Pixar Once Tried To Launch A Bizarre Spin-Off Based On Their Worst Franchise

It's generally agreed that John Lasseter's 2006 film "Cars" is one of Pixar's less ambitious movies. Other movies in the Pixar canon tickled the imagination by presenting the secret worlds of commonplace beings. "Toy Story" posited that our toys came to life when we weren't looking (which we always kinda knew was true anyway). "A Bug's Life" saw ants as arranged into a tiny, secret society, while "Finding Nemo" did the same with fish. "Monsters, Inc." said that closet monsters were real, but that they only scare children as an element of a boring, blue-collar job. Back in monster land, the monsters are boring like your dad. 

"Cars" was a departure for the studio, as there was no secret being revealed. "Cars" took place in a parallel universe wherein living beings were replaced by anthropomorphic vehicles. They had eyes instead of windshields, and mouths on their bumpers. They seemed to eat gasoline. The "Cars" movies allowed for a lot of puns, but were only appealing to really, really little kids (and kerchow memelords). Of course, there's a place for that ("Cars" likely made billions in ice cream cakes and birthday party supplies), but many still feel "Cars" is one of Pixar's least impressive films. "Cars 2" even moreso. "Cars 3" is actually pretty good. 

Many likely remember that there was a "Cars" spinoff series as well. In 2013 and 2014, Disney took Pixar's idea and expanded it into their own mini-franchise of successful "Planes" movies. What fewer people might know about is that Pixar tried to restart the franchise a second time in the 2020s with a now-canceled film that they would call "Metro." "Metro" would also be about anthropomorphic vehicles, but this time, it would be subway cars in New York City. The project was developed for four years before being canceled. 

As detailed in an article in Forbes, "Metro" was being developed in conjunction with "Planes 3." Although the "Planes" movies weren't terribly well-reviewed, they were giant hits, making $387 million between the two of them, and Disney was certainly interested in keeping the ball rolling. "Planes," as indicated, was not a Pixar project, but was put out by the DisneyToon studio. It was, however, advertised as "The world above 'Cars'," so audiences were encouraged to think of them as part of the same franchise. It was perhaps because of the association that "Planes" and its sequel, "Planes: Fire & Rescue," were hits. /Film was certainly gearing up for "Fire & Rescue" once upon a time.

Back in 2017, at the D23 press event, Disney announced a film called "Space," which was to see the "Planes" character flying into the upper portions of Earth's atmosphere. "Space" was initially scheduled for a 2019 release, but the DisneyToon studio shuttered in 2018, canceling the project entirely. It seems that "Space," or "Planes 3," was already deep into production when it was canned; Forbes said that over $34.7 million had already been spent on the film. 

It's possible that Disney was willing to eat that $34.7 million because it was only a small part of a giant inter-vehicle cinematic universe that Disney and Pixar were building together. Storyboard artist Bill Perkins has revealed that he was doing some early artwork for a "Cars" spin-off film called "Trucks" (unrelated to the Stephen King movie). Disney/Pixar were also working on a film about boats (presumably to be called "Boats"), and another film about steam trains. 

Most deeply into production, however, was "Metro," the Pixar production about subway trains. Of all the films in the Vehicle Cinematic Universe, "Metro" seems like the strangest one. 

As mentioned, though, "Cars" takes place in a universe without people (some have even theorized that it's a post-apocalypse movie). Older kids may immediately wonder who is making the cars, or why cars still have human-accessible features like doors and rearview mirrors. There's even a hearse in the "Cars" movies, leading one to ask what they carry. A "Metro" movie would have to take place in a world where subway trains are ridden by ... well, cars. If one is a car, then one doesn't need to take the train. 

"Metro" was to be directed by Steve Loter ("The Ren and Stimpy Show," "Kim Possible," "Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast"), who once said on Twitter that he had been working on the flick for four years. He described the story as being a cross between "a specific Walter Hill film from the '70s and a specific Scorsese film from the '80s," likely referring to "The Driver" and possibly "After Hours." Jermaine Fowler was to play the lead subway train character, and he was to have a sidekick friend named Fumes. Some of the production art has been posted on fan websites. It seems that "Metro" was shut down long before its intended 2021 release date, though, perhaps another victim of the DisneyToon shuttering. 

Pixar instead worked on a "Cars" TV series called "Cars on the Road," written by "Sam & Max" guru Steve Purcell. That show aired on Disney+ in 2022. There hasn't been a Cars Cinematic Universe film since.