User:Halemane/Sandbox

Development
Cars is the second Pixar film, after Toy Story, to have a sequel. John Lasseter, the director of the film, said that he conceived the sequel's story while traveling around the world promoting the first film. He said:

I kept looking out thinking, 'What would Mater do in this situation, you know?' I could imagine him driving around on the wrong side of the road in the UK, going around in big, giant traveling circles in Paris, on the autobahn in Germany, dealing with the motor scooters in Italy, trying to figure out road signs in Japan.

Cars 2 was originally scheduled for a summer 2012 release, but Pixar moved the release up by a year earlier.

In 2009, Disney registered several domain names in relation to the title World Grand Prix.

On March 2011, Jake Mandeville-Anthony, a U.K. screenwriter, sued Disney and Pixar alleging copyright infringement and breach of implied contract. In his complaint he alleged that Cars and Cars 2 are based in part on work that he had submitted early in the 1990's and he sought an injunction to stop the release of Cars 2 and requested actual or statutory damages. Pixar hasn't responded to requests for comment yet.

Replacements
Two voice actors of the original film Cars have died since its release:

George Carlin (who voiced Fillmore) died on June 22, 2008 due to heart failure. Fillmore will be returning for this film, but his voice actor has yet to be announced.

Paul Newman (who voiced Doc Hudson) died on September 26, 2008 due to cancer. John Lasseter was adamant at first that Newman would return. After Newman's death, Lasseter said they would "see how the story goes with Doc Hudson." It is now confirmed that Doc Hudson will not be returning for the film.

In addition, Joe Ranft (who voiced Red) died on August 16, 2005, ten months prior to the release of the first film, of an automobile accident. It is unknown if the character will be returning.