Since it was first released in 2001,Monsters, Inc.has been aPixarfavorite for many fans, generating a prequel film and an upcoming television show onDisney+. Mike and Sulley have scared their way into popular culture, becoming the subjects of memes and theme park attractions.
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The first film is an iconic part of many fan’s childhoods, many having seen it countless times. With each viewing, audiences often find new details they missed before, as many Pixar films love Easter eggs and inside jokes.Monsters, Inc.is definitely no exception to Pixar’s magical touches.
10The Title Has Ties To The Mafia
The entire development ofMonsters, Inc.went through substantial adjustments as it was further refined. The title came as a suggestion fromDisneyanimator Joe Grant during a pitch meeting. Its origin was a play on words of the classic gangster flick,Murder, Inc.The film itself is based on anactual criminal syndicatethat existed in New York during the 1930s. Nevertheless, the title stuck and became something of an icon itself.
9The Story Could Have Been Much Different
As with manybig-name films, the plot and characters underwent significant changes throughout the development stages of production. The original concepts always involved monsters, with one of the initial ones involving an adult man burdened by monsters he drew as a child. Sulley also went through dynamic shifts in appearance and roles. Before he was a top scarer, he jumped from being a janitor to being a refinery worker, as well as having glasses.
8The Voice Cast Changed
Pixar has a great track record of capturing mismatched friendships in a buddy comedy sort of a way, it’s almost elemental in all their films. They wouldneed to cast strong voice actorsto help carry the film’s story and varied options were considered early in the process. Bill Murray was originally considered for the position of Sulley, but the role went to John Goodman after dealings with Murray went radio silent. Billy Crystal was eager to take the role of Mike due to his regret in turning down the role of Buzz Lightyear.
7It Was Sued Several Times
As it happens, the film was sued a few times directly before and after its release. A children’s songwriter filed suit against Pixar and a publishing company stating that the company stole the idea from a poem they had written. An attempt to stop the film from reaching theaters the day before its release was blocked by a judge who declared the two had nothing in common. After its release, an artist sued over similarities between their drawings and the character designs of Mike and Sulley but the case was allegedly dealt with out of court.
6Monstropolis Appears In Kingdom Hearts 3
Monstropolis is the giant city the film takes place in, and it finally makes its way into theKingdom Heartsuniverse in the third entry of the franchise.The world of monsterswas allegedly going to appear inKingdom Hearts IIbut the negotiations were ultimately shelved.
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The iconic factory is vastly expanded upon and makes up most of the setting. Familiar faces and spaces make this world all the more compelling as many fans finally get their day in the sun.
5Boo Couldn’t Sit Still
The rambunctious Boo was the central figure of the film’s misadventures, causing much chaos in her journey through the monster world. Much like her character, theyoung voice actorwho played her had trouble sitting still in the recording studio. The solution was simply to follow her around with a microphone and record her lines candidly. Somehow this makes a lot of sense considering her character was always wandering off and getting lost.
4Sulley’s Fur Required Intense Animation
The animation was extensive, especially for the time period. Animating Sulley with all his shadowed hairs was a challenge for the team by itself. To avoid making the character model look awkward, the animators had to take special care of Sulley’s fur as well as the articles of clothing in the film.
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A significant amount of processors were used in the final rendering, much more than Pixar’s previous films required. A whopping 3500 Sun Microsystems processors were used as opposed to 1400 forToy Story 2and 200 forToy Story.
3The Names On The Scoreboard Belong To Pixar Staff
The “scareboard” is an instantly recognizable feature from the film’s factory, displaying the scare scores for the floor’s top scarers. One detail easily missed by viewers is the list of names itself, which upon further inspection belong to a few members of the Pixar staff. The company is known for includingEaster eggsand cute self-references in their films as a special personal touch.
2The Voice Of Roz Is Also A Pixar Staff Member
Keeping in theme with Pixar’s inside jokes, the voice of Roz, the slug-like monster who chastises Mike and Sulley at the factory, belongs to Bob Peterson, who has worked on a number of Pixar films as a story artist and screenwriter, as well as a co-director forUp.Pixar buffs may also recognize Peterson’s voice as Dug fromUpand Mr. Ray fromFinding Nemo.Another Pixar regular, John Ratzenberger, voices the Yeti inMonster, Inc.
1There Is An Upcoming Television Show
Fans of the franchise will be excited to know that there is an upcoming show slated forrelease on Disney+in late 2021. The show, titledMonsters at Work,will follow the characters after the events of the first film and explore how the factory is handling the shift from scare energy to laughter. Most of the cast seems to be returning, along with a set of new characters who will be making their first appearances. Until then, Pixar devotees can revisit the films to get ready for more monster madness.
