Disney and Pixar Steer Cars to Summer 2006 Release

Disney and Pixar Steer Cars to Summer 2006 Release 


BURBANK, Calif. and EMERYVILLE, Calif., Dec. 7  /PRNewswire/ -- Walt Disney
Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios today announced that they are moving the
release date of Pixar's upcoming animated feature film, Cars, to June 9, 2006.
Release dates for major international territories have also been set for summer
2006 - France on July 12, Germany and Switzerland on July 13, the UK and Spain
on July 14, Japan on July 15 and Italy on September 1.

Commenting on the announcement, Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios
said, "The move from November 2005 to June 2006 makes perfect sense. Cars is
the quintessential summer film for audiences of all ages.  It has a fantastic
story full of action, adventure, comedy, heartfelt emotion with cutting edge
animation and incredible voice talent."  Cook continued, "In the vein of
Finding Nemo, we feel the movie will have legs throughout summer and beyond."

"Cars longs to be a summer movie, said Pixar CEO Steve Jobs.  "We plan to
finish Cars on its original schedule, and look forward to Cars and our future
films benefiting by summer theatrical releases and holiday DVD releases."

Cars, the seventh animated feature film to be created by Pixar Animation
Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures, is directed by Pixar's two-time
Academy Award(R)-winner John Lasseter, who directed Toy Story, A Bug's Life,
and Toy Story 2.  A high-octane adventure comedy, Cars features the voice
talents of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman and Bonnie Hunt, and has a wide assortment
of cars as characters who get their kicks on Route 66.  Cars is produced by
Darla K. Anderson (A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc.).  Cars will be the final
original film produced under Disney and Pixar's highly successful partnership.

About The Walt Disney Studios

Walt Disney Studios is a unit of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) and
distributes motion pictures under Walt Disney Pictures -- which includes Walt
Disney Feature Animation and DisneyToon Studios -- Touchstone Pictures,
Hollywood Pictures, Miramax Films and Dimension Films.  Buena Vista
International serves as the studio's international distribution arm.  Buena
Vista Home Entertainment and Buena Vista Home Entertainment International
together distribute Disney and other film titles to the rental and sell-through
home entertainment markets worldwide.  Buena Vista Theatrical Productions is
one of the largest producers of Broadway musicals, and the Buena Vista Music
Group distributes original music and motion picture soundtracks under its four
record labels: Walt Disney Records, Buena Vista Records, Hollywood Records and
Lyric Street Records.

About Pixar Animation Studios

Pixar Animation Studios (NASDAQ:PIXR) (http://www.pixar.com/) combines creative
and technical artistry to create original films in the medium of computer
animation.  Pixar has created and produced six of the most successful and
beloved animated films of all time: Academy Award(R)-winning Toy Story (1995);
A Bug's Life (1998); Golden Globe-winner Toy Story 2 (1999); the Academy
Award(R)-winning Monsters, Inc. (2001); the Academy Award(R)-winning Finding
Nemo (2003), and The Incredibles.  Pixar's six films have earned almost $3
billion at the worldwide box office to date.  The Northern California studio's
next release is Cars (June 9, 2006).

   Contact:
   Heidi Trotta
   Sr. Vice President
   Communications,
   The Walt Disney Studios
   [phone]

   Mary Conlin
   Director of Marketing
   Pixar Animation Studios
   [phone]


DATASOURCE: Walt Disney Pictures; Pixar Animation Studios



CONTACT:   Heidi Trotta, Sr. Vice President Communications of The Walt

Disney Studios, [phone]; or Mary Conlin, Director of Marketing of

Pixar Animation Studios, [phone]



Web site:  http://http//www.pixar.com 

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