Disney, as the rights holder, had plans for a sequel toMonsters, Inc. since 2005. Following disagreements with Pixar, Disney tasked itsCircle 7 Animation unit to make the film.[6] An early draft of the film was developed; Disney's purchase of Pixar in January 2006 led to the cancellation of Circle 7's version of the film.[7] A Pixar-made sequel was confirmed in 2010[5] and in 2011, it was announced that the film would instead be a prequel titledMonsters University.[8]
Monsters University premiered on June 5, 2013, at theBFI Southbank in London, England, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 21. It was accompanied in theaters by a short film,The Blue Umbrella, directed by Saschka Unseld.[9] The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $743 million worldwide against its $200 million production budget, making it theseventh highest-grossing film of 2013.[2][4] An animated short film titledParty Central, which takes place shortly after the events ofMonsters University, premiered in fall 2013 before being released theatrically withMuppets Most Wanted in 2014.[10][11]
Plot
As a child,Mike Wazowski visits the Monsters Inc. factory on a class field trip to learn about how "scarers" harness human children's screams for energy to power the monster world. He secretly follows a scarer through a door to the human world to watch him work; the scarer is surprised with Mike's dangerous actions, yet impressed with his stealth and gives him his Monsters University (MU) cap.
Years later, Mike enrolls in the scaring program at MU and is assignedRandall "Randy" Boggs as a roommate. On the first day of class, Abigail Hardscrabble, the dean of the scaring program and president of MU, warns that students who fail the first semester's final exam will leave the scaring program. Mike then encountersJames P. "Sulley" Sullivan, the son of a famous scarer. Sulley gets into the topfraternity on campus, RΩR (Roar Omega Roar), which rejects Mike for not looking scary enough. Over the next few months, Mike works and studies hard to improve himself while Sulley slacks off, relying on his family name and natural talent. An intense rivalry forms between Mike and Sulley throughout the semester, seeing each other as the antithesis of their views on success. On exam day, the duo's rivalry gets out of control when they inadvertently destroy Hardscrabble's prized scream canister. She personally tests and fails them both; Sulley for a lack of technical knowledge and rushing and Mike for not being physically "scary" as the former is promptly kicked out of RΩR.
Next semester, both Sulley and Mike switch majors from scaring to scream can design. Sulley is grumpy at Mike while Mike feels hopeless and upset that he cannot continue in the scaring program due to his appearance. Determined to prove his worth, Mike enters the annual Scare Games with OK (Oozma Kappa), a small fraternity of misfits, as his team, and makes a deal with Hardscrabble: if OK wins, they and Mike will return to the scare program, or else Mike will have to leave MU. Short one team member for full entry into the games, Sulley volunteers. With Randy betraying Mike to join RΩR's team and thus ending his friendship with Mike, he begrudgingly accepts Sulley. Initially, OK places last in the first round but are saved from elimination when another team is disqualified for cheating, and barely pass the second round. The RΩRs invite OK to a mid-game party, then stage a humiliating prank on them and post pictures of it all over campus. The team becomes discouraged, so Mike takes them to Monsters Inc., where they sneak in and watch the scarers using their differences as advantages. After being chased off by security, the rejuvenated team begins to work together under Mike's coaching and passes the next two challenges right behind RΩR. In the final challenge, OK and RΩR face off in a simulator in 1v1 matches, each trying to frighten a dummy child. OK wins after Mike racks up a maximum score with his scare.
However, Mike later discovers that Sulley had rigged the simulator's settings for Mike's turn to guarantee a win, leading to a falling out between the duo. The rest of OK discard the trophy in disappointment as Sulley, ashamed of what he had done, admits his guilt to Hardscrabble. Outraged at Sulley's betrayal, deciding that no one could be trusted to allow him a fair chance, and still determined to prove he is scary, Mike sneaks through an experimental door to the human world into asummer camp cabin full of children, only to find that none of them are afraid of him. Feeling responsible for Mike's predicament, Sulley sneaks past security and Hardscrabble to go after Mike. Sulley admits to Mike his own fears and they make amends just as Hardscrabble deactivates the door to keep the other monsters safe as children are seemingly toxic to monsters. The duo collaborate to scare the rangers, creating enough energy to power the door from their side, and they escape just as it explodes.
Sulley and Mike are expelled from MU as punishment for their actions, but the other OK members are invited into the scaring program. As Mike and Sulley leave, Hardscrabble admits they surprised her and changed her outlook on a monster's potential as scarers, and expresses her hope that they can continue to surprise others moving forward. The duo go to work for Monsters Inc. in the mailroom and over the years work their way up through the ranks in the company until Sulley becomes a scarer, with Mike as his scare assistant.
