Pixar continues bringing a variety of animated stories almost every year and is focusing on sequels again. Among them now is Cars, but this isn’t the Pixar franchise that needs a sequel. Pixar is still one of the most important studios in the world of animation, and it continues to consistently release at least one movie every year. Pixar has explored all types of fantasy worlds in its movies, such as one where toys come to life and one where monsters exist parallel to the human world, and it has also explored other cultures, as it did in Coco and Luca.
Although Pixar has mostly focused on original stories, it has also granted sequels to some of its most popular movies. Toy Story is Pixar’s biggest franchise, but there are also the worlds of Cars, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Inside Out. Although Pixar had already teased reboots and sequels for some of its franchises, it looks like the success of Inside Out 2 changed the studio’s stance on sequels as Cars is reportedly getting another movie – but that’s not the Pixar franchise that needs another movie.
Pixar Is Reportedly Making A New Cars Movie – But The Franchise Had A Good Ending
Cars 3 Was The Ending The Franchise Needed
Disney’s D23 event is now going global, and its first stop was São Paulo, Brazil, in 2024. As expected, there were some big announcements made during the event, but apparently, there was going to be one that, for some reason, wasn’t made. According to Almanaque Disney on Twitter/X (via The Hollywood Handle and MovieWeb), an official survey at the D23 website asked attendees what announced project they were most excited about, and among them was Cars 4 – however, there was no Cars 4 announcement during the event.
Lightning McQueen accepting his age, becoming a mentor, and coming to terms with the current state of his career is the ending he and
Cars
needed.
Unless this was a mistake on the D23 website and there are no plans for a new Cars movie, Disney and Pixar would most likely make an official announcement soon, as the Mouse House isn’t into leaks of this type. However, a new Cars movie is completely unnecessary – not only does it seem like there’s no real demand for it (based on reactions to the “leak” on social media), but the franchise already got a proper ending seven years ago with Cars 3, which took a darker and more serious tone.
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Cars 3 followed Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) during his struggles with age and as he faced younger, more technologically advanced cars. After being trained by Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo), Lightning and Cruz won the Florida 500. Lightning, now decked in Doc Hudson’s old racing colors, decided to continue racing while also training Cruz for the rest of the season. Lightning McQueen accepting his age, becoming a mentor, and coming to terms with the current state of his career is the ending he and Cars needed, and it’s unnecessary to undo it with another movie.
Pixar Should Give Monsters, Inc. A New Chance On The Big Screen
Monsters, Inc. Only Got A Prequel On The Big Screen
Cars doesn’t need another sequel, but the Monsters, Inc. franchise does. In 2001, Pixar brought Monsters, Inc., directed by Pete Docter. Monsters, Inc. took the audience to a world inhabited by monsters, specifically to the city of Monstropolis. In it, the screams of human children are used for energy, and the top “scarer” at Monsters, Incorporated is James P. “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman), aided by his best friend and assistant, Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal). In this world, humans are believed to be toxic, so when three-year-old Boo sneaks into it, she unleashes chaos while forming a very sweet bond with Sulley.
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Recent comments from Pixar CCO Pete Docter suggest that a Monsters, Inc. sequel is possible, which is exciting, given how the first movie ended.
Monsters, Inc. was a critical and commercial success, and though a sequel titled Monsters, Inc. 2: Lost In Scaradise was planned, it never happened and, instead, a prequel was released in 2013. Titled Monsters University, the movie told the story of how Sulley and Mike met in college, as well as the preparation they went through for a series of competitive scare-oriented events. The Monsters, Inc. franchise continues living thanks to the TV series Monsters at Work, and though Sulley and Mike appear in it, they deserve a second chance on the big screen.
Details about Monsters, Inc. 2: Lost In Scaradise have been revealed over the years, including its darker tone and heartbreaking ending. While that version of the sequel would have been sad and potentially controversial, Monsters, Inc. still deserves a proper continuation of Sulley and Mike’s adventures now as leads at the company, and a story that takes them beyond the walls of Monsters, Incorporated, just like the first movie did.
Other Pixar Franchises Are Also Getting Sequels & Reboots
Pixar Has Big Plans For Some Of Its Franchises
At the time of writing, the only Pixar sequel in active development is Toy Story 5, but, as mentioned above, other franchises were teased to get sequels and/or reboots in the near future. In May 2023, Pixar president Jim Morris revealed in an interview with Bloomberg that Pixar was being considered for a reboot, with the franchises of Finding Nemo and The Incredibles being the main candidates for new projects. This could either mean a fresh start for these worlds or new sequels, but it’s still unknown what exactly is next for them.
Pixar has an extensive catalog with a variety of stories and characters to choose from for sequels and reboots, and though it’s understandable to an extent that Finding Nemo and The Incredibles are being considered, it doesn’t make much sense that Cars could be the one getting another sequel.
Sources: Almanaque Disney, Bloomberg.