Stare into the abyss and soak in the realization that Cars, Disney and Pixar’s franchise-spawning and narratively confusing animated juggernaut, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. After its release in 2006, it was followed by two sequels as well as a spin-off, Planes, which got its own sequel. There have also been multiple TV series, video games, and a significant Cars presence at Disney’s theme parks.
Somehow, the increasingly sequel-obsessed Pixar hasn’t announced a Cars 4 yet, but if you cast a glance at the success of Toy Story 5, you have to assume someone over there is talking about the possibility. In the meantime, the original Cars is making a victory lap back to theaters in honor of Lightning McQueen Day, which is September 5—9/5, the race car’s signature number.
“Cars introduces Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, who discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs and meets the town’s offbeat characters, including Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman), Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy), and Sally (voiced by Bonnie Hunt),” reads the film’s official synopsis.
Cars marked one of the final film roles for Hollywood legend and noted racing aficionado Newman, who passed away in 2008. It was the sixth-highest-grossing release of 2006, behind Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Da Vinci Code, Ice Age: Meltdown, Casino Royale, and Night at the Museum, some of which have perhaps not stood the test of time as well as Cars, despite who directed it.
You can get advanced tickets for the Cars 20th anniversary screenings, which kick off September 4, at this link.
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