‘Monsters, Inc. 3’ in Development at Pixar
Pixar is developing a third film in the “Monsters, Inc.” franchise, revisiting one of the studio’s most recognizable animated worlds more than two decades after the original film debuted.
News of the project surfaced in a Wall Street Journal profile examining the current direction of the Emeryville-based animation studio and its leadership under Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter. Disney has not formally confirmed the film, and no director, release date, or story details have been announced.
The original “Monsters, Inc.” premiered in 2001 and quickly became one of Pixar’s defining early successes. Set in a city where monsters generate power by frightening children, the film follows top scarer James P. “Sulley” Sullivan and his partner Mike Wazowski after a human child accidentally enters the monster world. The movie earned about $528 million worldwide and introduced characters that remain among Pixar’s most recognizable.
Pixar later expanded the story with the 2013 prequel “Monsters University,” which explored how Sulley and Mike first met during their college years. That film earned roughly $743 million globally. The franchise also continued through the Disney+ animated series “Monsters at Work,” which followed a new generation of employees at the power company after the events of the original story.
The reported development of a third “Monsters, Inc.” film comes as Pixar continues expanding several of its major franchises. The studio is preparing the release of “Toy Story 5,” while “The Incredibles 3” is scheduled for 2028, and a second “Coco” film is expected to follow in 2029. Pixar is also working on original features, including the Venice-set “Gatto,” the supernatural story “Ono Ghost Market,” and the studio’s first musical from “Turning Red” director Domee Shi.
Pixar’s newest original film, “Hoppers,” opens in theaters this weekend and is projected to earn between $35 million and $40 million domestically in its opening frame.
In the Wall Street Journal profile, Docter reflected on Pixar’s development process in the years following the departure of longtime creative leader John Lasseter. He told the newspaper he may have leaned too heavily toward encouraging filmmakers to pursue highly personal stories, saying, “I probably overindexed on, ‘Do whatever you want.’”
The project is in early development at Pixar, and the studio has not announced production details or a release timeline.
