Movies: Owen Wilson Speaks For Lightning McQueen In “Cars 3”

Owen Wilson provides the voice once again for the beloved character Lightning McQueen in Disney-Pixar's Cars 3, due in Philippine cinemas July 26.

McQueen is a world champion racer who’s riding high with five Piston-Cup wins under his hood. Suddenly, he finds himself faced with a new generation of racers who threaten not only his dominance in the sport—but the confidence that got him there. Determined to get back to the pole position, the #95 must decide if his love for racing is enough to fuel the comeback of his life.

“We were really intrigued by what happens to athletes who are in the twilight of their careers,” says director Brian Fee. “All Lightning McQueen has ever wanted is to be a champion—and he’s done that. Does that mean his life is over? He doesn’t know anything else.”

“When we met Lightning McQueen back in the first movie, he was kind of a jerk,” says director Brian Fee. “But you don’t want the audience to dislike your main character—and that’s the magic that Owen brings to Lightning McQueen. He makes the character so likable. And in Cars 3, when Lightning discovers he’s not the superhero he used to be, he gets frustrated. And after the crash, he’s pretty vulnerable. Owen not only brings those emotions out, he adds a lot of entertainment value.”

Wilson says the idea of mentorship really resonated with him, now a father of two. “As parents you try to teach your children,” he says. “You want them to learn the lessons you’ve learned along the way and hopefully avoid some of the pitfalls. I think it applies to the world of Cars, too.

“One of the most important things in life is finding those mentors,” continues Wilson. “For me, when I was just starting out, it was James L. Brooks. He brought Wes Anderson and me out to Los Angeles and produced our first movie [‘Bottle Rocket’]. He worked with us for a year on the script. To have somebody like that take the time to help us get that movie made—it made all the difference in our lives.”

Wilson sees a lot of himself in Lightning McQueen. “We both really want to dig deep and rev ourselves up. We both say, ‘I am speed’ to prepare for big events. If I were a car, I’d probably want to be a race car, but with two kids now, I’m probably more station wagon.”

Disney-Pixar’s Cars 3 is distributed by The Walt Disney Company (Philippines).