For the Pixar animated feature Cars 3, Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is back, but the racing scene isn’t the same anymore and he’s realizing that he’s just not the rookie that he used to be. Blindsided by a new generation of ultra-fast racers, including its biggest star Jackson Storm (voiced by Armie Hammer), who has speed that he can’t compete with but no heart for the sport, McQueen realizes that he had to find new ways to adapt, which he hopes he can do with the help of trainer Cruz Ramirez (voiced by Cristela Alonzo), or he’ll be pushed out of the sport he loves for good.

At the film’s press day, held at the Anaheim Convention Center prior to the star-studded premiere and party at Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, co-stars Owen Wilson (“Lightning McQueen”), Cristela Alonzo (“Cruz Ramirez”), Armie Hammer (“Jackson Storm”), Larry the Cable Guy (“Mater”), Nathan Fillion (“Sterling”), Kerry Washington (“Natalie Certain”), Lea DeLaria (“Miss Fritter”) and Isiah Whitlock Jr. (“River Scott”) were joined by director Brian Fee and producer Kevin Reher to talk about all things Cars, why the films have resonated with movie-goers for over a decade now, the film’s themes, mentors, fun little personal nods, and so much more. From everything that we learned, we’ve compiled a list of 17 things that you should know about Cars 3.

  • cars-3-poster
    Director Brian Fee, who worked as a storyboard artist on Cars and Cars 2, thinks the films have resonated with movie-goers for over a decade now because of the appeal and realism of the characters. “I think people relate to the characters,” said Fee. “When you walk away from a movie, if it meant anything to you and you cared at all, it was probably because of the characters and the lives they were going through, and you can see a little bit of yourself and people you know in them. The characters of the Cars franchise has a lot of that to offer.”
  • The film’s antagonist, Jackson Storm (voiced by Armie Hammer), is part of a class of racers called the Next Gen. They’re faster, smarter and better looking than the previous generation of racers, but there’s not the same heart, spirit and love in the sport of racing. That’s the difference between Lightning McQueen and Jackson Storm.
  • Cruz Ramirez (voiced by Cristela Alonzo) is very good at being a trainer and at coaching racers to be the best that they can be, but she still has doubts about herself and her own skills, which is something that can be very relatable for both girls and boys.
  • The friendship and bond between Lightning and Cruz is so important to the story and the success of the two characters in it. Everyone can fail or fall a bit short, but when you’re part of a community, they can help pick you back up and set you back on the track of achieving your dream. And we can all learn something from each other.
  • Larry the Cable Guy thinks that so many people love his character Mater because he’s dependable, lovable and sweet. Said Larry, “He may not be the smartest fork in the knife drawer, but he’s a faithful guy, and that’s what everybody would love to have as their neighbor.”
  • cars-3-movie-image-4
    Image via Disney-Pixar
    Kerry Washington (who voices statistical analyst Natalie Certain) loves the fact that there are female characters in the film that are brave, smart and teachable. They have extraordinary talent and intellect, but are also humble enough to learn the lessons they have to learn to step into their greatness, by the end of the film.
  • Mentorship is such an important part of the story of Cars 3, and the voice actors have had their own mentors in life. For Wilson, it was his parents and Jim Brooks, who brought him out to Los Angeles and gave him his big break. And in return, he’s a mentor for his own kids. For Alonzo, her biggest influences were her mom, who was an immigrant from Mexico, and her drama teachers in school. For Hammer, every time he works, he feels like he has a new mentor for that period of time that he can learn something from. For Washington, it’s Shonda Rhimes, her boss on the ABC TV series Scandal. She really looks up to her, as a leader, a mom and a citizen of the world.
  • Cars 3 can resonate with all ages, genders and races. Washington got to watch the film with her mother and her daughter, and learn about the reactions from three generations of women, watching this story of empowerment beyond gender and inclusivity for women.
  • Fee’s kids influenced the film very deeply because he wants his own daughters to never be afraid to try something because they think they’re not going to be good at it. Said Fee, “I don’t want to hear them say that certain things are for boys and certain things are for girls. As a father, I see that something I say or do has an impact on them, and if they’re better off because of a moment that we share together, that’s what life is about. That’s the best part.”
  • From experience, Alonzo personally identifies with the fact that the film explores how everyone matters and that it’s possible to have a dream and actually achieve it, no matter where you come from or what you do or don’t have.
  • cars-3-trailer-images-poster
    Image via Disney-Pixar
    A lot of people can identify with the film’s theme of feeling like an outsider and figuring out how to overcome that for you. Said Washington, “Because the film is so grounded, no matter what the specifics are for why you feel like an outsider, why you feel like other, or why you feel disenfranchised or under-represented, you can identify with Cruz. I think [this film] will resonate with all kinds of people, and what makes it so special for everybody is not that the girl beats the boy, but that they win together. I feel like that’s such an important message. It’s not just that she wins, but that they win together. There’s room for the mentor and the mentee. There’s room for the girl and the boy. There’s room for the champion and the newcomer. If we work together, there’s room for everybody at the table. I think that’s one of the most special things about the film.”
  • Doc Hudson plays a prominent role in this story, even though Paul Newman passed away in 2008. They were able to put together a voice performance because, during Cars, John Lasseter kept the microphone open and had hours of unused work that he’d done. The Newman’s Own Foundation was supportive because they knew the filmmakers were trying to be responsible to honor his performance and importance to this story.
  • The pioneers of racing are also representing in Cars 3, and it’s important to look to the past to see where the sport has developed and how it got to where it is today. The character of River Scott (voiced by Isiah Whitlock Jr.) is inspired by the late NASCAR driver Wendell Scott, who had so many obstacles in his career. He raced in the segregated South, where he did not have the sponsors or equipment, but he was able to persevere and overcome those obstacles to be successful.
  • cars-3-movie-image
    Image via Disney-Pixar
    In the recording booth, they always make sure to get the words on the page, but then they take time to play and improvise. And then, they go back and change the script to reflect that, later on.
  • “Humphrey Hop” ended up in the movie, with Mater singing it with alternate lyrics, because it’s a childhood favorite of Fee’s. He grew up watching a lot of Disney Channel as a kid, and he’s always singing the tune in his own head, so they rewrote the lyrics because he realized that, directing a movie, he could add whatever he wanted.
  • The school bus Miss Fritter has a couple of personal nods to actress Lea DeLaria, who voices the character. They used her high school on the side of the bus, and the license plate is her birthday.
  • Miss Fritter is such a fun and outrageous character that audiences will want to see more fo her. So, when the question of a possible spin-off for Miss Fritter came up, Cars 3 producer Kevin Reher said “Watch for the DVD extras.”

Cars 3 opens in theaters on June 16th.

cars-3-movie-image-1
Image via Disney-Pixar
cars-3-concept-art-2
Image via Disney-Pixar
cars-3-movie-image
Image via Disney/Pixar