Warning: There are some minor spoilers ahead for "Cars 3." 

Disney and Pixar fans will be relieved to know that "Cars 3" is a big improvement over the last film in the franchise.

Of course, that isn't any real achievement. "Cars 2," an inadvertent spy film with Larry the Cable Guy's tow truck Mater character in Tokyo, is widely considered to be the studio's worst film.

"Cars 3" isn't Pixar at it's best. This is no "Wall-E" or "Up," but it's not "The Good Dinosaur" either. Pixar delivers a pretty straight-forward, predictable, and safe followup that brings the franchise back to its racing roots. 

If you've seen any of the trailers, you know the basic gist of the movie. 11 years after the first "Cars," Lightning McQueen's (Owen Wilson) racing days are screeching to a halt. After years of winning, he and other fellow racers are quickly being shoved out of the game only to be replaced by younger, high-tech cars. The new Lightning McQueen is a sleek, brash, and vain rookie by the name of Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer) who takes to mocking number 95.

After an accident on the track makes him consider the possibility of retirement, he teams up with a younger trainer, Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo), who once had aspirations of being a great racer. 

She insists on using high-tech gear ranging from car treadmills and a racing simulator to help McQueen adapt to the newer racers. But the racing legend ends up teaching her a few tricks of his own, insisting that statistics and diagnostic tests can only go so far. Sometimes you have to get out on the open road and get your tires — or entire car — dirty in order to really embrace and love the sport.

It's out on the open road where the film really feels fun. The two get into some mischief at a demolition derby where they run into a fiery school bus, Miss Fritter, (played by "Orange is the New Black" actress Lea DeLaria) before hightailing it down memory lane to get some racing tips from a few pals of McQueen's old mentor, Doc Hudson (the late Paul Newman).

Larry the Cable Guy is back as McQueen's pal Mater as well, but he's sidelined to limited appearances throughout for comedic relief. After the last film where Mater was front and center, that's probably for the best.

It's definitely a bit deeper than the first film as McQueen comes to terms with his own mortality and ponders his legacy to the sport — I know, pretty deep stuff for a movie about cars. But "Cars 3" becomes a bit stuffed with constant reminders of Doc Hudson.

The film tries to recapture some of the magic of the 2006 original by inserting flashbacks of McQueen's fond memories of the legendary racer, but they feel a bit shoehorned in for emotional weight. The film relies almost too heavily on Hudson and it probably would have worked better if he popped up in one or two flashbacks, but not constantly throughout the film.

Hudson's appearances in the film are the most frustrating because the audience never gets any added closure to the character's mysterious death. Yes, Hudson was killed from the franchise offscreen after Newman passed away in real life, but kids don't know that. We're just supposed to assume he went off to some big car parking lot in the sky, but it's never said aloud. It's stranger when you realize no one ever talks about any other cars dying in the "Cars" universe.

But try not to think too much about the logistics of the actual "Cars" world while watching a movie about animated vehicles or you may fall into a pit full of other questions like, "Where do car children come from?"

Ultimately, "Cars 3" just feels like Pixar was playing it safe to bounce back from reviews of its 2011 sequel and potentially pave the way for another generation of Cars movies.

"Cars 3" hopes to walk you down memory lane, but it never tugs at your heartstrings the way the first film did. It's not that all of the ingredients aren't there. It's just that Pixar has delivered a similar story so many times now that the emotional beats don't hit with the same punch as they did before. They simply don't feel as genuine.

While Pixar continues to make gorgeous films, there's no scene that stands out quite like the one of Lightning and gal pal Sally driving through the country in the first movie. There's not even a catchy enough song like "Life is a Highway."

One of the film's biggest disappointments is that it plays out exactly how you imagine. It's clear there's no way Lightning McQueen is ever going to be as fast as the newer, sleeker, high-tech cars. He just has to accept that and find a way to be happy with it. And when you see a special trick move occur late in the film, you know that's going to be seen again later as "the move" that helps get a character out of a tight space.

If you're looking for an enjoyable outing with the family for Father's day, "Cars 3" should leave both parents and kids satisfied. And stay after the credits for the smallest of post-credits scenes. It doesn't tease any future sequels since it's more of an additional tag to an earlier scene. If you're not a big Mater fan, you won't feel bad skipping out.

But with the studio's current focus on several sequels to big hits ("The Incredibles 2" and "Toy Story 4"), Pixar may have more in common than it realizes with McQueen. Its golden years appear to be over.

SEE ALSO: The 10 biggest box-office bombs of 2017 so far

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Don't head out right after the end of "Cars 3."
• There's a small extra scene that airs after all of the credits.
• It doesn't tease any future movies. 
• The scene features Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) in an extended scene from earlier in the film.
• We'll break down the scene after the movie is in theaters.

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This summer's movie slate has been off to a mixed start. "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" and "Wonder Woman" have both gotten great reviews and been smashes at the box office. But high-profile efforts like "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword"and "The Mummy"have been huge flops.

The rest of the season, though, is looking strong. There are big comic book flicks like "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and Christopher Nolan's new movie "Dunkirk" to look forward to, and then there are Sundance films like "A Ghost Story" and potential sleeper hits like "Baby Driver" on the horizon.

Here are the 23 summer films you need to check out.

"Rough Night" is a comedy starring Scarlett Johansson, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, and Zoë Kravitz as best friends on a wild bachelorette weekend in Miami.

