Breaking: Pixar Announce The Incredibles 2! And Cars 3...

You've been asking for it since 2004; every time somebody makes an "unmade sequels that need to happen" list, it's there; and now, it's actually bloody happening: Pixar have officially announced that they're making The Incredibles 2! Also on the way - although far less surprising and largely less welcome - is a third Cars film. And no, it's not April 1st.

The sequels were announced by The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger during a shareholders conference call. Little details were provided, but the Internet's excited all the same.

The announcement of a sequel to The Incredibles, just 8 months shy of it turning 10, comes the day after Pixar announced that they will be re-releasing it (and Ratatouille) in 3D. Hopefully this doesn't, however, mean that we can expect a Rata2ille...

Brad Bird at the premiere of The Incredibles almost 10 years ago.

Brad Bird, a director with a golden reputation in Hollywood, who directed the original film, Ratatouille, The Iron Giant and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, will return to write the screenplay for the sequel (via Variety). No word though on whether or not he'll direct the film; Pixar have said before that they would only do a sequel if Bird wanted to, but with him currently directing live-action sci-fi pic Tomorrowland (due May 2015) for Disney, it's possible that directing duties may have to fall to another.

Cars 3 has been strongly suspected since Michael Wallis (the voice of Sheriff) let the cat out of the bag back in October. Given that his words proved right about the existence of the film, we can assume that what he said about its contents is valid too; "we're coming back to the road [with Cars 3]," he said, which would strongly suggest there's no more spy stuff in the vehicular threequel. Expect more in common with the first film than the second.

A still from the new Cars short film, The Radiator Springs 500 1/2.

The announcement of a third Cars film closely follows the announcement of a new series of short films (called Tales From Radiator Springs) set in the world, which will reunite much of the original cast (including Owen Wilson). Both those and this new film would seem to be refocusing back onto Lightning McQueen, after Cars 2 and the Cars Toons short films put a bit too much attention onto Mater.

While I can't say I'm overly excited for Cars 3 (nor really upset, just indifferent), I know that there are millions of kids who disagree with me. Undoubtedly the monetary gain is a big factor in the sequel's existence (while neither Cars nor Cars 2 were massive grossers for Pixar at the box-office, the franchise has made billions in ancillary merchandise - including toys, a dedicated theme park, spin-off movies, short films and more), but if that's the price we have to pay for an Incredibles sequel, so be it.

It’s official: we’re currently working on new films featuring your favorite characters from The Incredibles and Cars! pic.twitter.com/HzdvF0rvpA
— Disney•Pixar (@DisneyPixar) March 18, 2014

This is in fitting with Pixar president Ed Catmull's statement that Pixar would release a sequel - roughly - "every other year." Before the "Pixar only make sequels now!" horde gets up in arms, remember that a significant portion of the studio's upcoming slate are original films; their next two films are Pete Docter's Inside Out (due 19th June, 2015) and the currently-directorless The Good Dinosaur (25th November, 2015), with Finding Nemo sequel Finding Dory (which voice actor Willem Defoe assures is "even better than the first") coming on 17th June, 2016. Then we have Lee Unkrich's Day of the Dead film (currently dateless), and three unclaimed release dates (two in 2017, one in 2018); presumably The Incredibles 2 and Cars 3 will fill some of those spots.

But, seriously, The Incredibles 2... Now, that is totally wicked.

Thoughts? Excited about The Incredibles 2? Of course you are. But will you see Cars 3?