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Pixar is developing a third Monsters, Inc.<\/i> film, according to The Wall Street Journal<\/u><\/i><\/a>, adding another franchise sequel to a lineup that already includes Incredibles 3<\/i> and Coco 2<\/i>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The film would be the first theatrical sequel to the original Monsters, Inc.<\/i> \u2014 the 2013 follow-up, Monsters University<\/i>, was a prequel.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For anyone wondering why Pixar keeps returning to this well, the financial math is straightforward.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The original Monsters, Inc.<\/i> (2001), directed by Pete Docter<\/b> \u2014 now Pixar\u2019s Chief Creative Officer \u2014 was produced on a budget of approximately $115 million and earned $579 million at the global box office.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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 \u201cIf I Didn\u2019t Have You\u201d by Randy Newman<\/b>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The prequel escalated on both sides of the ledger. Monsters University<\/i> cost approximately $200 million and grossed $743 million worldwide \u2014 a bigger commercial hit than the original, even with the higher production cost.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n John Goodman<\/b> (Sully) and Billy Crystal<\/b> (Mike Wazowski) starred in both films and reprised their roles for Monsters at Work<\/i>, a TV series that premiered its first season on Disney+ in 2021 and aired its second season on Disney Channel in 2024.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That series introduced Ben Feldman<\/b> as new character Tylor Tuskmon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The franchise reaches beyond the screen, too. Attractions exist at Disney California Adventure (Anaheim), Magic Kingdom (Orlando), and Tokyo Disneyland.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not only that, but a full Monsters, Inc.<\/i>-themed land is coming to Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios, replacing the Muppet*Vision 3D area.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The news comes nearly a decade after Docter discussed a potential third film in a 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly<\/u><\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At the time, Toy Story 4<\/i> and The Incredibles 2<\/i> were still years from release, and Monsters, Inc.<\/i> was celebrating its 15th anniversary.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou never say never \u2014 who knows what will happen?\u201d Docter said of a potential sequel.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe purposely went with a prequel for Monsters University<\/i> because we didn\u2019t want to answer some of the questions about what happens to Boo, and how does she grow up, and things like that,\u201d he added. \u201cIt would have to be really compelling, which is hopefully the benchmark for all of our sequels, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the return of Boo \u2014 the human girl at the center of the original film\u2019s plot, in which two monsters help return her to the human world \u2014 Docter said a Boo-focused sequel was among the earliest pitches that was scrapped.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPart 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,\u201d Docter told EW in 2016.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Whether the current development revisits that concept remains unknown.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Monsters, Inc. 3<\/i> doesn\u2019t exist in isolation. Pixar\u2019s announced development slate is now stacked with franchise extensions and a couple of original projects:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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 \u2014 a trajectory that speaks to shifting internal priorities at the studio.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The timing of these announcements tracks with Pixar\u2019s recent theatrical performance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The new projects come as Pixar returned to box office dominance with Hoppers<\/i>. 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<\/u><\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That $46 million opening provides context for the broader strategy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A studio that can still open an original film at No. 1 domestically has more leverage \u2014 and potentially more internal justification \u2014 for balancing sequels with untested properties.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The franchise titles offer financial predictability; originals like Ono Ghost Market<\/i> and the untitled musical represent creative bets that Pixar\u2019s brand has historically demanded.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\nThe Franchise\u2019s Box Office Track Record<\/h2>\n
What Pete Docter Has Said About a Third Film<\/h2>\n
Pixar\u2019s Full Development Slate<\/h2>\n
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\u2018Hoppers\u2019 and the Box Office Question<\/h2>\n