Read our review here.

Release date: June 16

"Cars 2" was one of Pixar's most disappointing films, but critics say the new, third entry in the series is much more charming, with Steve McQueen trying to prove he's the best racer in the world.

Read our review here.

Release date: June 16

It's no "Jaws," but "47 Meters Down" is still a great shark thriller, about two sisters trapped in a cage at the bottom of the ocean with just an hour of oxygen while sharks circle overhead.

Release date: June 16

Warning: There are major spoilers ahead for "Cars 3."

"Cars 3" is in theaters this weekend, and if you head out to the see Pixar's latest you'll get plenty of flashbacks to a familiar face.

As Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) comes to terms with his inevitable retirement from racing, we see multiple flashbacks and references to his old mentor Doc Hudson in the film who was quietly killed off screen in between "Cars" and it's 2011 sequel.

While it's nostalgic to see a tribute to the late Paul Newman who died in 2008, his appearances in the movie become overshadowed by one question the film frustratingly fails to answer: What exactly happened to Doc? 

2011's "Cars 2" glosses over Doc's death. There's a small moment between McQueen and his best friend Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) in which the death is briefly acknowledged, but zero details were given about what occurred. The "d" word wasn't even used. The assumption was that Hudson died at some point offscreen between "Cars" and its 2011 sequel. 

With so many sequences featuring Hudson in "Cars 3," it seemed like the film was building up to a flashback sequence showcasing how the character died. It was a question that popped into my head every time he appeared on screen. 

But 109 minutes came and went without any answer.

Instead I was left with so many questions. Was it a really tragic death? Did Doc die of old age? If it was the latter, why haven't we heard of other older vehicles dying of old age in the "Cars" universe? At one point, McQueen visits Doc's old stomping grounds in "Cars 3" and finds all of his racing buddies alive and well. It would have been slightly more believable if some of them had passed on to this supposed Cars heaven as well. 

It's even stranger that the film doesn't say the words "Doc died" or directly refer to Doc ever passing away. The sequel just awkwardly tip toes around its biggest mystery without ever fully embracing it. Old newspaper clippings of Doc in his glory days are shown along with reused footage of him from 2006's "Cars."  

It incredibly frustrating the movie doesn't fully own its Doc Hudson story when much of the film is meant to be an entire tribute to Newman and his character. What's worse is that the film puts the job on parents to have that inevitable awkward conversation when a kid too young to remember 2006 or 2011's "Cars" films asks, "Mommy, what happened to Doc?"

It's slightly more frustrating when you know that an early draft of "Cars 3" included Hudson's death. Creative director of the "Cars" universe Jay Ward told ScreenCrush it was "a really tender moment where McQueen's driving and Doc's following him and it's like the day your mentor passes away."

Ward said the scene ended up on the cutting room floor because it was "just depressing." 

Depressing? Have you ever watched the first 10 or so minutes of "Up"? In a dialogue-free montage, the audience watches two youngsters meet, fall in love, get married, find out they have a miscarriage, grow old together, and then have the wife pass away.

Do I cry every time I watch it? You bet. And while it's incredibly sad, the scene succeeds because it captures a real life scenario and it does so beautifully through images on screen. According to the Los Angeles Times, filmmakers grappled with whether or not to include the miscarriage in the final film.

It feels like Pixar missed a huge opportunity and learning moment in "Cars 3" which may have given more emotional depth to a movie which, while fine, feels like it plays it safe with a straight-forward and predictable storyline about McQueen transitioning into a mentor role himself. 

Perhaps if Pixar hadn't shied away from Doc's death, "Cars 3" would have had a fighting chance at living up to the original movie.

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Not since Walt Disney has there been a figure in the animation world who has transcended the medium like John Lasseter, with the studio he oversees, Pixar.

Yes, Jeffrey Katzenberg and DreamWorks Animation had their time, but for over 20 years, Lasseter's Pixar has consistently put out box-office hits (the company has earned close to $11 billion worldwide) and created stories that affect us on an emotional level and that we can't wait to experience again and again.

From the "you've got a friend" tale of the "Toy Story" movies to a commentary on how we need to protect our planet in the multilayered "WALL-E," Pixar movies are much more than kids movies or cartoons. Which is exactly how ol' Walt went about it.

With Pixar's latest, "Cars 3," now in theaters, we've taken on the gargantuan task of ranking all 18 Pixar releases — scroll down to find out the best.

SEE ALSO: 22 stars you didn't know were in the "Star Wars" movies

18. 'Cars 2' (2011)

Taking Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) away from Radiator Springs and going international (plus making Mater a spy) didn't grab critics. This sequel became the first "rotten" Pixar movie on Rotten Tomatoes. Deservedly.

17. 'A Bug’s Life' (1998)

In the second movie ever released by Pixar, an ant named Flik (voiced by Dave Foley) sets out to find others to help save his colony against grasshoppers and ends up recruiting a unique group of allies.

Though the movie was successful at the box office, with the release of DreamWorks' "Antz" a month earlier, you're more likely to remember the Lasseter-Katzenberg feud than the films. 

16. 'Cars 3' (2017)

Though the "Cars" movies are the least acclaimed of anything Pixar makes, the company continues to churn them out. The latest one touches on some interesting themes like mortality and self-confidence, but it feels like everyone involved in the making of it was on cruise control.

