John Lasseter Credited as Cars 2 Co-Director?

It has long been rumored that major development issues have created roadblocks during Cars 2 production.

Fortunately, back-up was readily available. Jim Hill reports that Disney represenatives openly announced John Lasseter’s attachment to the project as co-director at the company’s Holiday Showcase in New York. Just think of this as an ‘emergency towing’ scenario for Ratatouille producer Brad Lewis.

Turns out that the Disney/Pixar Chief Creative Officer has been spending a lot of time in Emeryville lately, presumably tightening up Lightning and Mater’s return to the big screen. Personally, this sequel seems very important to me. As Pixar’s least critically favored franchise, Cars 2 could serve as a ‘redemption’ of sorts. It’s clear that John Lasseter is going the extra mile (directing for the first time since the original Cars in 2006) for a film that’s sure to rake in hundreds of millions at the box-office next summer.

So what does all of this mean for Pixar’s 2011 project? Well, it’s not that big of a deal. See, every single Pixar film goes through a bumpy road (excuse the pun) and Cars 2 is no exception. This time, though, it’s John Lasseter’s baby and he wants to have a hand in plussing this exciting worldwide adventure.

Cars 2 is set to drive into theatres (and IMAX) exactly one year from today!

Catch all the car puns? Your thoughts?