The Scrapped ‘Monsters Inc.’ Sequel Would Have Brought Back a Beloved Character

The big picture

• The unpublished
  Monsters Inc.
  sequel,
  Monsters, Inc. 2: Lost in Scaradise
  would have followed Sulley and Mike as they got stuck in the human world looking for Boo, meeting new monsters along the way.
• The abandoned sequel would have shown a more mature Boo, exploring how he reconnects with Sulley in the human world.
• while
  Monsters University
  i
  Monsters at work
  continue the stories of Mike and Sulley, they do not capture the potential of
  Lost in Scaradise
  to creatively expand the franchise.

With the new release of Inside out 2, Pixar is finally giving fans the long-awaited sequel to one of the company's most beloved films in recent memory. However, not all of the studio's classics have been so lucky. Throughout the 45-year history of the animation giant, several sequels, collaborations, and adaptations have been planned and later scrapped, leaving a long list of possibilities as to what creative projects could have ever been made. Not even some of the studio's most recognizable properties were spared from these cancellations, like Monsters, Inc., the beloved 2001 film directed by Pete Doctor and starring John Goodman i Billy Crystal, was originally slated for a sequel. The follow-up was tentatively titled Monsters, Inc. 2: Lost in Scaradise, i I would have the story signaled an entirely new direction for the franchise.

The doomed sequel was already in development in 2005, when The Walt Disney Company created a new animation division, Circle 7, which was supposed to develop sequels to some of Pixar's biggest hits, such as Toy story i Finding Nemo. Around this time, creative differences betweenthe two monstrosities of animation caused them to fail when it came to negotiating a contract renewal to continue their joint partnership, which led to Disney developing sequels to Pixar classics on their own. However, when a change in Disney leadership allowed the two studios to reconcile in 2006, Pixar insisted that only its own animators could work on a follow-up to Monsters, Inc. As such, any additional work Lost in Scaradise was later cancelled, but the plot of this forgotten sequel lives on as a promising foundation for what could have been.

What would “Monsters, Inc. 2: Lost in Scarradise” have been about?

According to Jim Hill Media, the sequel would have taken place shortly after the events of the first film, with one of the sequel's screenwriters, Robert Muir, confirming that the sequel was set to explore how Sulley and Mike navigated the new world order they created. after removing the scream power Monsters, Inc. With Sulley taking a management position to replace the villainous Henry Waternoose from the first film (James Coburn) and Mike becoming one of the company's top comedians, audiences would have seen both characters adjust to their new roles in life, but their newfound sense of stability would not last long. The day before Mike's wedding to Celia (Jennifer Tilly), Sulley and Mike would have been stuck in the human worldintroducing several fascinating new concepts to Monsters, Inc. franchise

One of the ideas of Muir and his writing partner, Bob Hilgenberg, that most excited the Disney executives was the introduction of the couple. to introduce the public to even more recognizable monsters on Earth. Based on the popularity of The Abominable Snowman (John Ratzenberger) of Monsters, Inc., Mike and Sulley would have interacted with monsters inspired by a variety of human cultures as they struggled to return home, encountering terrifying icons like The Chupacabra and the Jersey Devil during their unwanted exile from Monstropolis. Instead of relegating these new characters to urban legends, Muir and Hilgenberg's story would have tried to introduce earthly monsters into the world of Monsters, Inc.connecting them to audience favorite scarecrows while expanding the franchise's mythology in a new and exciting way.

The sequel would have also reportedly included promising storylines such as a redemption arc Steve Buscemi's Randall, a subplot involving Celia's jealous ex, and new details about how only humans who believed in monsters could see them in the human realm. Most adults and older children, for example, would presumably not have been able to see Sulley and Mike once they were trapped in the human world, which would only add to the tension between the two. In Muir and Hilgenberg's story, Sulley and Mike go to the human world because Sulley feels lost without his relationship with Boo, and the pressure to reconnect with Boo conflicts with the pressure to get Mike home in time for the their wedding, testing the limits of the couple's relationship and taking them both on a journey of discovery that would have answered many questions from the Pixar original. Monsters, Inc.

'Lost in Scarradise' would have shown fans what happened to Boo after 'Monsters Inc.'

As the main source of drama in the first film, Boo is definitely one of the more enjoyable parts Monsters, Inc. Her innocence contrasts with the manipulative attitudes of Waternoose and Randall, and her touching connection with Sulley. brings an element of sweetness to a scary new world. However, at a time when popular franchises routinely spawn sequels and spin-offs, Monsters, Inc. has yet to reveal what happened to the character at the heart of his beloved story. While Boo's relationship with Sulley is sweet enough in the original film to leave it satisfying as it is, there's always room to add new meaning to pre-existing relationships, which is why it's so exciting to Lost in Scaradise would have explored a bigger Boo.

In the abandoned sequel, Sulley and Mike would have arrived in the human world through Boo's old door, only to discover a stranger sleeping in his bed instead of her. Realizing that Boo's family had moved in, the iconic Pixar The duo supposedly reunited with Boo in the third act of the film, relying on his belief in them to return home.. However, as a child who was now estranged from the old connections of his childhood room, Sulley and Mike would have had to prove that they still existed to get Boo's attention by introducing the audience to new members of Boo's family, like his brother

Still, Boo's lack of belief would have been especially relatable to fans of the original Monsters, Inc.like this would haveit allowed the franchise to mature with its audience. Children who connected with Boo's fear and joy as they explored the world of the original film would also have been able to connect with his wavering beliefs as he grew up, and Boo's ability to rekindle the his connection with Sulley at the end of the sequel would have represented a renewal. of his audience's faith in his own fantasies. Sulley's own ending in the film would also have struck a chord with larger audiences, as his return to Monstropolis would have supposedly coincided with the need to say goodbye to Boo for good, confirming that sometimes even all the monsters have to let go of the children for them. grow up.

“Monsters University” and “Monsters at Work” continue the stories of Mike and Sulley

While Disney and Pixar have released two follow-ups to the original Monsters, Inc. in the manner of a prequel, Monsters Universityand a series of sequels, Monsters at worknone of these installments in the franchise capture the same potential of Lost in Scaradise's nice premise. Monsters University delves deep into Mike and Sulley's past, but doesn't redefine their relationship after the first film, while Monsters at work includes various aspects of Lost in Scaradise's pitch, such as Sulley taking over the company, but it doesn't go as far as the abandoned sequel in adding new elements to the franchise. Randall's reappearance at the end of Season 2 doubles down on his previous villainy, and the show has yet to include Mike and Celia's wedding.

Even more frustrating, the release of Monsters at work does Lost in Scaradise's the cancellation seems unnecessary in retrospect. Disney confirmed Muir's worst fears that all of Circle 7's work would be discarded solely in favor of Pixar employees in the mid-2000s. However, the production of Monsters at work It was recently outsourced to an independent animation house, Icon Creative Studio, for the franchise's 2021 sequel, anyway. The show excels with a talented voice cast and a fun portrayal of life in Monsters, Inc. now that the company is moving in a more comedic direction, but the series is still overlooked Lost in Scaradise's the most promising innovations. With new monsters and a more mature look at familiar characters, this The original vision of the lost sequel created a compelling return to the world of Monsters, Inc., although Pixar ultimately chose not to open its door.

Monsters Inc. is available to stream on Disney+ in the US

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