Ka-Chow! Pixar’s ‘Cars’ Is Racing Back to Theaters for Its 20th Anniversary
Image: PIXAR
Twenty years later, Lightning McQueen is still living life in the fast lane.
Start your engines, because Lightning McQueen is heading back to the big screen! Pixar’s Cars is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a theatrical re-release this September, giving fans another chance to take a nostalgic road trip to Radiator Springs.
The animated classic is heading back to theaters Sept. 3, 2026 just in time for Lightning McQueen Day (9/5), a nod to the rookie racer’s #95!
Life Is a Highway — Back to the Big Screen
Image: PIXAR
If it’s been a minute since you cruised down Route 66 with Lightning, Mater, Sally and the rest of the Radiator Springs crew, Cars follows hotshot rookie race car Lightning McQueen as he finds himself stranded in the sleepy desert town after taking an unexpected detour. What starts as a pit stop turns into a life lesson as Lightning discovers that winning isn’t everything — and that sometimes the most important part of the journey is the people you meet along the way.
Honestly? Twenty years later, that message still hits.
Lightning McQueen is voiced by Owen Wilson, with Paul Newman as Doc Hudson, Larry the Cable Guy as Mater and Bonnie Hunt as Sally. John Lasseter directed the film, which was produced by Darla K. Anderson and features an original score by Randy Newman.
The movie went on to become one of Pixar’s most beloved films, winning the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature in 2007 and earning two Oscar nominations, including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Our Town.”
A 20th Anniversary Worth the Detour
Images: Fashion and Fandom
The theatrical re-release is part of a year-long celebration of the film, with special screenings planned at locations including the Tee-Pee Drive-In and Tulsa Circle Cinema.
The anniversary will also bring Cars into the world of real-life racing, with a life-size Lightning McQueen and a Cars-wrapped Mercedes safety car appearing at the Formula 1 Gran Premio D’Italia at Monza in September. The celebration will continue with an activation at the Daytona 500 in February.
There will also be life-size Cars exhibits at automotive museums including the Beaulieu National Motor Museum in England, the National Automobile Museum in Italy, and the Petersen Automotive Museum and National Automobile Museum in the U.S.
But for fans, the best way to celebrate might be the simplest: grab some popcorn, settle into a theater seat and take a trip back to Radiator Springs. Head over to Fandango.com to check where the anniversary screenings near you will be.
It’s been 20 years since Lightning McQueen first rolled onto the big screen, but some roads are always worth traveling again.
Ka-chow!
