Cars 2, a sequel to the 2006 Disney animated film Cars, is expected to be released June 2011. Characters Lightning McQueen and Mater return in this installment of the series that will take them on an international adventure. It has been confirmed that Cars 2 will be directed by Brad Lewis, whose past productions include 2007's Academy Award-winning animated film Ratatouille. Disney announced in April 2008 that Cars 2 would be one of many Disney/Pixar films that will be released in Disney Digital 3-D.http://www.collider.com/2010/06/23/pirates-of-the-caribbean-4-cars-2-mars-needs-moms-imax-3d-disney/?_r=true

John Lasseter, whose credits include director of Toy Story 1 & 2, A Bug’s Life, and Cars, was brought in to help fix reported story line issues.http://www.slashfilm.com/john-lasseter-now-officially-co-directing-cars-2/ John Lasseter came up with the story for Cars 2 while traveling abroad promoting the first Cars movie.http://www.slashfilm.com/john-lasseter-now-officially-co-directing-cars-2/ The story introduces a new character, Finn McMissile, a British secret agent with an Aston Martin look. Despite speculation that a former Bond would be tapped for the voice of McMissile, the job went to Michael Caine.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216475/fullcredits

In Cars 2, Lightening McQueen and Mater travel to five countries to participate in the Race of Champions.http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=25795&_r=true The races start in Tokyo, starting at Mount Fuji and heading downtown, then move to Germany with a race through the Black Forest. Other race destinations are Italy, Paris, and London.http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=25795&_r=true However, a large portion of the movie involves a spy thriller side line involving the rusty, tow-truck Mater.http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=25795&_r=true While traveling abroad, Mater saves the life of British secret agent, Finn McMissile.http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=25795&_r=true The character of Mater is prone to exaggeration, so nobody on the racing circuit believes his tales of intrigue and danger until the action culminates in a showdown at Buckingham Palace.http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=25795&_r=true

• Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen
• Michael Keaton as Chick Hicks
• Bonnie Hunt as Sally Carrera
• John Ratzenberger as Mack
• Tony Shalhoub as Luigi
• Cheech Marin as Ramone
• Jenifer Lewis as Flo
• Larry The Cable Guy as Mater
• Guido Quaroni as Guidohttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216475/fullcredits

"Cars 2 is good, but it never feels PIXAR good. At times the movie plays like a sequel made to capitalize on the merchandise sales and goodwill of the original. The side characters are highly entertaining but this should be retitled “Mater” as there’s no connection to the original characters. The saddest thing is that this movie could have been a straight PIXAR film with people, or hell any other film and it would have been completely the same! That is probably the saddest part, that the story could have been told in any other way and it would have been just as cheap. This didn’t need to be a Cars film and the saddest thing is, it shows!"—Nanna Torhild, CC2K