Kelsey Grammer was originally announced to voice Henry J. Waternoose III in the film, replacingJames Coburn from the original film due to his death in 2002. The character was ultimately cut from the film.[24]
Production
Development
Early development; Circle Seven Animation sequel
Plans for a secondMonsters, Inc. film existed since 2002. Following disagreements between Disney CEOMichael Eisner and Pixar CEOSteve Jobs, Disney—which owned the rights to make sequels to all of Pixar's films up to and includingCars—announced that a sequel toMonsters, Inc. would be made by Disney'sCircle 7 Animation studio, which was also working on early drafts ofToy Story 3 andFinding Nemo 2.[6] TitledMonsters, Inc. 2: Lost in Scaradise, the film would have focused on Mike and Sulley visiting the human world to give Boo a birthday present, only to find that she had moved. After getting trapped in the human world, Mike and Sulley would split up after disagreeing on what to do.[25] Screenwriters Rob Muir and Bob Hilgenberg were hired to write a script for the film, and storyboarded an early draft of it.[7] Disney's change of management in late 2005—in which Eisner was replaced byBob Iger led to renewed negotiations with Pixar, and in January 2006 Disney announced it had purchased the studio. The Disney-owned sequel rights were then transferred to Pixar, leading to the cancellation of Muir and Hilgenberg's version of the film and the subsequent closure of Circle 7.[7]
Development as prequel
A Pixar-made follow-up was confirmed in 2010.[5] The film was originally planned for release on November 16, 2012, but the release was moved up to November 2, 2012, to avoid competition withThe Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. On March 29, 2011, it was announced that the film would be a prequel and the titleMonsters University was announced.[8] On April 4, 2011, due to Pixar's past success with summer releases, according to a Disney executive it was confirmed that the film would be released on June 21, 2013.[26]
The plot ofMonsters University details Mike and Sulley's first meeting, contradicting a scene from the original film in which Mike tells Sulley "You've been jealous of my good looks since the fourth grade." Scanlon said he had a dilemma with this line during pre-production, but he believed it was best if Mike and Sulley meet in college because, "we wanted to see their relationship develop when they were adults. And we also felt like college is so much about self-discovery and figuring out who you are." He added, "It felt like the perfect place to do this, but we had that line. So we tried versions where they met young and then we skipped ahead to college. And we knew we didn't want to makeMonsters Elementary." Scanlon said during pre-production that, "Pete Docter, the original director, andJohn Lasseter ... finally said to me, 'it's great that you're honoring that, but you have to do what's right for the story.' So we made a tough decision to just have them be in college and put that line aside." Scanlon joked that the line from the first film was "an old monster expression", saying, "That's what monsters always say to each other."[31][32]
Animation
Monsters University is the first Pixar film that usedglobal illumination, a new lighting system introduced as part of the overhaul of the rendering system used since the firstToy Story film. In the planning stage of the film director of photography, Jean-Claude Kalache, asked "What if we made these lights just work?" Before the new system, artists had to build reflections and shadows manually which became increasingly complex as the models and the setups became more technologically advanced. The new lighting system usespath tracing, a technique that imitates the behavior of the light in the real world; this automatized the process, delivered more realism, produced soft shadows, and let the artist spend more time on models and complex scenes – some of which contained thousands of light sources.[33][34]
For research, the filmmakers visited several colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada, includingHarvard University,Stanford University,Cornell University, and theMassachusetts Institute of Technology, observing college architecture, student life,Greek organizations, and the teaching methods of professors and faculty.[35][36][37] To research fraternity life, which is central to the film, many of the film's producers spent several weeks at a fraternity house. Researchers also attended a "Bonfire Rally" at Berkeley in anticipation of theBig Game, a rivalry football game between the university and Stanford.[36]
The music for the film isRandy Newman's seventh collaboration with Pixar as composer, who also previously scoredMonsters, Inc.Walt Disney Records released the soundtrack on June 18, 2013.[38][39]
The songs "Main Title", "Rise and Shine", and "The Scare Games" feature the drum line from theBlue Devils group "BD Entertainment". The recordings for the percussion tracks were done atSkywalker Ranch,[40] and were written by Blue Devils percussion caption headScott Johnson.[41]
The film had its worldwide premiere on June 5, 2013, as a special screening atBFI Southbank in London with the director and producer in attendance.[42] The film had its Asian premiere as the opening film of the 2013Shanghai International Film Festival on June 15, 2013.[43] It premiered in the United States on June 8, 2013, at theSeattle International Film Festival,[43] and was released in theaters on June 21, 2013. The film's theatrical release was accompanied by Pixar's short film titledThe Blue Umbrella.[9]
Marketing
The firstteaser trailer forMonsters University was released onJune 20, 2012.[44] Four versions of the trailer exist; in his sleep, Mike mutters excuses to avoid attending class in each one, such as "I'm not wearing any clothes," "My homework ate my dog," "Class President?", and "My pony made the Dean's List." A second trailer was released on February 11, 2013, a third on April 26, 2013, and a fourth and final trailer, which included scenes from the film, was released on May 30, 2013.
