OK, OK, I’m sorry but how is my heart supposed to handle this new Cars 3 teaser? Is this what 2016 has done to us all? What sort of world are we living in that our first glimpse of a new Pixar film begins with a tragic car accident featuring our beloved Lightning McQueen?! 2016 has been tough enough, Disney and Pixar, why are you doing this to us?! What is this Zack Snyderification of our happy-go-lucky car-centric film?
Are we overreacting? Possibly! (Also, have you met us?) Could it be that this is simply a visual red herring? Of course. If you had told this particular writer that there would be what looks to be a dark and gritty third Cars film coming for us in 2017, though, she wouldn’t have believed you. Because Disney! And Pixar! And family-fun films! But I suppose this year has wrenched the purejoy from all of us, so here we are.
So what do we know about this new iteration of Cars? Other than the creators saying it will “fine-tune” the emotional through-line of the series itself, it will also introduce Cruz Ramirez, the young female (Hispanic!) foil to Lightning McQueen’s now-seasoned young race car. Will she renew his competitive spirit? Probably, because what’s a movie about a down-on-his-luck boy if there isn’t a plucky young lady to inspire him to do more, amirite?
The official synopsis from the company reads thusly:
Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez, with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isnât through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racingâs biggest stage!
Cars 3 will hit theaters on June 16, 2017. Are you looking forward to it? Let us know in the comments below.
Images: Disney Pixar