CARS is pulling back into Radiator Springs for one more lap, with Pixar’s animated racing movie returning to theaters nationwide starting Sept. 4 to mark its 20th anniversary.
“20 years ago today, a stop in Radiator Springs showed us that the journey matters as much as the finish line,” Pixar wrote in an anniversary announcement, marking two decades since CARS first raced into theaters on June 9, 2006.
Director John Lasseter’s story of a hotshot rookie race car stranded in a forgotten Route 66 town went on to earn $462 million worldwide against a $120 million budget, according to CBR, with roughly $244 million of that coming from domestic ticket sales. Two decades later, Radiator Springs’ cast of misfit vehicles remains one of Pixar’s most beloved ensembles, having already spawned two sequels and a small theme park empire.
AMC Theatres, Regal, and Cinemark have all listed showtimes for the G-rated re-release, which runs one hour and 57 minutes. Owen Wilson returns as the voice of Lightning McQueen, joined by Bonnie Hunt as Sally Carrera, Larry the Cable Guy as Tow Mater and the late Paul Newman as the gruff mentor Doc Hudson, in one of his final movie roles.
The theatrical run isn’t the only new stop for Lightning McQueen. Pixar and Disney+ are developing CARS: LIGHTNING RACERS, a series set to premiere in 2027.
“CARS: LIGHTNING RACERS follows Lightning McQueen as he gears up for all-new adventures in Radiator Springs alongside his hilarious best friend Mater and new friends thrill-seeking drag car Pipes and mud-loving monster truck Miles,” the show’s synopsis reads.
Route 66 historian and author Michael Wallis, who voiced the town’s Sheriff in the original movie, is expected to reprise the role, Route 66 News reported. Pixar has also produced a companion YouTube series revisiting the real Route 66 towns that inspired Radiator Springs, the same stretch of highway that saw a genuine tourism bump after CARS first hit theaters in 2006.
Disney has leaned into that legacy for two decades now, building Cars Land and its Radiator Springs Racers attraction at Disney California Adventure and developing a new Piston Peak National Park area for Magic Kingdom, Attractions Magazine noted.
Movieguide® gave CARS four stars when it first hit theaters, calling it “Pixar working near its best” and praising its “gorgeous animation with real depth of feeling.”
That review noted something worth remembering two decades later: Lightning McQueen’s arc echoes Matthew 16:25, since the hotshot racer only discovers who he really is once he slows down, sets aside his ambition, and starts caring about somebody besides himself. The content concerns remain minor, just two mild exclamations, “O, Lord” and “My God,” along with some cartoon fender-benders and crashes, which is part of why the original review called CARS “worth the trip” for families of nearly any age.
Tickets for the Sept. 4 re-release are expected to go on sale in the coming weeks. Families looking for a low-stakes excuse for a movie night together will have one, and a new generation gets the chance to meet Lightning McQueen on the big screen before he returns to Radiator Springs on Disney+ in 2027.
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