Outside of marketing circles the Cars films may not be the most popular or respected of Pixar's output – the black jeep of the family, if you will – but their continued success with kids means another is on the way. Now USA Today has nabbed some early concept art for the new movie.
Cars 3, which has Brian Fee, a veteran story artist at the company directing, will catch up with Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) figuring out his place in races as he starts to age. “Think of where he’d be in his career now in real time,” Fee tells the paper. “McQueen is not an old man, but he's one of the older cars on the circuit with new rookies coming in. People start to wonder and ask when he might retire.”
To help him compete with some new rivals, including hotshot rookie Jackson Storm, McQueen turns to young race car Cruz Ramirez, who has her work cut out for her if she's to teach this old dog new tricks.
“Everyone can relate to feeling like someone is at their heels, that they might be a little outdated in something they used to be very good at, feeling an expiration date," says the director. "And knowing you need someone to help you get a second chance." Lightning will have to show his stuff at the Florida 500 in the film, and the movie will travel around America, hitting historic racing spots (or at least their Cars equivalents.) It's still being worked on, and isn't due until next year (June in the States, July here), but it will feature the return of Sally (Bonnie Hunt), Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) and Ramone (Cheech Marin). Can it win over skeptics? We'll see. For more on the movie, head to USA Today's site.