It’s all the magic number ‘3’ over at Pixar. Not only is the studio’s beloved superhero family, the Incredibles, gearing up for a highly anticipated return to the big screen, but the pair of Mike Wazowski and P. “Sully” Sullivan will also be joining them.
In a Wall Street Journal profile detailing the inner workings of the company amid promotional efforts for its latest movie, Hoppers, a third Monsters Inc. film was revealed to be in development, with details — including the director and plot specifics — currently kept under wraps.
The project is one of the several sequels in the pipeline, starting with Toy Story 5, which pits Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and friends against an evil tablet this June, followed by The Incredibles 3 in 2028. A year later, the sequel to 2017’s Coco is expected to debut. Pixar is also working on two original stories: Gatto, about a thieving cat in Venice to be released in 2027, and its first-ever, yet-to-be-titled musical from Turning Red director Domee Shi. Ono Ghost Market, meanwhile, has been shifted from a streaming series to a movie, with inspiration rooted in “Asian myths about supernatural bazaars where the living and dead interact.”
Directed by now-Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter, 2001’s Monsters Inc. followed Mike (Billy Crystal) and his one-eyed best friend Sully (John Goodman), who work at the titular company run by monsters that generate power by scaring human children. It was a massive box office hit with a global haul of US$528.7 million, and would later spawn Monsters University in 2013.
After the prequel film grossed US$743.5 million worldwide, the franchise expanded with the two-season Disney+ series Monsters at Work, which saw several other voice actors reprising their roles as guests, alongside Crystal and Goodman. No release date was announced for Monsters Inc. 3.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
