Amped Up: Another Spot for 'Cars 3' Surfaces

If the teaser, the US poster, and the extended version of the teaser didn't already spell it out... Pixar is apparently really sorry about the direction they went for Cars 2...

This new preview of the film, dubbed an "extended look" (though I'm sure it'll unravel in theaters, because that extended teaser shown during the National Championship is currently playing before Lego Batman and was spinning before a few other movies), is no different from its predecessors.


Again... No Mater, no humor whatsoever, just racing, racing, racing. The tone is pulse-pounding and intense, it's emphasizing the heck out of the fact that it's not going to be anything like Cars 2. It's almost like a loud apology... I think they get it. Heck, I'd laugh out loud if halfway through the finished movie, Lightning tells Mater, "Mater, we've been through this. That spy stuff was all just a dream!"

I'm not sure if this kind of marketing will really work in the film's favor or not, but I like the way they're presenting it... Now a little more dialogue and some story in the next full trailer, that would be cool.

Anyways, they finally hint at the late Doc Hudson's role in the film, though the trailers are seriously lacking new face Cruz Ramirez. The trailer also confirms that the crash takes place at night, which I already knew because I saw the leaked clip from the presentation at the International Auto Show in Detroit. Oh, and finally... The film's logo and not, ya know, "Summer 2017" on top of the film's signature hood ornament.

Yes, it looks good. The sequel we should've gotten, and I say that as someone that didn't mind Cars 2's silly spy stuff.

What say you?

February Bits: 'Cars 3' Cast Info, 'Spark' Gets Title Change, Chris McKay Lands 'Nightwing' Movie

A few little tidbits came about...

If what has been said about Cars 3 for the past two years hasn't driven home the fact that it's going to be like the first film in that series, then this announcement sure will. In addition to The King returning to the series, with the actual King - Richard Petty - voicing him, a host of other race car drivers will voice car versions of themselves in the film.

One of which is former NASCAR driver and the King's son, Kyle Petty. He'll voice Cal Weathers in the film, since Richard's car equivalent was named Strip Weathers. If only he was named Richard in the movie, with the son being Kyle... Then that would make Cars 3 the first Pixar film with a Kyle in it! So close!

Other racers, some of which are veterans, include Daniel Suarez, Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, and Ray Evernham. Jeff Gordon, who did a voice cameo in Cars 2, is back as well. What about Lewis Hamilton? Sportscasters Shannon Spake and Mike Joy will star as well, returning faces include Howard "Humpy" Wheeler and Darrell Waltrip.

No different from the first one, really. The first one featured the voices of Mario Andretti, Michael Schumacher, Dale Earnhardt Jr., among other sportscasters and noted car enthusiasts.

Also, a new image...

Very, very nice.

Say it ain't so, the director of The Lego Batman Movie is looking to direct one of the DC Extended Universe movies, and a Gotham-based one no less... A Nightwing movie.

Yes, that's right, Chris McKay is set to direct a planned Nightwing movie for Warner Bros./DC. Maybe it'll actually happen, but given the way WB is and has been mishandling DC's cinematic output, I have my reservations. That means I'll be surprised if Matt Reeves ends up actually directing The Batman.

For those who are not in the know, Nightwing was Robin... In the comics, Dick Grayson ditched the Robin name and persona for Nightwing in the 1980s. Grayson/Robin is a major player in The Lego Batman Movie, so it all lines up quite nicely. This will be, if it happens, McKay's second live-action film. His first was a 2002 picture called 2wks, 1yr.

You guys know of Spark, right?

That space monkey movie that was made by ToonBox, the Nut Job creators? Completed a little over a year ago, the film was screened at a Toronto-based film festival back in April. Months later, Open Road Films got the distribution rights and announced that they would be releasing it this coming April... But no trailer has shown up, or an official poster (only the ones made for buyers/festivals), though we have a trailer for Open Road/ToonBox's The Nut Job 2, which was always set to open after this film. That comes out in August...

Where's all the marketing for this movie? Will it be pushed back? I have no idea, but...

Fandango's website has what looks like a new poster for the film... It looks like its title has been altered. It's now called Spark: A Space Tail. It appears that a spring release for the feature is still not out of the question.

