Nathan Fillion And Kerry Washington Zoom Into Cars 3

Despite their status as one of the best when it comes to animation, Pixar has certainly had more than a few stumbles along the way. It’s no secret that perhaps one of their weakest efforts was Cars, which was followed up by the even worse Cars 2. As such, it’s definitely a bit surprising that the studio is moving ahead with a third instalment in the series, but given that this is Hollywood – where money talks – I suppose it makes a bit of sense.

After all, the first two outings earned a healthy profit at the box office and this June, Cars 3 will zoom into theaters hoping to do the same. The only difference is that the threequel actually looks pretty good, with recent trailers marking a significant improvement from where we last left the property. Of course, we’re not one to judge a film based solely on the previews, but things certainly seem promising so far.

Directed by Brian Fee, it appears that Cars 3 will also paint a much darker and more mature story, one where the “now-aging Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is forced to retire from racing after a devastating crash, only to eventually turn around and try to get back in the mix.” He’ll have a little help from some friends, too, as we’re learning that two big stars have boarded the Pixar effort.

Nathan Fillion and Kerry Washington have both snagged voice roles in Cars 3, with the latter playing Natalie Certain “a new member of Lightning’s team, and an apparent expert in statistical analysis.” Fillion, meanwhile, will lend his vocals to “the eye-catching and charismatic business-minded car Sterling.” They’ll join Wilson in a cast that also boasts Armie Hammer, Larry the Cable Guy, Bonnie Hunt and more.

So, a solid roster of talent then. But can Cars 3 succeed where its predecessors failed? That remains to be seen, but we definitely like how the threequel is shaping up and with any luck, Fee will be able to steer the franchise back on track.