Monsters University Trailer

The one trend I've hated over the past 10 years is how animated films have become franchises.  It used to be just the one film, and that was it.  But now, as with any other film, if an animated film is a hit, they pump out sequel after sequel after sequel.  For examples, take a look at the Shrek and Madagascar films.  But, for this trend, I have no one to blame but my beloved Pixar, because they started the whole thing when they released Toy Story 2 in 1999.

For a while there, it looked like Toy Story 2 was going to be an anomaly, but then, when Disney bought out Pixar around 5 years ago or so, the Pixar sequel machine ramped up.  We got Toy Story 3, which turned out to be amazingly good.  We got Cars 2, which many wrote off as Pixar's first weak film.  And the trend continues next year, when we get the Monsters, Inc. prequel, Monsters University.

Not much is known about it so far.  The official plot synopsis says that it takes place around 10 years before Monsters, Inc., and it tells the tale of how Mike and Sully first met in college and became the life long friends we know them as.

I like that it's a prequel, so that way they don't have to deal with Boo.  See, on the running commentary for Monsters, Inc., the filmmakers say they were adamant that Sully never see Boo again after she's returned home.  But in test screenings, the audience was demanding it.  So, the filmmakers came up with the ending that we know as the compromise.  Sully sees Boo again, but the audience does not.  So, yeah.  The prequel will be Boo-free.

For the voice cast, John Goodman and Billy Crystal are back as Sully and Mike.  Steve Buscemi is back as the villanous Randal Boggs.  New voice cast members include former  Kid in the Hall and Pixar vet Dave Foley, and Pat itself Julia Sweeny.  And, since it is a Pixar film, John Ratzenburger is back as the Abominable Snowman.

Behind the camera, veteran Pixar animator and story man Dan Scanlon is directing it.

As is Pixar tradition, the first trailer will be in front of their next film, Brave, which comes out this Friday.  But the trailer went online today.





I should note that there are actually four different trailers out there.  The only difference between the four is the line that Mike mumbles in his sleep when Sully pulls back the covers.  Scanlon has said in interviews that they did this because, when they were recording the audio for the trailer, Billy Crystal starting tossing out so many great lines that they couldn't decide which one to use.  So they narrowed it down to four. 

Monsters University hits theatres on June 21, 2013.