Almost every Pixar film released since the studio’s debut - Toy Story - has been critically well received, their lowest Rotten Tomatoes score being 77% for last year’s The Good Dinosaur.

That score, however, is negating both the Cars films, the first of which holds a 74% rating while the second rest at just 39%.

Unsurprisingly, for the third film in the series, the animation studio has decided to switch things up again. The first trailer for Cars 3 ditches the childish aesthetic of the previous films, instead teasing a much darker tone.

Perhaps the Pixar animators were inspired by the response to their gritty, non-Disney release one-shot, Borrowed Time.

Pixar: Small wonders Show all 6 1 /6 Pixar: Small wonders Pixar: Small wonders Dark side of the toon: Pixar's latest short feature, 'Day & Night' PIXAR Pixar: Small wonders 'Knick Knack' (1989) is about a snowman trying to break out of his globe PIXAR Pixar: Small wonders 'Tin Toy' (1988) sees a wind-up toy being terrorised by a destructive toddler PIXAR Pixar: Small wonders 2003's 'Boundin' is a musical ditty about sheep shearing set in Montana, which stars a longhorn sheep who is embarrassed by the annual ritual of being shorn PIXAR Pixar: Small wonders 'The Adventures of André and Wally B' from 1984 PIXAR Pixar: Small wonders A still from 'Toy Story 3', which opens later this month PIXAR

Once again, Owen Wilson will voice the film’s leading character Lightning McQueen, while Bonnie Hunt, Cheech Marin, and Daniel Lawrence Whitney (AKA Larry the Cable Guy) will also reprise their respective roles. Storyboard artist Brian Fee will direct the film.