Pixar is developing a third Monsters, Inc. film, according to The Wall Street Journal, adding another franchise sequel to a lineup that already includes Incredibles 3 and Coco 2.
No release date has been announced, and the studio has not made any official statement. The WSJ report is the only public indication that the project is in the works.
The film would be the first theatrical sequel to the original Monsters, Inc. — the 2013 follow-up, Monsters University, was a prequel.
Pixar has not confirmed where in the franchise timeline the story will take place, leaving open whether it picks up after the events of the 2001 original or charts a different path.
The Franchise’s Box Office Track Record
For anyone wondering why Pixar keeps returning to this well, the financial math is straightforward.
The original Monsters, Inc. (2001), directed by Pete Docter — now Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer — was produced on a budget of approximately $115 million and earned $579 million at the global box office.
That roughly 5-to-1 return came with awards recognition: Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature (it lost to Shrek), Best Original Score, and Best Sound Editing, plus a win for Best Original Song for “If I Didn’t Have You” by Randy Newman.
The prequel escalated on both sides of the ledger. Monsters University cost approximately $200 million and grossed $743 million worldwide — a bigger commercial hit than the original, even with the higher production cost.
John Goodman (Sully) and Billy Crystal (Mike Wazowski) starred in both films and reprised their roles for Monsters at Work, a TV series that premiered its first season on Disney+ in 2021 and aired its second season on Disney Channel in 2024.
That series introduced Ben Feldman as new character Tylor Tuskmon.
The franchise reaches beyond the screen, too. Attractions exist at Disney California Adventure (Anaheim), Magic Kingdom (Orlando), and Tokyo Disneyland.
Not only that, but a full Monsters, Inc.-themed land is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, replacing the Muppet*Vision 3D area.
What Pete Docter Has Said About a Third Film
The news comes nearly a decade after Docter discussed a potential third film in a 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly.
At the time, Toy Story 4 and The Incredibles 2 were still years from release, and Monsters, Inc. was celebrating its 15th anniversary.
“You never say never — who knows what will happen?” Docter said of a potential sequel.
“We purposely went with a prequel for Monsters University because we didn’t want to answer some of the questions about what happens to Boo, and how does she grow up, and things like that,” he added. “It would have to be really compelling, which is hopefully the benchmark for all of our sequels, anyway.”
On the return of Boo — the human girl at the center of the original film’s plot, in which two monsters help return her to the human world — Docter said a Boo-focused sequel was among the earliest pitches that was scrapped.
“Part of that idea was like a Peter Pan-type thing, where [Wendy] had been visited by Peter Pan as a kid and had sort of half-forgotten who he was,” Docter told EW in 2016.
Whether the current development revisits that concept remains unknown.
Pixar’s Full Development Slate
Monsters, Inc. 3 doesn’t exist in isolation. Pixar’s announced development slate is now stacked with franchise extensions and a couple of original projects:
- Incredibles 3 — previously announced, expected in theaters in 2028
- Coco 2 — a sequel to the 2017 film, expected in 2029
- Ono Ghost Market — a new original film inspired by Asian myths about supernatural marketplaces; originally developed as a streaming series before being reworked as a feature
- Untitled Musical — Pixar’s first-ever musical, directed by Domee Shi (Turning Red); Shi also recently took over co-direction of Elio after Adrian Molina departed
The ratio: three franchise sequels to two original concepts. Ono Ghost Market stands out as the clearest swing at new IP, with the added wrinkle that it was originally conceived for streaming before being elevated to a theatrical feature — a trajectory that speaks to shifting internal priorities at the studio.
‘Hoppers’ and the Box Office Question
The timing of these announcements tracks with Pixar’s recent theatrical performance.
The new projects come as Pixar returned to box office dominance with Hoppers. The animated film was No. 1 at the domestic box office over the weekend, with about $46 million in ticket sales, per The New York Times.
That $46 million opening provides context for the broader strategy.
A studio that can still open an original film at No. 1 domestically has more leverage — and potentially more internal justification — for balancing sequels with untested properties.
The franchise titles offer financial predictability; originals like Ono Ghost Market and the untitled musical represent creative bets that Pixar’s brand has historically demanded.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
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