Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Cars 2 arrived from Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures in the summer of 2011, a sequel to the studio's 2006 hit and part of an unbroken run of box office dominance that defined Pixar's second decade. The film pivoted away from small town Radiator Springs toward globe trotting espionage, folding in international racing circuits and secret agent plotting alongside its established cast. It marked a shift in tone for the franchise, leaning into action and spectacle, and it expanded the Cars universe into one of Disney's most lucrative merchandising lines, keeping the property in constant circulation well beyond the theatrical run.
An opening credits cell captures the film's earliest run of studio and production titles, the sequence that establishes scale and tone before a single line of dialogue plays. These strips are prized by collectors for marking a picture's true beginning, the frames where the Pixar and Disney names first appear alongside the production's own logo. For a franchise entry like this one, the opening credits carry particular value as a clean, self-contained artifact, untouched by character animation choices and tied directly to the studio's identity rather than to any single scene.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Cars 2 (2011)
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no visible torn or deformed holes
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, with a blue-tinted Dolby Digital data block strip also present between the perforations on the same edge, consistent with a dual-format optical release print
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to quote alphanumeric key numbers or stock codes
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight blue-green tint; the dye image on the frames reads as a dark near-black field with the Disney·Pixar title card logo rendered in white and red, appearing neutral with no obvious colour shift or fading
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks seen
Picture
Positive image; three consecutive frames each showing the same Disney·Pixar title card, consistent with a title sequence from an animated Pixar release print
Era check
The combination of variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, and blue-tinted polyester safety base is consistent with a theatrical release print from the 2000s–2010s era, matching a 2011 release
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063498
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