The Luxo ball

The Luxo ball shows up in the very first short that Pixar chief John Lasseter ever created for the company, Luxo Jr. You'll recognize the lamp from the Pixar logo, but the ball also appears in every Pixar film. In Cars 3 it makes an appearance in a slightly different way.

We never see the ball itself. Instead, we see a car during the demolition derby scene which has a paint job which matches the look of the ball. This is similar to the reference we got in Finding Dory, as the pattern of the ball was visible at one point, but we never actually saw the ball itself.

A113

A113 is a reference you see in a lot of animated films, not simply those from Pixar, it's a reference to the classroom at California Institute of the Arts where many animators learned character animation and graphic design.

In Cars 3 this is probably the most obvious Easter egg that's the hardest to miss. It's the office number for Nathan Fillion's Sterling and the number is right in the middle of the screen before Lightning goes in to speak with him. You have to work to miss that one.

Pizza Planet trucks

The Pizza Planet Delivery Truck is first used by Buzz and Woody in the original Toy Story, but since then it has appeared in nearly every Pixar movie. The truck has a rough time of it in Cars 3. Like the Luxo Ball, the Pizza Planet Truck can be found in the demolition derby scene. Things don't go well for him, as at one point he gets hit so hard that his rocket ship logo that's sitting on top of him gets knocked into the stands and grabbed by a fan. Needless to say, he doesn't win.

Though 2015's Inside Out may have won the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere, a new lawsuit claims that adoration belongs elsewhere.

A new lawsuit filed by an expert in child development claims that the concept for the film was stolen from a pitch for a TV project she presented to Disney and Pixar executives, reports Variety.

Denise Daniels claims that, in 2005, she brought together a creative team and produced a pilot for a show titled The Moodsters, which was intended to help children understand their emotions through representing them as five different characters: happiness, sadness, anger, love, and fear.

Inside Out imagines the world inside a child's brain, as controlled by five emotions: here joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust. Daniels claims she discussed her own idea with several executives for Disney and Pixar between 2005 and 2009, including a detailed phone conversation with Inside Out's eventual director Pete Docter.

The lawsuit alleges that Disney, therefore, breached an implied contract by not compensating her for her idea. She is seeking unspecified damages. 

Doctor has stated in the past that the idea for Inside Out was derived from seeing his own daughter's emotional development, and how that changed over time, starting work on it in 2009.

He told an audience at the LA Film Festival in 2015, “She became a lot more reclusive and quiet. We didn’t literally get eye-rolls, because she knew that would get her in trouble, but she gave off that kind of feeling. And that got me wondering, ‘What’s going on in her head?’ That’s when I thought of emotions as characters. This could be exactly what animation does best. And that’s what led us on this five-year journey.”

A spokesperson for Disney has issued the following statement: "Inside Out was an original Pixar creation, and we look forward to vigorously defending against this lawsuit in court".

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every Pixar movie from worst to best

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Disney and Pixar revealed new details and clips of some of its future animated movies Friday afternoon at D23 Expo.
• A working clip was shown for "The Incredibles 2," which featured baby Jack Jack's superpowers.
• Disney and Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter said the sequel will take place moments after the first film ended.
• This time around, Mrs. Incredible will be fighting crime as Bob (Mr. Incredible) is a stay-at-home dad.
• That won't last long as the super family faces a new villain.

Disney and Pixar teased its future slate of animated movies Friday afternoon at D23 Expo. While the studio didn't release any new trailers for upcoming movies, it did show off footage for several movies and shorts, including the much-anticipated sequel to 2004's "The Incredibles."

Director Brad Bird joined the stage with original cast including Craig T. Nelson (Mr. Incredible), Holly Hunter (Mrs. Incredible), Sarah Vowell (Violet), newcomer Huck Milner (Dash), and Samuel L. Jackson, who will be back as Frozone. 

Audiences were treated to a work-in progress clip from next year's film where baby Jack Jack shows off his powers against a raccoon after he watches a robbery on TV with his dad.

Here's how Comicbook.com described the scene:

"[Jack Jack] compares the robber to a raccoon eating from the trash and now wants to attack the raccoon. He uses his powers to move through a glass door, take the chicken leg from the raccoon, put it back in the trash, and put the lid on the trash. He and the raccoon get into a wrestling match through the yard."

Attendees saw Jack Jack light on fire, as he did in the original film. This time, he started using his powers going after the raccoon and showing off laser eyes before the two started wrestling again. Ultimately, Jack Jack winds up turning the raccoon into mush.

Those aren't the only powers little Jack Jack has. According to Comicbook.com, when his father Bob went to pick him up, Jack Jack split into five different versions of himself momentarily. The scene ended with Bob being overjoyed to find out his son has superpowers like the rest of the family.

Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer John Lasseter told IGN earlier in the day the sequel will begin moments after the last film ended.

"It starts with the Underminer and a big old set piece," said Lasseter said. "You know that at the end of the first movie when he comes up and you see the family dressed as superheroes, well that’s where [we] start this movie."

Holly Hunter mentioned the sequel will also have a bit of role reversal from the original.  

"Bob’s actually home with the kids this time and I’m the one out fighting crime," Hunter told the crowd of Mrs. Incredible.

But it sounds like the entire family will need to come together with some new allies to take on a villain we haven't seen yet. 

A mockumentary clip was also shown regarding fan favorite, stylist Edna Mode. Fashion icons and models like Heidi Klum and Rachel Zoe were featured in a fun video which highlighted the fictional character's "work."

