‘Cars’ returns to theaters for its 20th anniversary
A poster for the 20th anniversary rerelease of ‘Cars.’ (Disney, Pixar)
Life is a highway, I’m gonna ride it all the way to the movie theater.
Disney and Pixar are rereleasing Cars in theaters to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Audiences should get their motors running to watch the film in its original format starting on Sept. 4.
This theatrical rerelease also happens to coincide with Cars Lightning McQueen Day, which is observed on Sept. 5, in honor of the character’s race car number, 95.
There are many other collaborations and activations set to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the animated film.
A Cars integration is planned for Route 66’s centennial anniversary, with screenings of the film set at the historic Tee-Pee Drive-In in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and Tulsa Circle Cinema in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Additionally, a Cars-wrapped Mercedes Safety Car will appear alongside a life-size Lightning McQueen at the Formula 1 Gran Premio D’Italia 2026. There will also be a Porsche “Sally Special” vehicle touring the U.S., with stops set in Atlanta; Costa Mesa, California; Monterey, California; Los Angeles; and New York.
Cars originally raced into theaters in 2006. It follows “a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, who discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs,” according to an official description.
Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Larry the Cable Guy and Bonnie Hunt lent their voices to the film, which was directed by John Lasseter.
Nick Reiner appears with Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene during his arraignment in Los Angeles County Superior Court on February 23, 2026 in Los Angeles. (Chris Torres/Pool/Getty Images)
Nick Reiner says he needs money from his trust fund to help pay for his defense team, specifically to rehire famed defense attorney Alan Jackson, according to a new court filing. The petition alleges that Nick Reiner is entitled to the funds in his trust, which were required to be released to him when he turned 30, something he claims did not happen.
Nick Reiner, 32, was charged with the murders of his parents, renowned director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner, in December.
Nick Reiner was previously represented by Jackson, but Jackson abruptly resigned from the case in January for reasons that were not shared at the time.
The petition alleges Nick Reiner’s siblings, Jake Reiner and Romy Reiner, had initially agreed to pay Jackson’s fees, but in January, “Nick learned that Jackson and his firm were forced to withdraw because the anticipated funding did not materialize, and the Public Defender was appointed to take over Nick’s defense.”
It is not known why funding from Nick Reiner’s siblings was unavailable.
“Since then, Nick has repeatedly asked that Jackson’s firm resume its representation if funds become available,” the petition states, adding that Jackson “has reaffirmed not only that he ‘stands ready, willing, and able to resume [his] representation,’ but that he is ‘committed to representing’ Nick and ‘willing to consider reasonable alternatives to the original fee arrangement.'”
“These are not estate assets, and Nick does not seek them from his parents’ estate,” the petition adds. “They are his own funds. Nick has no other means — to pay for his legal expenses, or for his basic support needs while incarcerated.”
The petition specifically notes that the trust in question was created for Nick Reiner by his parents “more than 30 years ago, when Nick was an infant,” and that similar “children’s” trusts were also created for his siblings.
The petition argues that these children’s trusts were “funded independently” of the larger family trusts that hold the Reiner family’s estate, and that the terms of the independent trusts required one half to be paid out when the beneficiary turned 30, with the other half disbursed when they turned 35.
“Nick turned 30 on September 14, 2023 — more than two and a half years ago — at which point his right to one-half of the Trust vested and became due to him as a matter of right. But he did not receive his Mandatory Age-30 Distribution then, and he has not received it since,” the petition alleges.
The petition claims the “Current Trustee” overseeing Nick Reiner’s independent trust “has offered a shifting series of excuses and justifications, none of which can be reconciled with the Trust’s plain terms — most recently, unsubstantiated ‘concerns’ about Nick’s so-called competence to ‘manage a trust.'”
It adds, “Nick loved his parents, and he is devastated by their deaths. But the facts about what did and did not happen to them are not at issue in this Trust litigation.”
