'Monster Inc. 2' Coming in Late 2012, Will Be a Prequel

It looks like "Monsters Inc. 2" will actually be a prequel to the 2001 film. Pixar is hard at work on getting this new film done, and it looks like audiences will find out more about the main characters that made "Monsters Inc." so much fun when it came out.

According to Entertainment Weekly, John Goodman will return as Sully (the big blue guy) and Billy Crystal will return as Mike (the big eye with arms and legs). That is great for the continuity of the characters, and the two stars are funny enough to make this work well. Rather than serving as a sequel to the original, "Monsters Inc. 2" will go back to when the two monsters met for the first time.

The new film seems to have a new working title of "Monsters University," likely giving away what the central premise is going to be. It seems that the monsters must have gone to school in order to get their jobs at the scream factory; this should be an interesting revelation in the mythology for these characters. It seems like an equation that could also lead to a lot of humor in a college setting.

By making this film a prequel it at least gives Pixar the chance to provide a lot of individuality and originality to something some viewers might just call "another sequel." Pixar is aiming for a late 2012 release of "Monsters University," and that could be one of the big releases of the holiday season. It will come out pretty close to when "Superman: Man of Steel" debuts for Zack Snyder, so film goers will have a few different options in those months.

One of the interesting responses to this news has been the outcry of many fans about not learning where the character of Boo ends up after the first film. Many commenters taking to the EW story noted that they were very disappointed to learn that it would be a prequel instead of a follow-up on where the characters have progressed. Maybe Pixar already has that figured into their script, and while serving this up as a prequel, the story will evolve to the point where the first film ended.

At this point it is hard to doubt Pixar because of the success they have found in theaters. It seems like anything they offer up to the fans ends up being a huge box office smash, and there is no reason to think that "Monsters University" won't follow that line. The first "Monsters Inc." film made more than $525 million in worldwide box office receipts, so it's easy to see the allure of the studio. Now the only question will be whether the new film can match it.