You can check it out below.

"Incredibles 2" will be in theaters June 15, 2018.

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The INSIDER Summary:

• A new themed "Toy Story" Land is coming to Walt Disney World summer 2018.
• The company's parks and resorts chairman Bob Chapek made the announcement at D23 Expo Saturday afternoon to a crowd of about 7,000 fans. 
• The new land will be located in Hollywood Studios.
• Chapek also announced Paradise Pier in California's Disneyland will transform into Pixar Pier, a place for all Pixar-related characters.

"Star Wars" Land isn't the only new themed area coming to Walt Disney World. Next summer, Disney fans can get ready to see even more of Woody and Buzz Lightyear in the Disney Parks.

Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek announced Saturday afternoon at the company's D23 Expo a Toy Story Land will be coming to Hollywood Studios in Disney World next summer as well as Shanghai Disney.

Chapek said "Toy Story" Land will be an addition to Hollywood Studios that will help the park become a place where you can step into your favorite stories. 

Here's an overview of the new area that will join the Florida park.

Chapek didn't reveal anything else about the land, but, as you can see in the photo, it looks like there will be two main attractions, including one that involves Slinky Dog.

In addition to "Toy Story" Land in Walt Disney World, Chapek announced that Paradise Pier in Disneyland's California Adventure will transform into Pixar Pier where some of the studio's characters from "Toy Story,""The Incredibles,""Inside Out," and more will appear. 

Here's concept art of how Pixar Pier will look:

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The INSIDER Summary: 

• Many of your favorite classic Disney films started out much differently from the final product.
• Movies like "Moana" and "Frozen" made some drastic character changes.
• Some movies like "The Emperor's New Groove" and "Monsters University" started out as completely different films. 

It’s pretty hard to imagine a world in which Disney films didn’t exist, but it might be harder to imagine a world in which these movies didn’t exist with the stories we know. As with all movies, regardless of quality, every Disney film begins with a pitch or a series of storyboards. The development process requires an intricate balance of back and forth between writers, animators, supervisors, and executives. This process is far from a quick and easy one. For example, the development process of a single movie made by Pixar, a Disney subsidiary, can take anywhere between 4-7 years of hard work and costly investment.

Since the development process takes so long, it’s only natural that there are story elements that are left on the cutting room floor. Some original scripts are even required to be entirely rewritten. As intimidating as all of these intensive edits might sound, the results of this process are more than worth the creative struggle.

After all, if some of the following changes hadn’t been made, these movies might not have gone on to become the classics we all know and love.

15. "Frozen"— Elsa was the villain

It’s no small secret that "Frozen" is Disney’s greatest success story. The 2013 film is the highest grossing animated film of all time, bringing in well over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. What might come as a surprise to some viewers, however, is that the hit story about sisters Elsa and Anna originally had a far more wicked twist.

Elsa, the ice queen of Arendelle who learns how to “Let It Go,” was originally the story’s villain who preyed upon a heartbroken Anna. In fact, it was “Let It Go” that convinced Jennifer Lee, the director and screenwriter, to change Elsa from Anna’s nemesis to her beloved but troubled older sister. Thanks to this change, "Frozen" offered its audience a dynamic absent from most Disney princess stories that had come before: the film’s central love story was that of the love shared between sisters.

14. "Zootopia"— Judy Hopps wasn't always the main character

"Zootopia," winner of the 2017 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, tells the story of a city populated by talking animals. The film’s main character, Judy Hopps, is a rabbit whose dreams of becoming a police officer are consistently dashed because rabbits have never been police officers before. Her character presents the perfect Disney narrative of a young character overcoming obstacles in order to make their dreams a reality.

Yet even though this seems to be an obvious narrative choice, Judy wasn’t originally the film’s protagonist. Nick Wilde, the crafty conman fox who teams up with Judy in the film, was meant to be the story’s focal point. In this original concept, Judy was Nick’s sidekick, until an impulse decision to reverse these characters’ roles came with only a year left before the film’s release. The change allowed for the film to tell a more organically hopeful and emotional story; and as a result, Disney had yet another smash hit on their hands.

13. "The Lion King"— Scar snaps Mufasa's neck

The wildebeest stampede scene in "The Lion King" has become infamous over the years for providing an early source of emotional trauma for young viewers. Simba, still a cub only just beginning his royal training, witnesses his father, Mufasa, trampled to death by a stampede he believes he has caused. In reality, the stampede is orchestrated by Mufasa’s nefarious brother, Scar, in an attempt to seize the power he feels is rightfully his own.

In earlier drafts of the script, Mufasa’s murder was far more graphic and unsettling. Although early drafts lacked the "Hamlet" parallels of brother killing brother, Scar was initially a much larger, more bloodthirsty, and entirely unrelated lion who brutally murdered Mufasa by snapping his neck with the strength of his own jaw. This, however, would have made Simba’s feelings of guilt and his self-imposed exile impossible to execute. And without his exile, there would be no “Hakuna Matata.” So really, this was all for the best.

The INSIDER Summary: 

• Disney is loved by almost everyone — but that doesn't stop critics from being harsh on them.
• Even favorites like "A Goofy Movie" and "Oliver & Company" have received less than glowing reviews.
• "The Wild" is the worst reviewed of the bunch.

