Boo! Pixar Shocks Fans With the Announcement of 'Monsters Inc. 3'

Published Mar 6, 2026, 9:12 PM EST

In addition to being a die-hard fan of filmmaking, television, video gaming, and anything else with a gripping narrative, Aidan Kelley is also a passionate and detail-oriented writer and journalist at Collider.com. In addition to his work as a Senior Resource Writer, Aidan has also contributed to Collider’s features and news reporting sections. He has covered major industry events, such as San Diego Comic-Con and the D23 Expo, and has had the privelege of interviewing industry stars like Bruce Campbell, Maggie Q, Chad Stahelski, and more. This sincere love for the art of storytelling began at a young age, with Aidan making video movie reviews for the news program at his local high school. That love only increased over the years, with an ongoing career in independent filmmaking and screenwriting after graduating with a degree in Film and television from DePaul University.

Put that Pixar franchise back in the spotlight, or so help me! With the 25th anniversary of Monsters Inc., the fourth Pixar movie ever made, on the horizon, Pixar appears to be celebrating the occasion in a big way. An extensive new report from the Wall Street Journal has revealed that a 3rd Monsters Inc. movie is now in the works at Disney’s Oscar-winning animation studio. The WSJ credits the surprising news to insider sources who are “people familiar with the matter.” This will mark the franchise’s first feature film in at least 13 years, with the last being the college-set prequel movie, Monsters University. The franchise also returned in 2021 for a Disney+ spin-off series, Monsters at Work.

Apart from the news that a new Monsters Inc. movie is in development, other details are slim, and it is not currently known whether the third movie will be a direct sequel to the original or take a different route, as Monsters University did. Likely the biggest question fans will have is whether or not Billy Crystal and John Goodman will be reprising their roles as the neurotic yet clever Mike Wasowski and the cocky yet empathetic James P. Sullivan, respectively. The two comedic acting icons returned as Mike and Sully for both Monsters University and Monsters at Work, so it stands to reason that they’d be willing to return again. Plus, Disney is also in the middle of developing a Monstropolis-themed land and roller coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, which will likely feature voices from the original movies. Other notable names who could potentially return for the third movie include Steve Buscemi as Sully’s villainous rival Randall, Jennifer Tilly as Mike’s romantic partner Celia, and Pixar regular John Ratzenberger as the Abominable Snowman.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned to Collider as the updates come in.