Jackson told reporters in January that he “had to withdraw as Nick Reiner’s counsel” due to “circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control.”
“Sadly, it’s made it impossible for us to continue our representation of Nick,” Jackson said at the time.
Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, 2025. The night before their deaths, Nick Reiner — who had been living on his parents’ property at the time — got into an argument with Rob Reiner at a holiday party and was seen acting strangely, sources told ABC News in December.
Nick Reiner was taken into custody in downtown Los Angeles hours after the bodies were discovered. He was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders, to which he pleaded not guilty.
He remains in jail on no bail. His is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing in September.
ABC News’ David Muir will lead 24 hours of coverage to mark America’s 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026. (ABC News)
Disney is bringing its magic to America’s 250th anniversary celebration with a series of special events, including a live concert in Nashville, one-of-a-kind experiences at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort and a two-hour primetime special on ABC.
The company-wide initiative, Disney Celebrates America, will also include a 24-hour multiplatform broadcast led by World News Tonight anchor David Muir that will take viewers across all 50 states beginning Friday, July 3 through Saturday, July 4.
The cross-platform broadcast will span ABC, Disney+, Hulu, National Geographic, FX, Freeform, ABC News Live, ESPN, and ABC Owned Television Stations and affiliates and will feature anchor Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America co-anchors Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan, Nightline co-anchors Juju Chang and Byron Pitts, 20/20 co-anchor Deborah Roberts and Prime and WNT Sunday anchor Linsey Davis.
On Monday, June 29, 20/20 anchor Deborah Roberts and ABC News national correspondent Will Reeve will host a two-hour primetime special, Disney Celebrates America: The Pursuit of Happiness, reporting from Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort, respectively.
The special will air from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT across ABC, Disney+, Hulu, National Geographic, and ABC News Live.
Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida will also celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with the launch of “Soarin’ Across America” at EPCOT and Disney California Adventure Park, patriotic lighting on Spaceship Earth at EPCOT, special performances and decor and limited-time merchandise, food and beverages leading up to July 4.
Disney Parks will continue the celebration with community events and offerings honoring veterans and military families.
In Nashville, Disney Celebrates America: Nashville’s Star-Spangled Bash will feature live music performances and one of the largest fireworks and drone shows in the U.S. set to a live score by the Nashville Symphony.
As part of the celebration of America, National Geographic and ABC News will also, between now and July 4, unveil a new list, “Seven Natural Wonders of America,” highlighting seven awe-inspiring locations across the country.
“As our nation marks its 250th anniversary, ‘Disney Celebrates America’ is our way of honoring this historic milestone by celebrating the people, places, and shared moments that define who we are,” Ken Potrock, president of major events integration for The Walt Disney Co., said in a statement Tuesday.
“Through immersive and creative park experiences and unprecedented broadcast moments, Disney invites everyone to come together and celebrate America in a truly meaningful way by reflecting on where we’ve been and imagining the extraordinary future we can create together.”
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News.
Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 3. (Ollie Upton/HBO)
House of the Dragon season 3 officially has a release date.
HBO has announced that the third season of the Game of Thrones prequel series will premiere on June 21. It finds House Targaryen divided as ever, picking up where season 2 left off.
The show’s returning cast includes Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, Bethany Antonia, Jefferson Hall, Tom Bennett, Kurt Egyiawan and Freddie Fox.
At the beginning of the trailer we hear Daemon Targaryen (Smith) tell his wife, Rhaenyra Targaryen (D’Arcy), that she is the strongest ruler there has ever been.
“You now have the power no man has ever wielded. You will have an empire unassailable, Rhaenyra. And our children will rule it forever and a day,” Daemon says.
The trailer ends with Rhaenyra making her plans known.
“There will be no doubt who the gods have chosen to rule,” she says, as we see her hold a crown.
House of the Dragon is based on George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. The story is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, centering on House Targaryen.
In addition to airing on HBO linear, season 3 of the fantasy drama series will be available to stream on HBO Max.