Yeah, I think it's a dumb addition, but it could be just another tagline. Fandango, however, lists the movie as Spark: A Space Tail. Hopefully the movie itself is a bit of alright. I like the premise (space + animation + animals = count me in!), I just hope the writing stacks up. We don't want another Space Chimps with this movie, you know?

Update (2/25/2017): Spark: A Space Tail's trailer is set to debut in a week, according to the film's twitter page. I guess Open Road never saw much in this one... 

What say you on all of this?

Burning Rubber: Extended Sneak Peak for 'Cars 3' Debuts

Aired during the National Championship as expected, a new look at Pixar's next is now online...

Instead of being a proper full trailer, this is more an extended version of the teaser that debuted back in November. The very teaser that got folk talking! The first half is the whole teaser, the rest is all-new stuff.


No silly country bumpkin hijinks with Mater to be found here, no spots of humor, really. The trailer focuses entirely on McQueen and his millennial competition. We get a little peak at Cruz Ramirez, but the trailer shows off the antagonistic Jackson Storm. The trailer also confirms that this will be very different from its predecessors, and as a trailer, it has an overall intense and dramatic tone.

I want to point out that the nighttime crash that you see quickly in the second half of this is going to be the one in the finished film. The crash scene in the teaser? It's in the movie, but they re-lit it and made it look like it was set during the day. How do I know? Someone leaked the actual clip from the movie, which was only shown to those who attended the presentation at the International Auto Show in Detroit. The same shots and everything, but at nighttime. It was much more colorful, too... Almost as if the marketing people were jabbing at Hollywood's love for desaturated, grayed out, "gritty" movies.

That's the last thing most folk would associate with Lightning McQueen and pals. It's genius, really. The film will probably open higher than I expected it to at one, because of this. Long shunted aside as the "kiddier" Pixar series, the marketing is really making an effort to get adults interested. While the film itself looks more vibrant than the teaser, it still isn't as popping as the first two installments in the series. They've gone for something a little less candy-coated this time, and I think it'll work.

Anyways, I've been sold on it since the day they said it would be much like the first Cars. This new extended first look/trailer? I'm impressed. What say you?

Revving Up: New 'Cars 3' Cast and Character Details Revealed

Since it's getting a new trailer on the 9th, Pixar released some stuff from their next...

A new look at Cars 3 has been posted by Entertainment Weekly, indicating that the marketing for this film will definitely follow the route the ad campaign for the first Cars followed. Cars 2's marketing aligned with its far-removed-from-car-culture plot, but since Cars 3 is returning to what made the first film special, it makes sense that the promos will cater to gearheads.

We now have close-ups and more information on the two new characters: Main rival Jackson Storm and trainer Cruz Ramirez.


Jackson Storm will be voiced by Armie Hammer, which is definitely an unexpected choice but one I'm oddly very satisfied with. Not only will he be arrogant like McQueen was in the first film, he will also have this idea that racecars like McQueen are old-timers, and that they should be outmoded. Unlike Chick Hicks, who was really a frustrated vet longing to finally beat a legendary all-time champion in a race, this guy seems like he's got a real plan or two.

Cruz Ramirez is around the same age, but unlike Jackson, she respects the more seasoned types. It was previously reported that Cruz will be Lightning's trainer of sorts, and it's been revealed that she is also a long-time fan of McQueen.


Voiced by Cristela Alonzo, I'm a bit surprised by her design. I thought the supercar in the concept art from last year was going to be her...

... but I guess they decided on a new design. Either that, or the concept artwork is from a few years ago. I mean, I doubt that's Jackson in the artwork, why would Lightning be racing with him on the beach? That all being said, I prefer the new design. Looks luxurious yet powerful.

Anyways, it's great to see them giving the series a new and prominent female lead, and a Hispanic one at that. In addition to these new reveals, we have also gotten a better look at the current Lighting McQueen... You know, in pristine condition.


Less stickers... Interesting move to say the least.

Director Brian Fee, first-timer at Pixar said "Where the franchise goes from here, I have no idea what may be down the road, but I can tell you that for Lightning McQueen, as a character, I think by the end of the movie it’s safe to say that this is only the beginning for him."

