Walt Disney and Pixar have announced that they are moving the release date of Pixar’s upcoming animated feature film, Cars, from November 2005 to June 9, 2006. Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios said, “The move from November 2005 to June 2006 makes perfect sense. Cars is the quintessential summer film for audiences of all ages… In the vein of Finding Nemo, we feel the movie will have legs throughout summer and beyond”. Pixar CEO Steve Jobs said, “Cars longs to be a summer movie. We plan to finish Cars on its original schedule, and look forward to Cars and our future films benefiting by summer theatrical releases and holiday DVD releases”. Release dates in other countries have also been set for summer 2006 – France on July 12, Germany and Switzerland on July 13, the UK and Spain on July 14, Japan on July 15 and Italy on September 1.

UPDATE: Disney will also move the opening of Chicken Little from July 1, 2005, to Cars’ orignial opening date on November 4, 2005.