Academy Award winner Paul Newman is battling lung cancer according to unconfirmed reports. Could this affect Pixar’s 2012 sequel, following the recent death of George Carlin who voiced Fillmore? “Well, you know, his character [Doc Hudson] is coming back,” John Lasseter told MTV News. “He’s a good friend of mine, and so we’re just waiting to see.” As for the rest of the Cars 2 gang, little is known about the story beyond the fact that it’s rumored to follow Lighting McQueen has he races his way across Europe. Lasseter himself confessed that there’s not much more to know in the moment, saying of the story that it was still in “early development.” But for people who think it’s simply a cash grab (Cars products continue to be some of the highest-selling merchandise for parent company Disney), John insists: “If you look at Toy Story 2, which is one of the stories I’m most proud of in all the pantheon of Pixar films, it’s the same thing with Cars 2. We’ve come up with a great, great story line. It’s a film I directed and created, and I’m so proud of these characters. The impact of these characters have made in families all over the world is really great. That’s why I make these films, to truly entertain an audience. So to revisit these characters, Mater and Lighting McQueen, and all the folks at Radiator Springs, I’m real excited to do that.”