‘Tales From Radiator Springs’ Relaunches ‘Cars’ Shorts Beyond Mater

A new short film from Pixar will rev new life into the studio’s popular Cars franchise.

The Radiator Springs 500 1/2 will tell of a celebration to honor Stanley, the town’s founder, that goes wrong when a troupe of Baja cars dare Lightning McQueen to race. Directors Rob Gibbs (director of Moon Mater and Air Mater) and Scott Morse (writer of multiple Cars Toons) say they intentionally infused a western vibe into the new short.

In a first, The Radiator Springs 500 1/2 will initially premiere this spring on Disney Movies Anywhere, an online service launched last month that allows users to view digital Disney movies across any media platform. The app itself is free, though it is unknown whether The Radiator Springs 500 1/2 will ask for additional charge for viewing.

Clocking in at six minutes, this is the first full Cars Toon following the Mater’s Tall Tales series, the last of which debuted in July 2012. The Radiator Springs 500 1/2 continues the new Tales from Radiator Springs series, which began in March 2013 with three “Shorty Shorts.” Another new short in the series is scheduled to follow in 2015, acting at a much slower pace than Mater’s adventures, which spanned eleven shorts in just under four years.

Are you excited for more time with the townsfolk of Radiator Springs? What do you think is the best direction for the Cars franchise?