We’re thrilled to share some Cars on the Road facts and insights from the series in this post.
A few weeks back, we had the chance to watch all of the Cars on the Road episodes early to prepare for a filmmaker’s presentation and Q&A session. We were able to meet with Steve Purcell (Writer/Director), Bobby Podesta (Director), Brian Fee (Director), Marc Sondheimer (Producer), and even the voice of Mater, Larry the Cable Guy (video interviews below).
The 9-episode Cars on the Road series follows Mater and Lightning McQueen as they travel East for Mater’s Sister’s Wedding. All episodes will drop on the premiere date of September 8, 2022, and are approximately 6-7 minutes long — except for the final episode, which is closer to 10 minutes.
Originally, we were hoping for it to be one long series, but after you watch them, it makes a lot of sense to break them up. This way, you can cut after each adventure and jump to the next stop along the journey without having to account for the drive time in between episodes.
As for the Radiator Springs gang, this is an adventure with Lightning and Mater. Ramone, Sarge, Fillmore, Sally, and the rest of the crew stay back home.
THEME SONG / SOUNDTRACK
The theme song is fantastic and one we never wanted to skip past. At 20 seconds long, it’s the perfect length to sing along to, and it’s so upbeat that it settles you right into the show. Nashville singer Bobby Hamrick’s voice also provides a great feel to the score with his clean and warm country tone.
CARS ON THE ROAD THEME SONG LYRICS
Hittin’ the highway, a couple of friends.
With new adventures ’round every bend.
Whether racin’ fast, or gettin’ towed.
They’re ever-together, Cars on the Road.
FUN FACT: Be sure to watch each episode through the credits, and you’ll hear a shortened version of the Cars on the Road song that matches the theme of each episode (similar to what was done on Monsters at Work).
The entire soundtrack with music by Jake Monaco is fantastic. Check out additional details from the complete soundtrack in our earlier post (links to Apple Music, Spotify, and more to listen today).
EASTER EGGS
Along with many, many references to other iconic movies (e.g., The Shining, Mad Max, etc.), and famed Disney rides (e.g., The Haunted Mansion), one item to keep a close eye on is the Pizza Planet Truck.
Bobby Podesta noted that the Pizza Planet Truck will appear in every episode. Some of them must be hard to find because we searched heavily and couldn’t find it in several episodes.
One other thing you’ll notice in the first episode, Dino Park, is a great nod to traditional stop-motion animation. The team did tricks with the frame rate and turned off motion blur for the dinosaur character to make it look like stop motion while other characters appear normal.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
The series is a blast and goes by quickly when watching – even though it’s over an hour together. The Pixar team said that their goal was to make the series entertaining from the first to the last frame. They achieved that, and there’s something for everyone.
We’re certain that the episode Trucks will be on repeat in many households. It’s a musical-style episode that lets Mater explore the nature of being a truck – all while containing a super-catchy song.
For people with younger kids, there’s only one episode that could be a bit too intense for some. The episode Lights Out plays off the Haunted Mansion and horror films and has a few moments that might frighten some. The good news is that the series wraps up with a hilariously lighthearted episode of Mater meeting his sister (which we won’t say anything about other than the fact that we loved it).
INTERVIEWS
We don’t want to reveal any spoilers too early, so come back to this post (or watch the video directly on our YouTube channel) once the series is released on September 8, 2022, as we’ll unlock our video interview (at 9:00 AM ET) with the Cars on the Road team and Larry the Cable Guy. You’ll be able to get even more insights and details from the show!
EPISODE LIST
- Dino Park (Directed by Steve Purcell)
- Lights Out (Directed by Steve Purcell)
- Salt Fever (Directed by Brian Fee)
- The Legend (Directed by Brian Fee)
- Show Time (Directed by Bobby Podesta)
- Trucks (Directed by Bobby Podesta)
- B-Movie (Directed by Brian Fee)
- Road Rumblers (Directed by Steve Purcell)
- Gettin’ Hitched (Directed by Bobby Podesta)
Once you watch the series, let us know what you think – we can’t wait to hear. We’ll be holding a Live discussion on YouTube to review shortly after, but you can always leave a comment below or chat in the Pixar Post Forum to share your thoughts.
Watch Cars on the Road on Disney+ starting September 8, 2022.
