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- It took Pixar and Disney 12 years to release a sequel to Monster’s Inc. However, instead of a continuation of Mike and Sulley’s life after Boo, it was a prequel that showed how the two monsters met. As great as Monster’s University was, seeing how Mike and Sulley went about life collecting laughs instead of screams would have been entertaining. In reality, Pixar tried getting Monsters Inc. 2: Lost in Scaradise off the ground, but it never came to be.
Monsters Inc. was a charming entry into the Pixar library of animated features. Naturally, fans of the film wanted a sequel starring Mike and Sulley. Although the prequel, Monsters University, has its own quirky charm and enthusiastic fan base, there are some who believe it's not the sequel they desired.
Believe it or not, there was a time when a sequel called Monsters Inc. 2: Lost in Scaradise featuring fans' favorite members of Monstropolis was actually in the works. However, due to studio conflicts, contracts, and story issues, it never made it off the ground.
Updated on October 14, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs:
It took Pixar and Disney 12 years to release a sequel to Monster’s Inc. However, instead of a continuation of Mike and Sulley’s life after Boo, it was a prequel that showed how the two monsters met. As great as Monster’s University was, seeing how Mike and Sulley went about life collecting laughs instead of screams would have been entertaining. In reality, Pixar tried getting Monsters Inc. 2: Lost in Scaradise off the ground, but it never came to be.
It Would Have Been Made by Circle 7 And Not Pixar
Nowadays, it's hard not to associate Pixar with Disney. With amazing titles like Toy Story, Up, and Coco associated with the Disney name, the pair are somewhat inseparable. Plenty of life lessons have been shown in Pixar movies. But there was a time in the studio's history when their next project was not going to be distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.
At the time the sequel was being proposed, Slash Film noted that Disney had a seven-picture deal with Pixar, Cars was to have been the last of the seven, which left Pixar open to other distributors. A company called Circle 7 was being considered to handle the next Pixar project had Disney not been more involved.
It Would Have Changed Pixar’s Relationship with Disney
It's hard to imagine Pixar without the helping hand of Disney. Of course, it was Disney, after all, who helped the filmmakers bring Toy Story from a simple TV special concept to a full-length feature film. Without Disney's help, fans might not have CGI animated features today.
Disney has its ways of getting what they want, but the idea of Pixar working without Disney seems strange. Had Pixar departed from working with Disney and gone to work with distributors like Circle 7, it's unknown if the results would have been as successful as their partnership is today.
The Second Movie Would Have Been The First Non-Toy Story Sequel
Until the premiere of Toy Story 2, Pixar was not in the business of making sequels. Given the reaction and fans' responses to Monsters Inc., members of the studio began considering a sequel involving Mike and Sulley's further adventures after their encounter with Boo. Keep in mind, at the time this would have been a totally new foray for the studio. Toy Story had some amazing characters, but would Monster's Inc. follow suit?
Nowadays, Disney and Pixar have both a Toy Story and Cars franchise under their belts, but back then, the idea was simply unheard of. Pixar was in the business of stories, not series. So it's anyone's guess how this would have affected the company as a whole.
It Would Have Been An Actual Sequel, Not A Prequel
Monsters University is a great sequel, but some fans can't help feeling a little cheated out of the proper sequel with this Disney Animal House. However, there was a time in Pixar's career when an actual sequel was being talked about by animators and filmmakers.
The proposed project would have seen not only a return from Mike and Sulley, but Boo as well, according to Twitter. In concept, the film would have taken place immediately after the first one ended, and properly progressed the narrative. No spin-offs, no prequels, and no middleman — just a straightforward continuation.
It was Called 'Lost In Scaradise'
According to Fandom, Lost in Scaradise was the working title for the unmade sequel that would have seen Mike and Sulley on the hunt for Boo while she was either moved to a new house with a different closet or on vacation with her family. Either way, this would have been rich in comedic exploits for the monsters and those they encountered.
Not much is known about the general plot but according to some sources, it would have been a "Stranger in a Strange Land" type scenario that would've had both Mike and Sulley freaking out in uncomfortable environments.
Mike And Sulley Would Have Traveled Through The Human World
Where the previous film had a human pulled into the monster world, the sequel would have reversed that concept and thrown the protagonists into the weird world of humans, according to Fandom. A little rehashed perhaps, but it would have been one of the funniest moments from the Monsters Inc. franchise.
This would have been an interesting idea, seeing Mike and Sulley sneak around the human world and trying not to be spotted by locals. It definitely has charm and appeal, and would more than likely please Pixar fans. But it was not without its consequences.
...And Almost Exposed the Monster World
Supposedly, the idea put Mike and Sulley dangerously close to exposing the monster world, and they would face repercussions. Although fans aren't entirely sure what that would have been like, it probably would have been an emotional roller coaster Pixar is known for building.
No one knows what would have happened to this lovable monster duo from Pixar, but it's easy to speculate that it might have had something to do with the CDA or even a return from Roz.
It Would Have Had a Bittersweet Ending
One thing that's known from the sequel's unused storyboards is that a key plot point would have involved an elderly lady sleeping in Boo's room when Mike and Sulley come back through her door one year after the first film's events. At first, it would have looked like Boo's family had moved houses, thus sending the pair on an adventure to find her, but it turns out, Boo never went anywhere at all.
Supposedly, the monster world would have been tied to specific children, not specific closet doors. This means the old woman the pair first encountered was Boo all along. There have been plenty of Pixar theories over the years, but it would been shared that time works differently for monsters than it does for humans, which means a year hasn't passed but decades have. This would have led to a bittersweet reunion and ultimately a tender ending.
...And Raised Several Weird Questions
With the previous entry in mind, this would open a full volume of questions regarding the rules and regulations of the monster world, as well as the film's world in general. If time works differently for monsters, does that make them somewhat immortal? How long have humans known about the existence of monsters and vice versa?
Ultimately, this would have been an absurdly complicated film once the dust had settled and the credits had rolled. The film more than likely would have been complex and suffered from complicated features, but it still would have been one of the best Pixar movies from the 2000s.
There Would Be No Room For Other Sequels
The sequel that never was would have ultimately ended the Monsters Inc. series. Ending the film with a reunion with an elderly Boo would have been pretty cut-and-dry, unless Pixar, Disney, or Circle 7 came up with some sort of spinoff.
There's nothing wrong with two movies alone, but there would be very little room for expansion, if any at all. But of course, this is all speculation and theory. Even without the lost sequel, Monsters Inc. is still one of Pixar's funniest movies and beloved franchises.