BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Disney Interactive Studios announced today a star-studded cast of celebrities straight from the upcoming Disney•Pixar animated film Cars 2 will lend their voices to Cars 2: The Video Game. The celebrity voice cast will include Larry the Cable Guy returning as Mater, Emily Mortimer as Holley Shiftwell, Tony Shalhoub reappearing as Luigi and John Turturro as Francesco Bernoulli.
“I’m excited to be back as the character of Mater in the upcoming Cars 2 film and video game,” said Larry the Cable Guy. “That rusty old tow truck can really git r done in Cars 2: The Video Game! I’ve even had the chance to play it and it was a real authentic Cars 2 experience.”
Larry the Cable Guy adds hilarious, down to earth appeal in the role of Lightning McQueen’s best friend, Mater the tow truck. Emily Mortimer’s Holley Shiftwell is a rookie field spy who tries to stick to the rules of her training. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Lightning McQueen’s new opponent -- an Italian racer named Francesco Bernoulli, voiced by John Turturro. In his younger years, Francesco and pals used to sneak onto race tracks, but now he’s focused on taking on Lightning in the World Grand Prix. Another sweet Italian also returns to the game with Tony Shalhoub giving voice to tire specialist Luigi, the Fiat 500.
“The zany, eloquent, and quirky assemblage of characters will bring this game to life in such a fun and engaging manner,” said John Blackburn, vice president and general manager of Avalanche Software. “When you layer in the amazing cast of celebrity film talent giving voice to the game characters, it amplifies the experience even more.”
Cars 2: The Video Game is inspired by the upcoming Disney•Pixar animated film. The game will allow players to dive into the Cars 2 universe alongside some of their favorite Cars personalities in exotic locations spanning the globe. Cars 2: The Video Game will expand beyond the movie’s storyline as players take on the role of one of more than 20 different Cars characters and train to become top notch spies at the international spy training center, C.H.R.O.M.E. (Command Headquarters for Recon Operations and Motorized Espionage). Over the course of their training, players will take on dangerous missions, compete to become the fastest race car in the world and use their spy skills in non-stop action packed combat racing and battle arenas.
Cars 2: The Video Game launches on June 21, 2011 on all major gaming platforms including PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Windows PC/MAC. Cars 2: The Video Game for Nintendo DS will be rated “E”, with all other platforms rated “E10+” by the ESRB.
Please visit http://Disney.com/CarsVideogame and www.facebook.com/carsgames for more information. Art assets for Cars 2: The Video Game are available at http://corporate.disney.go.com/wdig/product-portfolio/index.html?franchise=Cars&product=cars2.
About the Cars Franchise
Released in 2006, Disney·Pixar's feature film Cars has become a leading boys' franchise generating an impressive $2B in annual global retail sales for a total of $8B to date. Winner of the Golden Globe® for Best Animated Feature, Cars went on to gross $462M in global box office sales. It's supported across The Walt Disney Company through films including the highly anticipated release of Cars 2 in Disney Digital 3D, consumer products, live theater productions, park attractions including Cars Land planned for launch in 2012, music, a web site www.Disney.com/Cars, TV including the popular series of short form content: Cars Toons, home entertainment, video games - including Cars and the upcoming June release of Cars 2: The Video Game supporting all major platforms, a virtual world www.WorldofCars.com, and books - with more than 75 new titles releasing throughout 2011 domestically, in addition to more titles on digital books and mobile applications.
About Disney·Pixar's Cars 2:
Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in Cars 2 when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer). Mater's action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.
John Lasseter returns to the driver's seat to direct this follow-up to his 2006 Golden Globe®-winning Cars. Cars 2 is co-directed by Brad Lewis, producer of the Oscar®-winning film Ratatouille, and produced by visual effects industry veteran Denise Ream (associate producer, Up; visual effects executive producer, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith). The film hits the track on June 24, 2011, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D(TM) and IMAX® 3D in select theaters.
About Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Interactive Studios, part of Disney Interactive Media Group, is the interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS). Disney Interactive Studios self publishes and distributes a broad portfolio of multi-platform video games and interactive entertainment worldwide. The company also licenses properties and works directly with other interactive game publishers to bring products for all ages to market. Disney Interactive Studios is based in Glendale, California, and has internal development studios around the world. For more information, log on to http://www.disneyinteractivestudios.com.
About Pixar Animation Studios
Pixar Animation Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is an Academy Award®-winning film studio with world-renowned technical, creative and production capabilities in the art of computer animation. Creator of some of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time, including Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL·E, Up and most recently, Toy Story 3, the Northern California studio has won 29 Academy Awards® and its eleven films have grossed more than $6.5 billion at the worldwide box office to date. The next film release from Disney·Pixar is Cars 2 (June 24, 2011).
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