Not surprising, as we live in a world where Toy Story 4 exists. I didn't think Cars 3 would be an ending to McQueen's story or anything, because he's very much a side character in Cars 2. Not like they have a master story to cap off, plus Cars is the very Pixar film that spawns billions and billions of dollars of merchandise. I think that they aren't ending it there.

Anyways, if you're new here, I've been anticipating Cars 3 since the day someone said something about the story. I love the first film, and this threequel looks to be more like it than the messy second film. I'm in.

What say you?

Poster Rush: 'Cars 3' Teaser Posters Unveiled

Unusually arriving a little after the release of the teaser, the Cars 3 posters are here!

Both are, for the most part, not unusual for Pixar teaser posters. Minimal, not needing much, just a few images and such to get the point across. The American one and the international one are both radically different...

Our poster aligns with the film's much talked about teaser. McQueen's big wreck...

The international one is the beach scene that we saw in the great concept art earlier in the year.

Both are quite nice, the first is rather striking for some. For many who aren't all that fond of the Cars series, the rather gritty mood of the teaser and the US poster could be off-putting, almost laughable in a way. Others who are accustomed to Cars' lighter side have been surprised as well.

For me, I see the wreck itself as being no different from what Doc Hudson or The King went through. I'm seeing all this talk, all this "McQueen died!" talk, and I can only scratch my head. The Cars series may be lightweight compared to some other Pixar heavies out there, but for me the series didn't hold back on some rough stuff. Races can be dangerous, and death is a thing in the world of cars. Several autos are blown up or killed in Cars 2, Cars climaxes with the King getting in a very bad crash. The first Cars nearly had a sequence where McQueen ends up in a graveyard of broken cars after getting separated from Mack, and of course Stanley has been long dead.

As for the wreck, McQueen is essentially following in the tire tracks of Doc Hudson, and having him wreck makes sense for this kind of a story. We were told back in June that Cars 3 will have a lot of focus on the deceased Hudson Hornet. I can understand how the tone itself has shocked some folk, but you see... Disney marketing did their job! They got people talking! "A gritty Cars movie? What the heck?!" It's still buzz. I have a feeling the first full trailer for this thing will be the typical "gags-story-gags-story" ping-ponging.

The international poster eschews the grit, and focuses on vibrant colors and pretty scenery. No wreckage, no greyed out racetracks, just a pretty, sunny beach and a really cool shot of McQueen kicking up water. It's very nice to look at, and in a way it's not much different from some other Cars-related promo materials. One of the earlier posters for the first Cars was very minimal as well, it was Lightning covered in a tarp, and you could only see some of his smile.

Anyways, both are very cool. The US one doesn't show the film's proper logo, Disney has been doing this with posters and teasers these days. The teaser for Pirates of the Caribbean: Insert Super-Long Subtitle Here ends with the Pirates skull, but no logo. The poster itself doesn't have the logo, either. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2? That teaser just ends with "Coming Soon", but the poster shows the logo. I wonder if Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok's marketing will be similar.

What say you?

Big Vroom!: 'Cars 3' Teaser Goes an Unexpected Route

After quite a wait, the teaser trailer for Pixar's next is finally here!

For a while, we've heard that Cars 3 was not going to go the route of its maligned predecessor. It would go back to racing and the road and everything that worked about the first film. The teaser confirms that racing is indeed the main focus, and we get some glimpses of new characters of like Jackson Storm, the new sort-of antagonist of the picture.


Just look at it... The muted colors, the rather dramatic tone, the ending. This is far away from most Pixar teasers, this puts it more in line with Brave's humorless teaser. Pixar teasers are normally fun little skits with a few jokes here and there, these two are real anomalies, as is the teaser for The Good Dinosaur, which was a set-up of the premise followed a dialogue-less montage of scenes from the movie. I love this, it's to the point, and it establishes nicely in 50 seconds what it will be about: Lightning McQueen might not be to able stack up against all the new competitors in the field...

As I've said before, I love the first Cars, I don't mind the second one, and I'm looking forward to this third installment because of what's been said about it over the last few months. Now that the teaser is out, I'm in!

What say you?