The story details surrounding the canceled Monsters, Inc.2 suggest that the Pixar movie would have been an absolute tearjerker. Serving as the fourth movie developed by Pixar, Monsters, Inc. debuted in November 2001 before earning over half a billion at the box office. The animated feature film was directed by Pete Docter and David Silverman and featured lead voice roles from John Goodman and Billy Crystal as two monster best friends who work at an energy-producing factory. Based on the success of the film, there were plans for a sequel that evolved into the 2013 prequel, Monsters University.
Monsters, Inc. followed Sulley (Goodman) and Mike (Crystal) as they worked at the titular company that obtained energy from scaring human children. While living in Monstropolis, the pair were led to believe that children were dangerous creatures. That belief changed when a little girl named “Boo” snuck into the monster world. With the help of Mike, the pair avoid the Child Detection Agency (CDA) while essentially altering the perception when it comes to the relationship between the two very different worlds. Their relationship was at the core of the canceled sequel, Monsters, Inc. 2: Lost In Scaradise.
What Happened After Monsters, Inc.
The Disney+ Series Monsters At Work Shows How The Company Transitions Away From Scare Power
While the canceled sequel movie to Monsters, Inc. never arrived, Disney and Pixar did eventually show what happened after the movie in the Disney+ series Monsters at Work, which was far less dark than the originally proposed idea for a follow-up movie.Monsters at Work explores life at the titular company after Henry J. Waternoose is ousted and imprisoned, showing audiences how monster society moves on from using fear as their power source to laughter.
After Henry J. Waternoose III is arrested, Mike and Sulley are placed in charge of Monsters, Incorporated
After Henry J. Waternoose III is arrested, Mike and Sulley are placed in charge of Monsters, Incorporated, handling the transition from fear to humor-based power. Monsters at Work doesn’t focus as heavily on Mike and Sulley though, and instead showcases the day-to-day operations of Tylor Tuskman, a Monsters, Incorporated employee originally recruited as a scarer, but moved to a position as a mechanic when the company begins to transition.
The series examines the idea of not all monsters being prepared for change as well. Tylor finds himself in the position of also being recruited by a company that still relies on fear for power after working as a mechanic. The second season of Monsters at Work arrived in 2024, and while Monsters at Work season 3 isn’t yet confirmed, the idea still has enough mileage to make a potential continuation possible.
Why Monsters, Inc. 2 Was Canceled
A Prequel Was Opted For Instead Due To Several Behind-The-Scenes Reasons
Monsters University was the second movie in the Monsters, Inc. franchise but was a prequel rather than a sequel. There were originally plans for Monsters, Inc. 2, a movie that followed directly from Monsters, Inc. but it never emerged, and there are several reasons why.
When Disney and Pixar partnered up to release animated movies in the 1990s, the original contract was said to be for seven films. After those seven films were completed, Disney began to work with Circle 7 Animation. While Disney has owned or worked with several different animation divisions over the years, this company actively worked on sequels to the films originally made by Pixar for Disney. Though Pixar produced the movies, the story and character rights were held by Disney.
One of the movies in development under Circle 7 Animation was Monsters, Inc 2. Stories were also said to be in development with Toy Story and Finding Nemo characters. Eventually, those particular Pixar sequels were all scrapped because Circle 7 Animation was completely shut down. After Circle 7 shuttered, Disney actually bought Pixar in 2006. Some of the sequels, like those for Toy Story and Finding Nemo were back in active development at that point, but with Pixar instead.
Monsters, Inc 2 never got made. Instead, Pixar made a prequel in Monsters University. Though the movie didn’t revisit Boo, it did give fans insight into how Mike and Sully met and became friends and teammates.
Plot Details For Monsters, Inc. 2: Lost In Scaradise
The Original Plan For The Second Monsters, Inc. Movie Were Bleak
According to a plot breakdown in a since-deleted tweet, the canceled Monsters, Inc. sequel would have picked up over a year after the original movie when Boo’s repaired door was put in the archive area. Due to their unique bond, Sulley was unable to let go of Boo, so Mike set up a visit on Boo’s birthday. When they arrived through the door, they find a snoring old woman in the room, leading them to set out into the human world to find Boo.