Disney Pixar’s "Cars 3" has been in cinemas for a month now, which is long enough for it to build a steady score on infamous review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. It’s currently at a pretty average 68%, faring much better than "Cars 2" (see list entry #8), but not quite as good as the first in the franchise, which has a “Certified Fresh” rating of 74%.

Despite Disney being loved by almost everyone, its movies don’t always get a good score on Rotten Tomatoes. But can Rotten Tomatoes really be trusted to tell you how good a film is — or isn’t? Critics often fail to look at a children’s movie through the eyes of a child, and push their tastes onto a simple cartoon made to entertain youngsters. Especially when it comes to a studio so highly regarded as Disney, critics are known to pick fault with a movie just for the sake of it.

So, focusing on just Disney’s animated movies — and not including the Mouse House’s many ill-received direct-to-video sequels — here, ranked from least to most rotten, are the 15 Worst Animated Disney Movies According To Rotten Tomatoes (And Why They’re Wrong).

15. Home on the Range (2004) — 54%

"Home On The Range" tells the story of Maggie the dairy cow, and her adventurous effort to save her farm from foreclosure, and stop a notorious cattle rustler. The film features an all-star (albeit not quite A-List) cast including Roseanne Barr, Judi Dench, Jennifer Tilly, Cuba Gooding Jr., Randy Quaid, and Steve Buscemi.

Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus says: “Though "Home on the Range" is likeable and may keep young children diverted, it’s one of Disney’s more middling titles, with garish visuals and a dull plot.”

Since the early days of Disney, the studio has been releasing Westerns, and "Home On The Range" is a way to open up the genre to a modern, young audience. It might not be as memorable as some of the studio’s’ other releases, but with its slapstick humor and basic animation, it’s perfect for little ones — which, let’s be honest here, is Disney’s target audience. Critics forget that sometimes a movie needs to be just an innocent piece of kids’ entertainment, without an unnecessary underlying narrative, and "Home On The Range" is just that.

14. A Christmas Carol (2009) — 54%

A motion-captured, 3-D CGI movie, "A Christmas Carol" is very different from what we’re used to seeing from Disney. Starring Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman, the movie retells the traditional Christmas tale, using a lot of original Dickens’ dialogue and details.

Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus says: “Robert Zemeckis’ 3-D animated take on the Dickens classic tries hard, but its dazzling special effects distract from an array of fine performances from Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman.”

To see the film criticized for its stunning visuals is absurd, and complimenting the voice/motion-capture actors’ performances in such a backhanded way is equally ridiculous. The movie was at the forefront of a new technology and film style, and utilized its brilliant cast to tell a classic story, bringing Dickens’ work to a new generation of fans, while creeping them out with its child-friendly terror just enough to enforce the work’s original message.

13. A Goofy Movie (1995) — 53%

Mickey Mouse’s best buddy gets his own movie, following on from the "Goof Troop" TV series. "A Goofy Movie" follows Goof as he goes through the typical parent struggle of staying close to your offspring when they start to grow up, while remaining his usual accident-prone, awkward self.

Critics said about the movie: “Makes its title character the second banana to a protagonist and a scenario entirely unworthy of him, mired in instantly-dated sops to early-’90s pop culture” and “If they wanted to make a movie about Goofy, then they should have found a better script for him.”

"The Goofy Movie" is held with pretty high regard by Disney fans. Those “instantly-dated sops to early-’90s pop culture” are actually perfect little nuggets of nostalgia. Who doesn’t love nostalgia?

The best part of the movie though is how it’s grown up with anyone that held it close to their heart in their younger days. First you related with Max as an awkward teen, wanting space from your parents; but now you relate with Goof, either as a parent yourself, or just in the realization of how wrong you were to push your parents away before.

Walt Disney Studios made a major update to its theatrical schedule in July at the fan event D23 Expo.

The company outlined its movie schedule for the next two years, announced new live-action films, and confirmed release dates and casting for movies including "Aladdin" and "Dumbo."

They're just two additions to more than 20 coming Disney movies, which includes a mix of animated films, Marvel superheroes, sequels, and many more trips to a galaxy far, far away. Disney previously released dates for coming films stretching through 2020 and beyond. INSIDER rounded up every release date we know for the studio.

This list does not include all of Disney's undated live-action films. You can see all of those titles here.

Here is everything you can expect to see from Disney from now through 2020:

We'll finally get a third "Thor" movie in November.

In "Thor: Ragnarok," the God of Thunder will be imprisoned on one side of the universe without his hammer and with a new look.

At the same time, his home of Asgard is undergoing some new management after being destroyed by new villain Hela (Cate Blanchett).

Her character's so strong she broke Thor's hammer in the movie's first teaser. You can read more on her here.

Pixar's newest film, "Coco," follows the journey of aspiring 12-year-old musician Miguel, as he makes his way through the Land of the Dead. 

Miguel, along with his canine sidekick Dante, end up being transported to the Land of the Dead on Dia de los Muertos — also known as the Day of the Dead — a Mexican holiday that honors friends and family members who have passed away.

Together they find themselves in the company of Hector, who leads them on an adventure that reveals some of Miguel's family secrets.

"Coco" will hit theaters on November 22, and Disney has released five photos of the film to give viewers an idea of what's to come.

Here's your first look at "Coco":

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every Pixar movie from worst to best

Miguel and Dante.

Here's a closer look at Miguel's goofy companion Dante.

Miguel singing with new friend from the Land of the Dead.

