EXCLUSIVE: Pixar Debuts New Release Dates for CARS 3, TOY STORY 4, and THE INCREDIBLES 2

An unexpected change in release dates was debuted this afternoon. The change resulted in a switch in release of Toy Story 4 and Cars 3, as well as affirmation of The Incredibles 2 coming Summer 2019. Check out the official press release of the new release dates after the break!

We’re proud to present the official release dates for our upcoming slate of films through 2019. Cars 3 is now coming out on June 16, 2017 and Toy Story 4, to be co-directed by John Lasseter and Josh Cooley from a script by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, will open on June 15, 2018. Another feverishly anticipated sequel, The Incredibles 2, will debut on June 21, 2019. And Coco, Disney•Pixar’s eye-popping ode to the Mexican holiday Dia de Los Muertos directed by Lee Unkrich, will come out on November 22, 2017.

The biggest news to come out of this story is the change in release of Toy Story 4. While it is easy to look at the release date pushed back one year as a sign of production problems, this case is a little different. The change is all about the differing production advances of the projects in development. In the case of this release date switch, Cars 3 has been in production longer than Toy Story 4. It has been referenced that Cars 3 was in early rumblings after Cars 2 was released. Toy Story 4, on the other hand, took several years before coming to realization after the release of Toy Story 3. To be clear, there is no sign that this release date switch has anything to do with production problems. Rather, it looks like a question of better release strategy and production planning. Also to note is the given release date of The Incredibles 2. While it has been known now for several years that The Incredibles 2 is coming, it hasn't really been known what the stage of production is. Confirmation that The Incredibles 2 is coming on June 21, 2019 tells us that the film is still in early development, with writer/director Brad Bird currently finishing up his treatment of the script. 

Big news, but not anything to be worried about. We also have to remember the timeline that we're working with. The films in question are two, three, four, years down the road, so remembering that these productions are not set in stone is very important. Every film has its own production cycle, so this change should not be too worrying. With that said, the release of this information is curiously close to the D23 announcements back in August. While in attendance, I did notice how no release dates were mentioned, so that was most likely a precursor to this press release.

Again, we have much to look forward to in the coming years as Pixar fans so stayed tuned for the latest on this ongoing news cycle!