In time, they realized that doors weren’t connected to specific closets, but instead, they were gateways to particular people. Time moved a lot faster in Boo’s world so, in reality, she was that elderly old woman hooked up to hospital machines. When Sulley and Mike realized this fact, they would have visited Boo again, and before she passed, the figure would’ve recognized her furry blue friend.
As touching as the reunion sounds, the story seems a bit dark for the entire focus of the movie. Pixar doesn’t shy away from heart-wrenching material, but this arc would have been a difficult reveal to accept for original Monsters, Inc. fans.
Will There Ever Be A Monsters, Inc. Sequel?
There Are No Plans To Bring Boo And Sulley Back Together (Yet)
Monsters University and Monsters at Work have both been successes for Disney and Pixar. However, there are still currently no plans for Monsters, Inc. 2, with the proposed bleak story or otherwise. While there’s nothing to suggest that the studios won’t make a follow-up, it does seem unlikely by this point for several reasons. Firstly, Disney and Pixar plan their schedules years in advance. If Monsters, Inc. 2 were on the cards anytime soon, there would have been an official announcement in some capacity already.
Secondly, given that Monsters University and Monsters at Work have been successful, there’s less incentive for Disney and Pixar to revisit the Monsters, Inc. ending for a feature-length follow-up. That doesn’t mean the idea hasn’t been discussed, however. According to Pixar’s chief creative officer, Peter Docter, a Monsters, Inc. sequel has been and is still being considered by the studio, but there are key creative barriers preventing it from moving ahead. Docter said (via EW):
We’ve been searching for ideas for a
Monsters, Inc.
sequel for a long time, and we haven’t seen enough to start working on anything there yet.
So, while there have been rumors, the closest thing to an official word on Monsters, Inc. 2 from the studio itself is that it’s not been written off, but there’s not actually any active development on it just yet. Hopefully, a follow-up to Monsters, Inc. will move forward at some point in the future, as many fans still want to see more of the relationship between Sulley and Boo, which was a key aspect of the original movie that neither Monsters University nor Monsters at Work touched on.
How Monsters, Inc. 2 Would’ve Compared To Other Pixar Sequels
Monsters, Inc. 2 Could Have Been The Most Emotional Pixar Sequel
Every Pixar Sequel
|
Original Movie |
Sequel |
|---|---|
|
Toy Story (1995) |
Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010), Toy Story 4 (2019) |
|
Cars (2006) |
Cars 2 (2011), Cars 3 (2017) |
|
Finding Nemo (2003) |
Finding Dory (2016) |
|
The Incredibles (2004) |
The Incredibles (2018) |
|
Inside Out (2015) |
Inside Out 2 (2024) |
It is surprising that Monsters, Inc. 2 never happened considering that Pixar has become more interested in sequels over the years. There have been several follow-ups to Pixar movies with varying results as some felt like unnecessary continuations and others ended up being even better than the original. However, with Monsters, Inc. 2 having such an emotional story planned, it is possible to see some of the similarities the canceled movie would have had to other Pixar sequels.
Some of the Pixar sequels have simply felt like excuses for fans to spend a little more time with some of their favorite characters. This includes Cars 2 and The Incredibles 2, which did not push the narrative forward despite having their fans. Monsters, Inc. 2 seems to have been seeking a deeper story to tell and shares some of the themes of other Pixar sequels in characters coming to realizations about the world that are bittersweet.
The recent Inside Out 2 is a perfect example of this as it continues to explore the idea of young people dealing with emotions and explores the idea of learning from mistakes and using them to become better. Finding Dory is also an emotional story of looking to reconnect with loved ones, a journey that Sulley would have been on in the planned Monsters, Inc. 2.
However, the Pixar sequel that seems as though it would have the most in common with Monsters, Inc. 2 is Toy Story 3. It is another wild and fun adventure with beloved characters like Woody and Buzz. However, it is also a story about learning to say goodbye. The final scene of Andy making peace with his cherished toys finding a new home is the kind of emotional finale that the Monsters, Inc. sequel seemed to be aimed at capturing.
Given that Toy Story 3 is often seen as one of the best Pixar movies of all time, it is intriguing to think how well the Monsters, Inc. 2 idea would have been received.