by the Cox Automotive subsidiary of Cox Enterprises.
Histor ...
, a resource for appraising values of vehicles, has humorously "appraised" four of the cars, Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally Carrera, and Doc Hudson according to their make/model and personalities. The United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...
has used scenes from the film in a commercial regarding the Click It or Ticket campaign.
In conjunction with the film's release, a chocolate ice cream
Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as str ...
on a stick resembling a car tire
A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a Rim (wheel), wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide Traction (engineering), t ...
was released in Australia. These ice creams were called "Burnouts". The naming of the particular product sparked controversy as the name "Burnouts" was believed to have encouraged street racing
Street racing is typically an unsanctioned and illegal form of auto racing that occurs on a public road. Racing in the streets is considered an ancient hazard, as horse racing occurred on streets for centuries, and street racing in automobiles is ...
and committing burnouts. These acts are illegal and heavy fines and convictions are issued to those committing these acts in Australia. It is unknown as to whether the products have been discontinued. In Norway, the candy company Nidar produced candy with the characters on the outer packaging and pictures of the characters on the packaging of the assorted candy on the inside. These bags also came with ''Cars'' themed tattoos.
In the U.S., an animated Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
truck can be seen on a Walmart advertisements for ''Cars''. In the Walmart TV commercial Mater was talking to the Walmart truck. In South Africa, Italy, and several other countries where Opel
Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
is present (or with Opel models under Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...
and Vauxhall
Vauxhall ( ) is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for ...
brand), GM has a campaign featuring a General Motors Astra
The Opel Astra is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) developed and produced by the German automaker Opel since 1991, currently at its sixth generation. It was first launched in September 1991 as a direct replacement to the Opel Kadet ...
, an Opel Meriva
The Opel Meriva is a car manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Opel on its Corsa platform, from May 2003 until June 2017 across two generations. Described as a mini MPV, it was marketed as the Vauxhall Meriva in the United Kingdom, w ...
, and a General Motors Zafira
The Opel Zafira is a car manufactured and marketed across three generations between 1999 and 2019 by Opel. Based on the Opel Astra platform, it is developed to occupy the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment.
The Zafira was also marketed unde ...
as characters in the world of ''Cars'', including TV ads made by Pixar, with the Opel models interacting with Lightning McQueen, Mater and Ramone.
The first ad involved the Opels coming to Radiator Springs as tourists. The second involved their failed attempts at auditioning for Mater. In the end the Opels lost the part to the real Mater. In July 2006, greeting card giant Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards, Inc. is a private, family-owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce Hall, Hallmark is the oldest and largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was award ...
unveiled its line of 2006 Keepsake Christmas ornaments. Among the collection was an ornament featuring Lightning McQueen and Mater. There is also a ''Cars'' children's clothing line, which produces various T-shirts and shorts.
In Japan, Disney Japan and Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
backed racing team ''Cars Racing'' replaced its racing car "Toy Story
''Toy Story'' is a 1995 American computer-animated comedy film directed by John Lasseter (in his feature directorial debut), produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The first installment in the '' Toy Story ...
apr MR-S" and introduced the "Lightning McQueen apr MR-S" for the 2008 Super GT season
The 2008 Autobacs Super GT Series was the sixteenth season of the Japan Automobile Federation Super GT Championship including the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) era and the fourth season as the Super GT series. It marked as well as ...
. The car was based on the Toyota MR-S
The Toyota MR2 is a line of two-seat, MR layout, mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports cars manufactured in Japan and marketed globally by Toyota from 1984 until 2007 over three generations: W10 (1984–1989), W20 (1989–1999) and W30 (2000–20 ...
and the externals of the car were modeled on its of McQueen as much as possible. This include their number change from their original No.101 to McQueen's #95. They won in Race 3 that season.
As of 2011, the Cars franchise has grossed over $10 billion in merchandise sales revenue.
Theme park attractions
Cars Land
Cars Land is a 12-acre land located at Disney California Adventure
Disney California Adventure Park, commonly referred to as California Adventure or by its acronym DCA, is a theme park located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Park ...
[ which contains an entire full-sized recreation of the town of Radiator Springs from the ''Cars'' franchise. The land includes restaurants, shops, and three rides: Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, ]Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters
Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters is a trackless dancing cars ride located in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. The attraction, which opened on March 7, 2016, features Luigi, the Italian roadster who runs the Casa Della Tires shop in Radiato ...
