Cars on the Road is an American computer-animated television series of shorts produced by Pixar Animation Studios for the Disney+ streaming service and based on the Cars franchise. The main cast includes Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen and Larry the Cable Guy as Mater. The series is written by Steve Purcell and produced by Marc Sondheimer. Set after the events of Cars 3 (2017), Cars on the Road follows Lightning (Wilson) and Mater (Cable Guy) as they embark on a road trip to attend the wedding of Mater's sister, while visiting various locations and characters along the way.
The short series was announced in December 2020, during Disney's Investor Day. Sondheimer says the directors worked together to maintain continuity within the series. The title was revealed in November 2021, during Pixar's special for 2021's Disney+ Day. Concepts for the episodes include stories which pay homage to films such as Mad Max (1979) and The Shining (1980). The production designer altered the lighting to further evoke Ray Harryhausen's films. Production for the series took place over 15 months. Jake Monaco provided the score for all nine episodes, who also co-wrote the series' title theme song with Bobby Podesta, with Bobby Hamrick performing the song.
Cars on the Road premiered on September 8, 2022, as part of Disney+ Day. The series received positive reviews for its vocal performance, messages, humor, role models and homage to pop culture.
Premise
Some years after the events of Cars 3 (2017), Lightning McQueen and Mater embark on a cross-country road trip around the United States to attend the wedding of Mater's sister, Mato. Along the way, they come across various locations and characters old and new.
Voice cast
Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen
Larry the Cable Guy as Mater
Quinta Brunson as Ivy
Bonnie Hunt as Sally Carrera
Jenifer Lewis as Flo
Cheech Marin as Ramone
Lloyd Sherr as Fillmore
Tony Shalhoub as Luigi
Guido Quaroni as Guido
Tania Gunadi as Lisa
Ruth Livier as Louise
Steve Purcell as Randy / Wraith Rod
Matthew Yang King as Clutch Humboldt / Wraith Rod / Crew Pitty
Kathy Holly as Speed Demon
Masa Kansome as Noriyuki
Toks Olagundoye as Margaret Motorray / Chiefess
Gabby Sanalitro as Griswold
Megan Cavanagh as Mae Pillar-Durev / Bella Cadavre
Hayden Bishop as Kay Pillar-Durev / 1st AD
Secunda Wood as Brakelight Pictures' producer
Matt Lowe as Brakelight Pictures' crew members
Zeno Robinson as Lance the Writer / Jeremy
Dave Fennoy as Town Marshall / Justice Stern
Tom Bromhead as Cap'n Long Leggy
Debra Cardona as Squat
Cristela Alonzo as Cruz Ramirez
Dana Powell as Mato
Oscar Camacho as Mateo
Red, Mack, Sheriff, Sarge and Lizzie make silent cameos in "Dino Park". Taco makes a silent cameo in "The Legend".
Episodes
Production
Development
On December 10, 2020, Pixar announced on Disney Investors Day that an animated series starring Lightning McQueen and Mater traveling the country while meeting friends, new and old, was in development and that it would be released on Disney+ in the fall of 2022. It also announced that the series is written by Steve Purcell and produced by Marc Sondheimer, with Purcell, Bobby Podesta and Cars 3 director Brian Fee directing episodes for the series. According to Sondheimer, the directors worked together to maintain continuity within the series. On November 12, 2021, it was announced that the series would be titled Cars on the Road. Production for the series took place over 15 months.
Writing
The filmmakers wanted a short-form series because they felt it was the best way to explore the concept of a road trip, while also exploring the relationship between Lightning and Mater, as the producers felt the characters lacked screentime together. Each episode features a different tone and genre. The concept for the series was suggested by Purcell as the producers brainstormed ideas, having been inspired by a childhood road trip he took with his family; he wanted to explore how Lightning and Mater react to finding themselves in different scenarios. According to Purcell, the story for each episode was decided out of a basic scenario, after which the filmmakers pitched concepts that fit within the Cars world and had not been explored before. Concepts for the episodes include stories inspired by films such as Mad Max and The Shining. For Mater's relationship with his sister, Mato, Podesta drew inspiration from his relationship with his sisters.