Walt DisneyStudios and Pixar Animation Studios have put back the US release of Cars by seven months to Jun 9 2006,announcing a roster of key international releases to tally with the new summerslot. It was originally set to open in the US on Nov 4 2005.

Cars will open through Buena VistaInternational in France on Jul 12 2006, Germany and Switzerland on Jul 13, theUK and Spain on Jul 14, Japan on Jul 15 and Italy on Sept 1.

"The move fromNovember 2005 to June 2006 makes perfect sense," Walt Disney Studios chairmanDick Cook said in a statement.

"Cars is the quintessential summer film foraudiences of all ages. In the vein of Finding Nemo, we feel the movie will have legsthroughout the summer and beyond."

"Cars longs to be a summer movie," Pixar chiefexecutive officer Steve Jobs added. "We plan to finish Cars on its original schedule and lookforward to Cars andour future films benefiting by summer theatrical releases and holiday DVDreleases."

Cars is the final title that Pixar mustdeliver to Disney under the companies' contractual agreement. Each of the firstfive pictures has been a global hit and The Incredibles, the sixth title in the series, hasalready grossed more than $300m worldwide.

Jobs has not yetreached an agreement with another studio to distribute Pixar's pictures oncethe current contract with Disney expires.