It has now been over six years since the last Cars movie was released in theaters. Given Disney’s renewed emphasis on franchises lately, viewers may be wondering if Cars 4 is a possibility.
The Cars series takes place in a world with anthropomorphic cars and specifically focuses on Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), a rookie race car hoping to make it big in the racing world. He’s often accompanied on his adventures by Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), a buck-toothed rusty tow truck with a Southern accent and eccentric personality. The films are funny, lighthearted, and very appealing to children, especially considering that most kids go through phases of obsession with cars. Like Toy Story, it is one of Pixar’s earliest film series and grew to become one of the highest-grossing animated franchises.
Though there hasn’t been a Cars film in years, fans are still frequently reminded of the series, as McQueen remains a recognizable mascot of Disney and Pixar. Meanwhile, Toy Story has given us four films and is confirmed to be developing a fifth due to its box office success. The Cars series wasn’t as wildly successful at the box office as Toy Story, but each film did turn a profit, so a Cars 4 doesn’t seem too far out there.
Is Cars 4 happening?
Unfortunately, Disney has not confirmed that a Cars 4 is happening. In fact, the studio hasn’t even mentioned the prospects of another film in the series for years. In 2017, Cars 3 director Brian Fee and producer Kevin Reher addressed the potential of Cars 4 during an interview with CinemaBlend. Both reiterated that they were uncertain of Disney’s plans for the franchise. However, Reher didn’t entirely close the door on a fourth installment, as he suggested another film was possible if the studio found a good story. He stated:
I don’t know, there might be [Cars 4]. If there’s a good story to tell I mean our heads kinda break after having gotten this one done, like oh my god what could you do the further adventures of? But like any sequel, from Toy Story 4 to Incredibles, as long as there’s a good story to tell it’s worth investing, we do love these characters, we love them as much as the public does.
Of course, their statements came immediately after Cars 3‘s release, so it’s not surprising there weren’t any updates about the plans for Cars 4. During this time, Wilson also expressed interest in returning for another film installment and even discussed his ideas for what direction the film could go in. The most recent update, though, came from Larry the Cable Guy in 2020. In an interview with ComicBook.com, he expressed interest in returning to the franchise and pointed out that Disney pouring money into making a Cars theme park might mean it will continue investing more in the franchise.
Since 2020, there has been virtually no discussion of Cars 4. However, Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy seem open to the idea of returning. Plus, Disney isn’t opposed to making sequels if it finds it has a story. So, while Cars 4 isn’t in development now, it will likely always remain a possibility unless Disney confirms the series is over.
(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
