No franchise appears immune to the legacy sequel trend. Despite the passing of one of the original Ghostbusters, the series continues to make frequent returns to the cinema. Decades had passed since Beetlejuice appeared in theaters, yet the opportunity to unite Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, and Tim Burton’s latest muse, Jenna Ortega, as three generations of Deetzes was simply too tempting to pass up.
Animated films are particularly susceptible to this phenomenon, as characters can be illustrated as if they haven’t aged a day. Currently, a popular Pixar property is returning for a third chapter that will finally provide a direct continuation of the initial narrative.
A Wall Street Journal feature on Pixar CEO Pete Docter highlighted numerous future projects, including Incredibles 3, Coco 2, and the studio’s inaugural musical from Turning Red director Domee Shi. However, the most thrilling revelation may be that Monsters, Inc. 3 is currently in the early stages of production, marking the first direct sequel in the franchise’s 25-year timeline.
The 2013 release Monsters University served as a prequel, showcasing the college days of Mike Wazowski and James “Sulley” Sullivan as they attempted to lead a fraternity of outcasts to success. While we have seen these characters once since their debut, we have not yet seen the aftermath of their decision to switch from collecting screams to harvesting laughs for energy.
This is not the first instance where a follow-up has been in the works. During the mid-2000s, a sequel tentatively named Monsters, Inc. 2: Lost in Scaradise was in development, following Mike and Sulley as they entered the human world to celebrate an older Boo’s birthday. That project was shelved following Disney’s purchase of Pixar, though some of those ideas might be incorporated into this new film.
Since the film is in such nascent stages of development, there are no details regarding the plot, but the release schedule allows for some speculation. The original Monsters, Inc. catered to children coming of age at the start of the millennium. Monsters University revisited those characters a dozen years later, coinciding with that same audience embarking on their own college journeys. Now, that generation is aging and possibly having children of their own. Might the plot explore Boo as a mother introducing her offspring to her former monster friends?
This creates the ideal formula for a legacy sequel: introducing a new child to perpetuate the series. The film could even expand further by featuring the offspring of Mike and Sulley, potentially leading to a fresh set of adventures involving these kids; everything depends on the passage of time in the monster universe (and at Pixar’s headquarters).