On what date was Pixar’s Cars first released in U.S. cinemas?

Pixar’s Cars was first released in U.S. cinemas on June 9, 2006.

The computer-animated feature was directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It followed Lightning McQueen, a rookie race car who becomes stranded in the small town of Radiator Springs while traveling to the Piston Cup finale.

Cars was Pixar’s seventh feature film and arrived after The Incredibles. Its release date placed it in the major summer movie season, where family films traditionally receive broad theatrical exposure. The film was distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.

The date is sometimes confused with the film’s premiere and international openings. Cars premiered at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on May 26, 2006, before its general U.S. theatrical release. It later became the beginning of a larger franchise that included two sequels and the Disney+ series Cars on the Road.