On what date did Pixar’s Cars open in U.S. theaters?

Pixar’s Cars opened in U.S. theaters on June 9, 2006.

The animated feature was directed by John Lasseter and Joe Ranft and became Pixar’s seventh feature film. It follows Lightning McQueen, a rookie race car who accidentally damages the desert town of Radiator Springs while traveling to California.

Cars premiered at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on May 26, 2006, before its nationwide release. The film was distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and accompanied in theaters by the short film One Man Band.

The date is sometimes confused with the release of Cars 2, which arrived in 2011, or Cars 3, which arrived in 2017. Cars became a major merchandising success and launched a franchise that also includes two sequels and several television projects.