Cars 2 is a 2011 American 3D computer-animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is a sequel to 2006's Cars and the second film in the Cars franchise. In the film, race car Lightning McQueen and tow truck Mater head to Japan and Europe to compete in the World Grand Prix, but Mater accidentally becomes sidetracked with international espionage. In the film's ensemble voice cast, Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Tony Shalhoub, Guido Quaroni, Bonnie Hunt, and John Ratzenberger reprise their roles from the first film. Paul Newman, who voiced Doc Hudson in the previous film, died in September 2008, so his character was written out of the film, while George Carlin, who previously voiced Fillmore, died during the same year, so his role was passed to Lloyd Sherr. The returning cast is joined by Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturro, Eddie Izzard, and Thomas Kretschmann, who voice the new characters introduced in this film. It was directed by John Lasseter, written by Ben Queen, and produced by Denise Ream.
