After opening in 2006 and earning $461 million dollars worldwide, CARS became a certified smash hit. Can Disney and Pixar follow it up with an even better sequel when CARS 2 opens in theatres tomorrow?
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
That question must have been on John Lasseter’s mind when he took on directing duties for CARS 2. The Oscar-winning director and creative head for all of Disney and Pixar’s movies said in a recent interview that “at Pixar, [they] will only do a sequel if [they] have a great story idea… different than the original.” So, just how different is CARS 2 from the first movie?
GLOBETROTTERS
This time around, CARS 2 will take buddies Lightning McQueen and Mater the Tow Truck outside of the charming town of Radiator Springs for a grand trip around the world. In the movie, we’ll get to see such exotic places as Tokyo, Paris, a fictional Italian town named Porto Corso and London. Lightning McQueen, with Mater tagging along, will race against the world’s fastest cars in the first-ever World Grand Prix!
FAST FACTS
– Siddeley, voiced by Jason Isaacs, has a British secret service emblem with the Latin inscription, “Honor Courage Horsepower.”
– Lightening McQueen was named in memory of Glenn McQueen, a Pixar animator who worked on the first CARS.
– McQueen’s “Lightyear” tires are a nod to Buzz Lightyear.
– Lightning McQueen’s number, 95, is a reference to 1995, the year TOY STORY was released.
– The movie’s character team built 145 new character models and 781 variants, which were mostly used as background cars.The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris gets CAR-ified with 24 “car-goyle” statues and flying buttresses in the shape of exhaust pipes.
– The Porto Corsa Marina resembles an automobile wheel.
– London’s clock tower landmark, Big Ben, is called Big Bentley in the movie.
NEW WHEELS
While Lightning McQueen and Mater are exploring new settings, they’re also meeting a bunch of new characters. Of the 926 new cars, here are just a few:
FINN MCMISSILE
– Voiced by Michael Caine, Finn is a seasoned secret agent from British Intelligence. His character was originally in CARS as the star of a spy film that Lightning McQueen and Sally watch on a date, but that scene was cut.
HOLLEY SHIFTWELL
Voiced by Emily Mortimer, Holley is a British agent just out of the secret agent academy. Her secret weapon? A pair of retractable wings that allow her to fly!
UNCLE TOPOLINO
Luigi’s uncle, who inspired Luigi and Guido to open their own tire shop in Radiator Springs, lives in Porto Corso and quickly becomes a friend to Lightning McQueen.
FRANCESCO BERNOULLI
This Italian racecar may be Lightning McQueen’s stiffest competition yet! He is the most famous racecar in Europe, but he also has a huge ego.
CARLA VELOSO
Hailing from Brazil, Carla is one of the tough competitors that Lightning McQueen meets at the World Grand Prix.
RAOUL ÇAROULE
Another participant in the World Grand Prix, Raoul used to be in the French circus and shows off these skills on the racetrack.
SHU TODOROKI
This Japanese racecar has a fiery personality that comes from his upbringing at the base of a volcano and is reflected in his red dragon car design.