'Cars 3' Trailer: This Is Pixar's Version Of 'Rocky IV'

Sylvester Stallone turned the training montage into a staple of the sports movie genre with his Rocky films, but it looks like the people at Pixar are big fans of Rocky IV in particular. The brand new Cars 3 trailer that just debuted looks like this movie is essentially a remake of Stallone's sequel, and Cars 3 even has its own version of Dolph Lundgren's steroid-fueled Russian boxer Ivan Drago: a sleek new car named Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer). See him go head-to-head with Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) in the new Cars 3 trailer below.

Pixar has gotten a lot of mileage out of exploring the concept of aging throughout its franchises, whether it's Andy growing up in the Toy Story films, Mr. Incredible looking back on his glory days in The Incredibles, and Carl growing old without Ellie by his side in Up. Now they're extending that theme to the Cars franchise in a major way with its protagonist, who's told his racing days are coming to an end. But Lightning McQueen isn't giving up so easily.

Like the Italian Stallion, Lightning returns to his roots (in this case, Radiator Springs) and gets some training – including a beach sequence that I hope ends up like this one from Rocky 3 – from what may be the film's best character. And the comparisons don't stop there: this film's slick new racer villain is framed almost as fetishistically as Lundgren is in Rocky IV. Refresh your memory by watching the trailer, and you'll see exactly what I mean:

Our own Ethan Anderton screened 50 minutes of footage from Cars 3, and you can (and should!) read his in-depth report right here. You can also read his interview with the movie's director, and if you're looking for some nightmare fuel, be sure to check out this theory about where the cars in this franchise come from.

Cars 3 races into theaters on June 16, 2017.

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez (voice of Cristela Alonzo), with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn't through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing's biggest stage!