On October 8, 2012, Pixar revealed a fully functionalwebsite forMonsters University, complete information about admissions, academic and campus life, and a campus store to purchase MU apparel. On April 1, 2013, the website was styled to appear as though a rival college, Fear Tech, had hacked and vandalized it.[45][46] The first television commercial for the film was aired during the2013 Rose Bowl Game, parodying advertisements for participating schools that are shown duringcollege football telecasts. From June 27 until July 11, 2013, Disney's online gameClub Penguin hosted aMonsters University Takeover event to promote the film. Players could dress up as their favorite monsters and take part in the Scare Games.[47]
Home media
Monsters University was released byWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainment onBlu-ray,3D Blu-ray,DVD,digital copy, andon demand on October 29, 2013. It was accompanied byThe Blue Umbrella, Pixar's short film which played alongside the film in theaters.[48] Its home video sales earned a revenue of $111 million with 5.5 million copies sold, making it the fourth best-selling title of 2013.[49]Monsters University was released on4K Blu-ray on March 3, 2020.[50]
Reception
Box office
Monsters University grossed $268.5 million in the United States and Canada and $475.1 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $743.6 million.[4] Calculating in all expenses,Deadline Hollywood estimated that the film made a profit of $179.8 million.[51]
It became the53rd highest-grossing film of all time,[52] the11th highest-grossing animated film of all time, the seventh-highest-grossing2013 film,[4] and the third-highest-grossing Pixar film.[53] The film earned $136.9 million worldwide on its opening weekend.[54] Disney declined to provide a budget for the film;Entertainment Weekly speculated that it was higher than that ofBrave ($185 million), mainly because of the high cost of John Goodman and Billy Crystal reprising their roles.[55] Shockya and EOnline reported the budget to be $200 million—on par with previous Pixar films.[2][3]
North America
In the week leading toMonsters University's release, Disney projected an opening-weekend gross of at least $70 million.[56] The film opened on Friday, June 21, 2013, across 4,004 theaters in first place with $30.47 million—including $2.6 million in 20:00 Thursday night shows[57]—marking the fifth-largest opening day among animated films.[58] The film then reached first place with an opening-weekend gross of $82.43 million; the second-largest among Pixar films,[59] the second-largest among G-rated films,[60] the fourth-largest among prequels,[61] the fifth-largest among animated films,[62] and the fifth-largest among films released in June.[63]Monsters University outgrossed newcomersWhite House Down andThe Heat to remain at first place on its second weekend,[64] declining 45% to $45.6 million.[65] Facing tough competition fromDespicable Me 2 on its third weekend, it dropped 57% to $19.7 million.[66] As of December 2013, it is the tenth-highest-grossing animated film.[67]
Outside North America
The film earned $54.5 million in 35 markets on its opening weekend.[59] It set a Pixar opening-weekend record in Latin America with revenues of $31.7 million.[68] In Argentina, the film set an opening-weekend record among all films with $5.49 million.[69][70] In Australia, where it had a simultaneous release withDespicable Me 2,Monsters University debuted behind the latter with $3.56 million in third place.[71] In Hong Kong, the film set opening-day (HK$5.03 million),[72] single-day (HK$7.93 million) and opening-weekend (HK$25.79 million) records among animated films, beating the previous record holder,Toy Story 3.[73] In the UK, the film topped the box office during its opening weekend with a gross of£3.46 million.[74] The film's largest opening occurred in China, where its $13 million debut ranked fourth among Disney films.[75][76] The film's highest-grossing markets are Japan ($90.1 million), the UK, Ireland, and Malta ($47.2 million), and Mexico ($37.6 million).[76]
Critical response
Review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 80% based on 204 reviews with an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads "OfferingMonsters, Inc. fans a welcome return visit with beloved characters,Monsters University delivers funny and thoughtful family entertainment for viewers of any age."[77] Another review aggregator,Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 65 based on 41 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[78] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. According to Disney, audiences were 56% female and 60% below the age of 25. Families made up 73% of business, and teens accounted for 15%. The film played well with all ages.[55]