, and Radiator Springs Racers
Radiator Springs Racers is slot car ride in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. The attraction features a third-generation version of transport technology originally developed for the Test Track attraction at Epcot in Walt Disney World. Ra ...
, the main "E-Ticket" attraction which is one of the most expensive rides Disney has ever built at a cost of over $200 million. Radiator Springs Racers lets guests race against each other around Ornament Valley while encountering several ''Cars'' characters. Cars Land opened on June 15, 2012, with the completion of Disney California Adventure's expansion along with Buena Vista Street
Buena Vista Street (formerly known as Sunshine Plaza) is a themed "land" at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort. Though named for the real-life Burbank thoroughfare that the Walt Disney Studios sits on, the central plaza repres ...
.
Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters opened on March 7, 2016, and replaced Luigi's Flying Tires
Luigi's Flying Tires was an amusement ride in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, At the Disneyland Resort In Anaheim, California. Guests rode on tire-shaped bumper car vehicles that floated on a cushion of air, similar to an air hockey game ...
, an original Cars Land ride which closed in February 2015 after complaints and injuries.
Cars Four Wheels Rally
Cars Four Wheels Rally (French: Cars Quatre Roues Rallye) is an attraction in Toon Studio
Toon Studio is a land at Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, France.
The land, formerly known as Animation Courtyard, received a revamp in 2007 to features a more colourful and "immersive," theming. In August of 2021, much of the lan ...
at Walt Disney Studios Park
Walt Disney Studios Park (French: ''Parc Walt Disney Studios'') is the second of two theme parks built at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France, which opened on 16 March 2002. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through i ...
at Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is an entertainment resort in Chessy, France, east of Paris. It encompasses two theme parks, resort hotels, Disney Nature Resorts, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, and a golf course. Disneyland Park is the origin ...
in 2007. The ride opened one year after ''Cars'' showed its first screening on June 9, 2007. The attraction's setting is car service station in the small town of Radiator Springs located in the desert.[ The attraction is surrounded by boulders which imitates the rocky formations of the ]Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...
. The ride system is a highly themed Zamperla Demolition Derby.
Riders begin the attraction by sitting down in one of the generic car-shaped vehicles. The vehicles are located on one of the four spinning plateaus. The attraction's layout is similar to "Francis' Ladybug Boogie" attraction at Disney California Adventure
Disney California Adventure Park, commonly referred to as California Adventure or by its acronym DCA, is a theme park located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Park ...
and the "Whirlpool" at Tokyo DisneySea
is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, just next to Tokyo. It opened on 4 September 2001, at a cost of 335 billion yen. The Oriental Land Company owns the park, and licenses intellectual proper ...
, as the vehicles automatically change from one spinning plateau to the next. The vehicles change plateaus while carrying out the rotation inversion of eight separate vehicles. Cars Race Rally was the first operating Disney ride themed to the ''Cars'' franchise.
Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy
Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy is a living character show attraction hosted by Lightning McQueen
Montgomery "Lightning" McQueen is a fictional anthropomorphic stock car who is the protagonist of the animated Pixar franchise ''Cars'', primarily voiced by actor Owen Wilson. His appearances include the feature films ''Cars'', ''Cars 2'', and ''C ...
located in Sunset Boulevard in Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Based on a concept by Ma ...
that opened on March 31, 2019. Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy is the first of many new attractions coming to Hollywood Studios, part of its shift from studio-like attractions to attractions featuring Disney properties such as ''Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'', Pixar, and Marvel.
Much like the existing Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor in Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The W ...
's Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland is one of the many themed lands featured at all of the Magic Kingdom styled Disney theme parks around the world owned or licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Each version of the land is different and features numerous attractions t ...
, Turtle Talk with Crush
Turtle Talk with Crush is an interactive talk show type attraction that has appeared at several of the Disney theme parks. It first opened on November 16, 2004 at The Living Seas pavilion (later renamed The Seas with Nemo & Friends) at Epcot and ...
in several Disney parks (including Epcot
Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Inspired by an unreal ...
), and Stitch Encounter in the non-American Disney parks, Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy lets guests interact with the character. The other attractions have actors voice the characters, which are manipulated via digital puppetry — the manipulation of digital animated figures in real time.
While the other cars of the ''Cars'' films — Mater, Sally Carrera, and Cruz Ramirez, for instance — appear on screens during the show, Lightning appears in physical car form.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Portal bar, United States, Film, Television, Disney, Cartoon, Comics, Video games
Film franchises introduced in 2006
Animated film series
Pixar franchises
Fictional vehicles
Computer-animated films
Comedy film franchises
Children's film series