Pixar and Disney have been drip-feeding the names of the voice talents who will be bringing new characters to life in the Cars world for Cars 2. And, somewhat fittingly (given that the movie’s real success has been in merchandising), the companies used the New York Toy Fair as a venue to announce that Eddie Izzard and John Turturro are also adding their voice boxes to the film.
Turturro, not so shockingly, will play the snootily arrogant Francesco Bernoulli, an Italian Formula 1 car that serves as a serious rival to Owen Wilson’s Lightning McQueen.
As for Izzard, he’s voicing Miles Axelrod, an oil tycoon-turned-environmentalist who sold off his billions, converted himself to run on electricity and has set about finding alternative fuels. While we’re always happy to see Izzard get work, couldn’t they have nabbed famous electric-car enthusiast Ed Begley Jr?
The pair joins returning veterans Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Tony Shalhoub, Cheech Marin, Michael Keaton, Jenifer Lewis and newcomers Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Jason Isaacs, Thomas Kretschmann, Joe Mantegna and Peter Jacobson. With John Lasseter (who will appear as a cameo character called John Lassetires in the film after the crew surprised him) and Brad Lewis directing, Cars 2 drives on to screens on July 22.