While Disney’s Cars series has been the proverbial whipping boy for many fans of the House of Mouse’s better animated outings, the franchise is a perennial favorite for the younger set (if you spend any time with five-year-olds, you know this is true) and has made a trunk-load of cash for both Disney and Pixar. That said, of course the studio is planning spin-offs of the transportation-minded series, and while we’d love to see a Disney take on Jetskis or Steam Engines or even Segways, the studio is going simple – Planes.
And, because everyone knows how much children love comedian Dane Cook, the erstwhile actor has been tapped to voice the lead of this summer’s Planes, as a height-averse plane named Dusty (we can only assume he’s a crop-duster). The film is billed as a “comedy adventure about Dusty’s dream of competing as a high-flying air racer—and his decidedly unfortunate fear of heights.” Aw, Dusty, that’s so sad for you. Soar, little plane, soar!
Of the casting, director Klay Hall commented, “Dane Cook brings unmatched charisma and brilliant comedic timing and instincts to the character. He gives Dusty a great edge.” That is…a nice thing to say about the guy who starred in Good Luck Chuck.
Planes crash-lands into theaters in 3D on August 9th. [Press Release]