A legend surrounds Steve Jobs. He is described as brilliant and tone-deaf, dynamic but with a sharp tongue. A bunch of movies and books have sought to describe what made Jobs, who died in 2011, so special and so different.

I just finished reading "Creativity Inc.," the excellent book by Ed Catmull, the president of Pixar and Disney Animation, and Jobs features throughout the book. He bought what became Pixar from Lucasfilm in 1986 and remained involved with the company until his death.

In an afterword titled "The Steve We Knew," Catmull addresses some of the popular depictions of Jobs, and he said many of them missed the mark.

"I worked closely with Steve Jobs for twenty-six years," Catmull wrote. "To this day, for all that has been written about him, I don't believe that any of it comes close to capturing the man I knew.

"I've been frustrated that the stories about him tend to focus so narrowly on his extreme traits and the negative, difficult aspects of his personality."

The book added:

"The word genius is used a lot these days — too much, I think — but with Steve, I actually think it was warranted. Still, when I first came to know him, he was frequently dismissive and brusque. This is the part of Steve that people love to write about ... To let them drive Steve's narrative, however, it so miss the more important story. In the time I worked with Steve, he didn't just gain the kind of practical experience you would expect to acquire while running two dynamic, successful businesses; he also got smarter about when to stop pushing people and how to keep pushing them, if necessary, without breaking them. He became fairer and wiser, and his understanding of partnership deepened — in large part because of his marriage to Laurene and his relationships with the children he loved so much."

One anecdote in the book is about Jobs' design for Pixar's new office building in the late 1990s. His first attempt "was based on some peculiar ideas he had about how to force interaction among people," according to Catmull. For example, there was a single women's and single men's restroom in the building. There was protest, and Jobs backed down from his plan.

Next, he suggested separate buildings for each movie in production, so each team could have its own space. Again, Catmull was less than keen, so he took Jobs to a Disney building known as Northside. There, he saw wide-open hallways, open floor plans, and "accidental mingling" under a single roof.

After the trip, he met again with his architects, and set down the principles for a single Pixar building. It would be designed to "encourage people to mingle, meet and communicate," Catmull said. Jobs presided over every detail of the building's construction, and Pixar workers came to call the building "Steve's movie."

"I worked with Steve for more than a quarter-century — longer, I believe, than anyone else — and I saw an arc to his life that does not accord with the one-note portraits of relentless perfectionism I've read in magazines, newspapers, and even his own authorized biography," Catmull said. "Relentless Steve — the boorish, brilliant, but emotionally tone-deaf guy that we first came to know — changed into a different man during the last two decades of his life."

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Disney just released the full trailer for its next Pixar movie, "Coco," and it looks visually stunning.
• The movie follows an aspiring musician named Miguel.
• There's just one problem. His family has a generations-old ban on music.
• It all stems back to his great, great grandfather, a musical icon Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), mysteriously disappearing.
• When Miguel goes in search of some answers, he winds up in a colorful Land of the Dead filled with walking skeletons and deceased relatives. 
• As beautiful as it is, he only has until sunrise to make it back to the Land of the Living before he becomes a skeleton, too.
• It's clear from the movie's first two trailers, "Coco" will bring the color and vibrancy of Mexican holiday "The Day of the Dead" to life. 
• "Coco" will be in theaters November 22, 2017. Watch the trailer below.
  

SEE ALSO: Take a look at Pixar's beautiful new movie 'Coco,' which explores the afterlife

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The INSIDER Summary:

• 3D artist Lance Phan turns people into characters that resemble the animation found across Pixar films. 
• Phan is so busy, he had to close commissions temporarily due to an overwhelming number of bookings. 
• Prices vary depending on the complexity of the photo submitted. 
• See some of his impressive artwork below. 

If you’re wondering what you would look like inside a Pixar movie, perhaps Lance Phan can give you a hand. 

The 3D artist transforms real people into characters that resemble the iconic style found across Pixar films. Don’t expect to get a slot with the creative immediately though. Phan is one busy bee, and has currently closed commissions due to an overwhelming number of bookings lined up. You can, however, leave your email address and get notified on the next opening date. 

Prices of his artworks vary depending on the complexity of the photo submitted. He’s provided a reference on his website as an estimate to what your portrait could cost. 

Preview some of his creations below and see an overview on his gallery here. You can also follow the artist on Instagram @lance_phanor via Facebook for regular updates. 

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• Disneyland announced details of a new Pixar Fest, which will help fans celebrate all of their favorite Disney Pixar characters.
• The festival includes a new fireworks show and the return of two parades, as well as themed decor, food, beverages, and merchandise. 
• The festival begins on April 13, 2018.
• Pixar Fest signals the beginning of a Pixar expansion in California.

If you tear up just thinking about the Carl and Ellie montage from “Up,” you’re going to lose it over Disneyland’s latest Pixar news.

Disneyland announced details on Thursday about the brand new Pixar Fest, an event that encompasses all things “Toy Story,” “Cars,” “Inside Out,” and more.

As was previously announced by Disney Parks Chairman Bob Chapek at the D23 Expo in August, Pixar Fest will help fans celebrate their favorite Disney Pixar characters during an all-new park experience.

The limited event will begin on April 13, 2018 and is described as a “celebration of friendship.” The festival will include a new fireworks show and the return of two parades featuring even more Pixar characters, as well as themed decor, entertainment, food, beverages and merchandise for the Pixar lovers among us. The Pixar Shorts film festival will also run through much of Pixar Fest at the Sunset Showcase Theater in Disney California Adventure.

