'Cars 3' release date, news: Trailer provides a sneak peek at what looks to be a dark, gritty sequel

A screenshot from "Cars 3" trailerYouTube/ Disney Pixar

Most animated films show the lighter side of life, making it an ideal medium for kids to have a good time. The trailer for "Cars 3," however, showed a serious side, as if it matured along with the little kids who used to watch the first two films.

In the official trailer, the famous Lightning McQueen is seen racing, but the animation looks very different from its predecessors. One could even mistakenly identify the clip as a NASCAR race. Suddenly, McQueen busts his tires and goes rolling out while in a blaze.

A lot of varied reactions were seen from the said trailer. Some felt like their childhood was ruined and that it is not kid-friendly, while others were quick to defend it and rather showed appreciation to a bold move. The said teaser indeed had a grim feel to it that one Vimeo user recreated the trailer and used a "Logan"-inspired background music, making it even more depressing, Comic Book reported.

Twitter/ @cartoonlover98

In one of the reports from USA Today, director Brian Fee introduced a new character for the third film by the name of Cruz Ramirez, who will be helping him in his career as a racer. Mcqueen will be facing off against some talented rookies, and Ramirez will be helping him in returning to his former glory.

Fee further explained that another new character, Jackson Storm, will be making a huge appearance in the movie, and he even has the potential of outshining the now-veteran McQueen. "Everyone can relate to feeling like someone is at their heels, that they might be a little outdated in something they used to be very good at, feeling an expiration date. And knowing you need someone to help you get a second chance," Fee said.

This now makes a lot of sense, but no one warned anyone about a scary crash. This does make the story interesting, and it can even teach a thing or two about being responsible in whatever one does.

"Cars 3" is scheduled to premiere on June 16, 2017.

YouTube/ Disney Pixar