Matt Zoller Seitz ofChicago Sun-Times gave the film four stars out of four, saying it "is true to the spirit of [Monsters, Inc.] and matches its tone. But it never seems content to turn over old ground."[79] Trevor Johnston ofTime Out gave the film four stars out of five, writing "It has enough of the right stuff to haunt the imagination long after the immediate buzz of its fluffy-furred cuteness has melted away. For a mere prequel, that's a result."[80] Steven Rea ofThe Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film three stars out of four and said it "is cute, and funny, and the animation, though not exactly inspired, is certainly colorful."[81] Jake Coyle ofAssociated Press gave the film three stars out of four, saying it "might not be as gifted as some of its other movies, but sometimes it's alright to be OK."[82]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone gave the film three stars out of four, and said "It's all infectious fun despite the lack of originality. In the art of tickling funny bones, Crystal and Goodman earn straight A's."[83] Richard Corliss ofTime gave the film a positive review, saying "This minor film with major charms still deserves to have kids dragging their parents to the multiplex for one more peek at the monsters in the closet. With Pixar, familiarity breeds content."[84] Bill Goodykoontz ofThe Arizona Republic gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of five and said it is "one of those movies that has absolutely no reason to exist, but once you've seen it, you're kind of glad it does."[85] Alan Scherstuhl ofThe Village Voice gave the film a positive review, saying "Monsters University feels not like the work of artists eager to express something but like that of likable pros whose existence depends on getting a rise out the kids. It's like the scares Sully and Mike spring on those sleeping tykes: technically impressive but a job un-anchored to anything more meaningful."[86]
Leonard Maltin ofIndieWire praised the animation and art direction, but wrote that he wished "the movie was funnier and wasn't so plot-heavy" and that "Pixar has raised the bar for animated features so high that when they turn out a film that's merely good instead of great they have only themselves to blame for causing critics to damn them with faint praise."[87] Michael Phillips ofChicago Tribune gave the film two stars out of four saying "Monsters University, the weirdly charmless sequel to the animated 2001 Pixar hitMonsters, Inc., is no better or worse than the average (and I mean average) time-filling sequel cranked out by other animation houses."[88] Todd McCarthy ofThe Hollywood Reporter gave the film a negative review, saying that it "never surprises, goes off in unexpected directions or throws you for a loop in the manner of the best Pixar stories. Nor does it come close to elating through the sheer imagination of its conceits and storytelling."[89] Claudia Puig ofUSA Today gave the film three stars out of four, and said it "may not be as inventive asInc., but it's an amusing and amiable addition to Pixar's roster of animated coming-of-age stories."[90] Michael O'Sullivan ofThe Washington Post gave the film three stars out of four, saying "It may be children's terror that powers the movie's fictional universe, but it's the energy of its stars that lights upMonsters University."[91] Chris Nashawaty ofEntertainment Weekly gave the film an A− and said it "is exactly the rebound Pixar needed after 2011'sCars 2 left some wondering if the studio had lost its magic. The delightful story of when Mike met Sulley puts those concerns to rest."[92]James Berardinelli ofReelViews gave the film three stars out of four and wrote "Although it falls short of the best Pixar has brought to the screen over its long association with Disney, it's nevertheless worth a trip to the theater, especially for kids."[93]
Not all reviews were positive.Richard Roeper gave the film a C+, saying "This is a safe, predictable, edge-free, nearly bland effort from a studio that rarely hedges its bets."[94] Stephen Whitty ofNewark Star-Ledger gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and said "The artwork is accomplished, and intricate. The G-rating is genuine, without any gross-out gags. And there's none of the usual winks to the adults with tired, pop-culture references."[95] Manohla Dargis ofThe New York Times gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of five and wrote "Both the originality and stirring emotional complexity ofMonsters, Inc., with its exquisitely painful and touching parallels with the human world, are missing."[96] Ty Burr ofThe Boston Globe gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four, and said "This is not a bad movie, and to small children it will be a very good one, but it's closer to average than one would wish from the company that gave usUp,WALL-E,The Incredibles, and theToy Story series."[97] Rene Rodriguez ofMiami Herald gave the film two stars out of five and wrote that it "feels half-hearted and lazy, like they weren't even trying. At least show a little effort, guys."[98]
^McCarthy, Todd (June 9, 2013)."Monsters University Review".The Hollywood Reporter.Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. RetrievedJune 21, 2013.
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