High Res Photos: Pixar's Tokyo Mater

Disney has sent us high resolution photos of Pixar's new 3D short film Tokyo Mater, which will be attached to Bolt beginning December 12th.

Full press release and four more photos after the jump.

DISNEY•PIXAR TO PREMIERE ITS FIRST

Disney Digital 3-D™ SHORT FILM

Oscar®-Winner John Lasseter Directs

Animated Short Based on "Cars" Character

BURBANK, Calif. (Dec. 9, 2008) – Disney•Pixar will premiere its first Disney Digital 3-D™ short film – "Tokyo Mater" – directed by Academy Award®-winner John Lasseter, at theaters nationwide beginning December 12. Appearing before Walt Disney Pictures' "Bolt," the animated short is the fourth in Disney•Pixar's "Cars Toons" series, inspired by the hit 2006 film "Cars."

The series stars Mater the tow truck (voiced by LARRY THE CABLE GUY), Lightning McQueen's rusty but trusty friend. In "Tokyo Mater," a routine tow lands Mater in Tokyo, where he is challenged to a drift-style race against a nefarious gang leader and his posse of ninjas. With the help of his friend, "Dragon" Lightning McQueen, and some special modifications, Mater attempts to drift to victory and become "Tow-ke-O Mater, King of all Drifters."

All of the "Cars Toons" are directed by Lasseter (director of "Cars," "Toy Story 2," "A Bug's Life" and "Toy Story") and co-directed by Victor Navone (animator on "Cars," "The Incredibles," "Finding Nemo" and "Monsters, Inc.") and Rob Gibbs (story artist on "Cars," "Finding Nemo," "Monsters, Inc." and "Toy Story 2"). Kori Rae (associate producer on "The Incredibles" and "Monsters, Inc.") serves as producer. The previous toons in the series featured Mater as a fire truck in "Rescue Squad Mater," a daredevil in "Mater the Greater" and as a bulldozer fighter in "El Materdor." These three "Cars Toons" aired on Disney Channel, Toon Disney and ABC Family.

"I'm delighted to be back in the director's chair for the 'Cars Toons' series," said Lasseter, who serves as chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios and most recently executive produced "Bolt." "Mater is one of my favorite characters from 'Cars' and is the definition of true friendship. The world has grown to love Mater as much as we do, and we are excited to take him on new adventures with his best friend, Lighting McQueen."

2-D computer versions of "Tokyo Mater" will also be available for theaters showing "Bolt" in 2-D.

About "Cars"

Directed by Academy Award®-winner John Lasseter, "Cars" opened in theaters on June 9, 2006. "Cars" was the 2007 Golden Globe® winner for Best Animated Feature Film and received Academy Award® nominations for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Music – Original Song. The film also won the 2007 Grammy Award® for Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. "Cars" was the #1 animated film on DVD for 2006, and the Disney•Pixar's "Cars" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack debuted in June 2006 at #8, making it the first Pixar soundtrack to enter the Billboard Top 10 and to ship gold.

Disney•Pixar's "Cars 2" will be released in Summer 2011. "Cars 2" is being directed by Brad Lewis, producer of the Oscar®-winning film "Ratatouille." In this adventure, all the world's a racetrack as racing superstar Lightning McQueen zooms back into action, with his best friend Mater in tow, to take on the globe's fastest and finest in this thrilling high-octane new installment of the "Cars" saga. Mater and Lightning McQueen will need their passports as they find themselves in a new world of intrigue, thrills and fast-paced comedic escapades around the globe.

About "Bolt"

For super-dog Bolt (voice of JOHN TRAVOLTA), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue — at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet — a cross-country journey through the real world to get back to his owner and co-star, Penny (voice of MILEY CYRUS). Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and the help of two unlikely traveling companions — a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voice of SUSIE ESSMAN) and a TV-obsessed hamster named Rhino (voice of MARK WALTON) — Bolt discovers he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero. Directed by Chris Williams and Byron Howard, "Bolt" is a hilarious, fun-filled, action-packed animated comedy adventure in Disney Digital 3-D™. Rated PG, Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Bolt" hit theaters Nov. 21, 2008.