While Cars 3 has been teased as the final film of the Cars franchise, it seems like Lightning McQueen’s adventures aren’t quite over yet… or at least, we’ll be seeing a new version of them.

Today, Pixar announced that Cars will be returning to theaters after Cars 3, but in live-action this time. It seems that they’ve decided to follow Disney’s live-action adaptations trend, and Cars is the first classic that they’ll be adapting.

“Cars has always been a story that’s universal,” a Pixar spokesperson said. “We think it’s time to bring the story of friendship and courage to screen again, and maybe expand it a little.”

It’s no surprise that Pixar picked Cars after the franchise has been such a smashing success, gaining a passionate fandom and a series of sequels. However, the nature of Cars as a live-action film raises questions.

A great concern is how Route 66 will be depicted, with the reappearance of the much-loved Radiator Springs. It was easy to re-create the real Route 66 in animation, and to cause damage as was necessary in the animated film — especially in the scene where Lightning McQueen destroys everything — but will they have to use a green screen in this case? It would be amazing to get to see the real Route 66, with its beautiful views and meaningful history, but if that isn’t possible then we may be seeing more CGI than we hoped.

Another concern is the safety of the actors during the racing scenes. Real actors in such a situation might find racing hard to do without injuring themselves, especially since they’re required to crash into each other at such high speeds.

We expect we’ll learn more about the technology Pixar intends to use for Radiator Springs and the races as more information comes out. With more realistic settings, and real actors instead of animated cars, the story promises to be a great experience, as we’re taken back to the story that stole our hearts.

Pixar explained that the remake is expected to go beyond the story that we already know, focusing more on the role that racing has on the environment, and how that impacted Route 66. After all, Lightning McQueen has always represented the metropolitan life of the city, in contrast to the quiet and hardworking inhabitants of Radiator Springs.

“We think it’s important to bring this message to our audience: that just like Route 66, our planet will end up a sad and lonely place if we don’t take action when it comes to the environment. We’ve had this idea in mind for a long time — if you look closely at the original movie, there are a lot of references towards the dangers of pollution and the importance of sustainable energy. There’ll be a lot more of that in the new Cars.”

Car racing and pollution have always been two subjects that are dangerously entwined, with NASCAR notoriously not adhering to the EPA’s guidelines when it comes to emissions. This has always been one of the greatest criticisms of Cars: do the movies blatantly ignore the environmental issues surrounding Lightning McQueen’s career?

It’s good to know that Pixar is using its voice to speak up for an environmental cause, especially today, when environmental issues are being so blatantly swept under the rug.

It’s undeniable that a live-action Cars has potential. The universe is rich enough to span a series of films far beyond the animated sequels. Perhaps there are plans to do a crossover with Pixar’s other film in the same universe, Planes. Maybe there’s space for an MCU-like series of movies? We’ll have to wait to hear more.

In the meantime, fans have begun theorizing about what actors could play the much-loved characters of Lightning McQueen and Mater. Casting calls are expected to start within a few months.

Are you excited about the new Cars movie?

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