According to the Disney Parks Blog, a nighttime show called “Together Forever - A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular” will also begin on April 13, featuring pyrotechnics, musical favorites and story projections on iconic Disneyland locations like the Sleeping Beauty Castle and the buildings of Main Street, U.S.A. Buzz Lightyear will even make an appearance, flying over the castle for the special occasion.

The “Paint the Night” Parade will also return with more Pixar stories and characters from “Toy Story, Monsters Inc.” and “Cars,” and a brand new parade called the “Pixar Play Parade” will also weave its way through the park. The iconic Pixar Luxo lamp is even promised to open the show.

A Pixar-themed musical group in the Paradise Gardens area, as well as plentiful character meet and greets will round out the Pixar-filled fun.

The festival also signals the beginning of a larger Pixar expansion in Anaheim. As was also announced at this year’s D23 Expo, part of Disney California Adventure park will get a permanent Pixar makeover when Paradise Pier transforms into Pixar Pier. The area will feature neighborhoods and characters from “The Incredibles,” “Inside Out,” and “Toy Story,” among others.

Although an official opening date has not been announced for the immersive Pixar area, a previous Disney Parks Blog post said that the Pier would open during Pixar Fest 2018. Therefore, it seems probable that the area could open during the festivities or soon after.

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•  Disney California Adventure announced a host of new attractions and themed lands coming to Pixar Pier (formerly Paradise Pier) in summer 2018.
• The "Incredicoaster" based on "The Incredibles" movie franchise is the biggest announcement.
• Pixar Pier will also have three new lands dedicated to "Toy Story,""Inside Out," and a general Pixar-themed boardwalk area with games and prizes.
• The iconic Mickey's Fun Wheel will be redesigned to feature Pixar characters.

 
Hold on to your Mickey ears because there are big changes coming to Disney California Adventure. Last week, Disney announced the big plans for Pixar Pier — the new park that will replace Disney's Paradise Pier — opening the summer of 2018.

The newly themed park will feature brand-new attractions, as well as re-themed versions of classic California Adventure attractions like the iconic Mickey's Fun Wheel. California Screamin' will be revamped to become "The Incredicoaster," and there will be four new "lands" filled with attractions based on Pixar movies: Toy Story, The Incredibles, Inside Out, and a general Pixar-themed boardwalk.

Sadly, this will also mean the closing of Ariel’s Grotto restaurant and the Cove Bar, which will serve its last colorful secret menu drinks on January 8, 2018. 

"The Incredibles"-themed Incredicoaster is replacing the current attraction, California Screamin'.

The Incredicoaster will be a re-themed version of California Adventure's original California Screamin' ride, and will — according to Disney — feature "a mid-century-modern-style loading area, new character moments, and a new look for the ride vehicles." It will be the focal point of "The Incredibles"-themed land opening at Pixar Pier.

California Screamin' will close on January 8th to make way for The Incredicoaster coming the summer of 2018.

Our Prediction:

In addition to the Incredicoaster epicenter of this themed land, we think it would be fun to have a superhero academy, where young fans can train with The Incredibles and their friends (much like the Jedi Training Academy at Disney's Hollywood Studios).

This could also be an opportunity to integrate technology with guest experience, and have interactive games where kids can run around the park, stopping bad guys with the help of the Incredibles family.

The new Toy Story Land will be centered around the already-existing Toy Story Midway Mania! ride.

The second of four "lands" coming to Disney's Pixar Pier is Toy Story Land, which will be built around the pre-existing Toy Story Midway Mania! attraction and will center around the "Toy Story" movie franchise.

The land is also coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida, where it will feature a Slinky dog rollercoaster and will also open the summer of 2018. 

Our Prediction

The land already exists in Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris' Walt Disney Studios Park (where it is called Toy Story Playland). In both renditions, guests are "shrunk down" to the size of a toy and encounter larger-than-life versions of their favorite toys and characters from the Pixar movie franchise. 

We think the California Adventure version of this land will look very similar to the international versions, but it might include more appearances from newer characters as seen in Toy Story 3 (like Lotso the pink teddy bear-turned-villain and Trixie the Triceratops toy).

The third land coming to Disney's California Adventure will be themed after Pixar's "Inside Out"

The third Pixar land joining the fun at California Adventure is a bit of a mystery. We know it will be themed after one of Pixar's newest films, "Inside Out," but Disney has not given any more details thus far, except that it will open —along with the rest of the park — next summer.

Our Prediction

We know the least about this Pixar land, but — if you've seen the movie "Inside Out"— you know that the protagonist Riley's brain is already divided into themed areas called "Islands of Personality:" like "Family Island" and "Goofball Island." Disney could have the park mimic the islands found in Riley's brain.

We can also see a simulator ride fitting into this themed land, like the now-closed Cranium Command at Disney World, where guests would climb on-board inside Riley's brain and get a bird's eye view of a day in the life of a pre-teen girl from the perspective of her lovable, anthropomorphic emotions. 

• "Coco" is the latest Pixar movie and is directed by Lee Unkrich ("Toy Story 3").
• The movie focuses on the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos ("Day of the Dead"), and marks the first time Pixar has told a story around a cultural celebration.
• Unkrich brought on cultural consultants to make sure the story was representing Mexican culture correctly. This is the first time a Pixar movie has welcomed in outsiders to a project still in production.
• This came after the Latino community protested Disney for attempting to patent the phrase "Dia del los Muertos" for the movie.

