Pixar's 'Cars 3' Gets A 'Dark Sequel' Teaser Trailer 

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Walt Disney just dropped the first teaser trailer for

this morning. That makes sense since Walt Disney’s

will be the ideal place to show off this first look at next summer’s big Pixar sequel. There are two things to note about this very brief (50-second) teaser.

First, the animation for the cars is a lot more lifelike than we saw back in the original 2006 offering, and that was pretty darn good at the time. The level of realism on display is rather stunning, to the point where I wish that this film was showing in 120fps/3D/4k at a theater near me next summer.

Second, this is yet another case of a sequel to a relatively kid-friendly offering getting what amounts to a “serious” teaser trailer. As you recall, the first teaser for

sold the film as a soaring drama about noble/heroic crop dusting planes using their skills to put out forest fires. The next trailer was a more conventional kid-friendly sell.

teaser trailer amounts to a “dark sequel” tease, with Lightning McQueen apparently suffering a grim “everything will change” accident that sets the plot in motion. It’s an effective way to get our attention (and/or traumatize the kiddies) for a new installment of (all due respect) Pixar’s least respected series.

Say what you will about Pixar’s recent run of sequels, but they are big business for the animation studio.

topped $1 billion worldwide and became the biggest animated film ever in North America with $483m domestic (just $2m below the “adjusted for inflation” total of

’s original 2003 $339m theatrical release).

earned $415m domestic and over $1 billion back in 2010 while even

earned $744m worldwide in the summer of 2013 despite inspiring little more than a “Well, that was pretty good” response.

. The critically-slammed 2011 sequel earned $191 million domestic, Pixar’s third-lowest grosser (and second-lowest when adjusted for inflation). But it also earned $562m worldwide and made many a Disney Dollar via merchandise and post-theatrical business. So the real question is whether a generation of kids and families who grew up with the

series starting over 10 years ago will make

I didn’t care for the films either, without necessarily think they were war crimes (the climax to the first

is better than the rest of the movie), but my (will be six-years-old next June) son enjoys them and enjoys the

movies. As much as we talk about Pixar making toons for adults, or at least toons that play as well to adults as to kids, there is no harm in one franchise, especially one that makes them so much money outside of theaters, playing straight to kids.

Judging by the synopsis*, I would imagine the film itself will be something of a metaphor for the franchise’s continued existence. That seems to be a common theme among some revived franchises in recent years, which makes sense as we have so many “once were special” franchises fighting it out in a landscape where their ilk are now the common currency.

. If history is our guide, both films will flourish alongside each other.

*Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez, with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!

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