Exclusive Photos from the CARS 2 World Premiere

By SUE SCHNEIDER / Photo Editor

Posted: June 23rd, 2011 / 10:02 AM

Disney•Pixar held the World Premiere of CARS 2 at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on June 18^th. Hollywood Boulevard was transformed into the World Grand Prix between Highland and Orange. Life-Size remote-controlled cars of Lightning McQueen, Mater and Finn McMissile came down the black carpet, which looked like a racetrack. The backdrop was so cool as, like the movie, cars looked liked they were sitting in the stands. The press section was built on a riser so we looked down onto the carpet. It had a start and finish line at each end, plus giant flags representing the internationals locales from which the film’s World Grand Prix competitors hail.

In the movie, star racecar Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and his best friend tow truck Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy); jump start a new adventure to exotic lands stretching across the globe. The duo are joined by a hometown pit crew from Radiator Springs when they head overseas for the first-ever World Grand Prix, a race to determine the world’s fastest car. But, of course, the road to the championship is filled with potholes, detours and bombshells. When Mater is mistakenly ensnared in an intriguing escapade of his own: International Espionage, Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen and a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voiced by Michael Cain) and rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell (voiced by Emily Mortimer). This fast-paced fun movie includes a colorful new cast of cars, boats, trains and airplanes…menacing villains and international racing competitors.

Seen rolling down the racetrack were the stars from the film, which included: Lightning McQueen, Mater, Finn McMissile, Owen Wilson, Larry The Cable Guy, Emily Mortimer, Eddie Izzard, Thomas Kretschmann, Joe Mantegna, Jenifer Lewis, Cheech Marin, Peter Jacobson, Lewis Hamilton, Sig Hansen, Edie McClurg, Paul Dooley, John Lasseter (Director), Michael Giacchino (Composer) and Japanese girl band Perfume.

Joining them were guests, which included: Daniella Baltodano, Greyson Chance, Vincent Martella, Greg Ellis, Fireball Tim Lawrence, Ariel Winter, Frankie J., Fernanda Romero, Olivia Holt, Alessandro Nivola, Roshon Fegan, Rico Rodriguez, Raini Rodriguez, Ryan Ochoa, Adam Irigoyen, Geno Segers, Mateo Arias, Alison Sweeney, Nicole Scherzinger, Hailee Steinfeld, Bella Thorne, Dylan Riley Snyder, Sarah Highland, Matt Prokop, Jennifer Stone, Tucker Albrizzi, Cameron Protzman, Wilmer Valderrama, Kenton Duty, Caroline Sunshine, Davis Cleveland, Travis Barker, Savannah Jayde, Malese Jow, Tom Everett Scott, Zachary Gordon, BooBoo Stewart, Fivel Stewart, Maegan Stewart, Sage Stewart, Christina Milian, Joey Lawrence, Andy Lawrence, and Sheryl Crow.

The CARS 2 premiere was presented and sponsored by Kodak and State Farm. And the Department of Transportation, which reminds everyone that one text or call could wreck it for all. For more information visit distraction.gov/cars2.

CARS 2 hits the track on June 24th.