Director Lee Unkrich was hot off the box office success and Oscar win for 2010’s “Toy Story 3” when he delved into making a movie that focused on the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos. Seven years later, the project now known as “Coco” is finally ready for release (in theaters November 22), but the experience of making it was unlike any other Pixar movie before. 

Under the watchful eye of Pixar/Walt Disney Animation head John Lasseter, Disney animation has been a powerhouse for over two decades. A big reason for that is the visionaries behind the scenes who are always looking for a challenge. For Unkrich, it was the Day of the Dead holiday that really fascinated him as an entry into telling a story. 

“It wasn't until I started to learn about the tradition, and what it was truly all about, and its history, that I started to really see the potential of telling a story that could be very adventurous and visually dazzling, full of music and color, but could also have a real emotional resonance,” Unkrich told Business Insider. “And that's what we're all really looking for ultimately in the stories that we tell. We don't want to just tell a story that's gimmicky and clever.”

It would be new terrain for Pixar: the first time it would tell a story around a cultural celebration. But Lasseter was game. He gave Unkrich the okay and the filmmaker got started in September of 2011.

The story follows a young boy named Miguel who secretly wants to be a famous musician, though his family has forbidden music after his great-great-grandfather left the family to seek out fame as a musician. While celebrating Day of the Dead, Miguel magically ends up in the Land of the Dead, and must go on a journey to find his way back to the living while also searching for his great-great-grandfather.

“Many of us have lost loved ones and have spend time thinking about them and wanting to keep their memories alive, so we felt even though this was a culturally specific setting for our story that it was going to be full of ideas that people all over the world could relate to,” Unkrich said.

But finding the right tone for the culture it was spotlighting turned out to be the project’s biggest challenge. At first, to stay clear of stereotypes and making sure to be culturally respectful, Unkrich said he used many Pixar artists and employees who are Mexican or Mexican-American as a sounding board. However, a major roadblock hit the production in 2013 when Disney filed an application to patent Dia de los Muertos for the release of the movie. The Latino community went into an uproar on social media and a petition to stop Disney went up on Change.org and received over 21,000 signatures. The company quickly withdrew the application.

Unkrich admits making “Coco” has been a learning process from the start, but he said they really hit their stride when they put together a group of cultural consultants. Made up of people like Lalo Alcaraz — author of the nationally syndicated comic “La Cucaracha,” who was one of the most vocal opponents of the patent — and Latino playwright Octavio Solis, the group would meet with Unkrich, codirector Adrian Molina, and their team every few months and look at the development of the project. It was the first time on any Pixar movie that outsiders were allowed into the studio’s creative process. And getting the feedback of outsiders didn’t stop there.

“We ended up bringing in periodically big groups of all sorts of folks from the Latino community, from artists to writers to political figures to media executives, because we wanted to get a lot of different perspectives,” Unkrich said. “What we quickly learned is there is no one right way to tell a story set in the Latino community, there are a lot of different opinions. Part of our challenge was trying to navigate all those different opinions to figure out our path forward.”

These meetings with the consultants and Latino community didn’t lead to any major changes to the story, Unkrich said, however they were responsible for many small tweaks that increased the movie’s connection to Mexican culture.

One example is a change in how the character of Miguel’s grandmother, Abuelita, disciplines people.

“In her earlier conception we gave her a wooden spoon that was tucked into her apron string and she would whip that out and kind of hit you to express displeasure,” Unkrich said. “It was at one of our earlier screenings that a couple of our cultural consultants said, ‘A spoon has nothing to do with Latino culture, she should really pull off her chancla, her slipper, and hit them with it.’ And that was the first time we learned about la chancla, and we embraced the idea fully. That one adjustment has proven to win us a lot of points in the Latino community because it's something a lot of people grew up fearing.”

Then there were the factors surrounding the movie that were beyond Unkrich and Pixar’s control, like how immigration suddenly became a hot-button topic after the election of Donald Trump as president. Unkrich said he and his crew were in Mexico on election night, recording music by local musicians for the movie. He said the news of the Trump win didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits, but he does recognize the current climate about immigration and race, and how it’s changed substantially since back when they began working on “Coco.”

“I feel like this has been a confusing time for many people, and there's lots of negativity in the air, and we just hope that with this film we are bringing some needed positivity,” he said.

Unkrich doesn’t know if “Coco” can be a unifier, but he does believe that telling stories like this is important.

“I think a lot of great change in history has come from stories and storytelling, there's a power to it,” he said. “The one thing that everyone knows for sure these days is that we're living in super unpredictable times. All I can really say is that I firmly believe that by bringing this movie out we're trying to be part of the solution rather than trying to be part of the problem.”

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• Disney and Pixar released the first teaser trailer for "The Incredibles 2."
• It shows off the youngest member of the Incredibles family, Jack-Jack, running around showing off some of his superpowers, including laser vision and the ability to turn into a flame of fire.
• The sequel will take place moments after the original 2004 movie ended.
• The original cast — Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelsen — will return with Helen/Elastigirl fighting crime and Mr. Incredible at home with the kids.
• Samuel L. Jackson will also return as Frozone who will help the Incredibles take down a new villain.
• "Incredibles 2" will be in theaters June 15, 2018. Watch the trailer below.

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