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{{short description|2001 Pixar film}}
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{{Infobox film
| image          = Monsters Inc.JPG
| alt            = Sullivan, a large furry blue-and-purple-spotted monster stands with his right hand resting on the head of Mike, a short round green monster who is seen giving a thumbs up.
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Pete Docter]]
| producer       = [[Darla K. Anderson]]
| screenplay     = {{unbulleted list|[[Andrew Stanton]]|[[Dan Gerson|Daniel Gerson]]}}
| story          = {{unbulleted list|Pete Docter|[[Jill Culton]]|[[Jeff Pidgeon]]|[[Ralph Eggleston]]}}
| starring       = {{unbulleted list|[[John Goodman]]|[[Billy Crystal]]|[[Steve Buscemi]]|[[James Coburn]]|[[Jennifer Tilly]]|[[Mary Gibbs (actress)|Mary Gibbs]]}}
| music          = [[Randy Newman]]
| editing        = {{unbulleted list|Robert Grahamjones|Jim Stewart}}
| production_companies = [[Pixar Animation Studios]]
| distributor    = [[Buena Vista Pictures Distribution]]{{efn|name=Disney|Distributed under the [[Walt Disney Pictures]] banner. The 2012 reissue was distributed under its current name, [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]].}}
| released       = {{Film date|2001|10|28|[[El Capitan Theatre]]|2001|11|2|United States}}
| runtime        = 92 minutes<ref name="monincboxmoj" />
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $115&nbsp;million<ref name="monincboxmoj" />
| gross          = $579.7&nbsp;million<ref name="monincboxmoj" />
}}
'''''Monsters, Inc.''''' (also known as '''''Monsters, Incorporated''''') is a 2001 American animated [[comedy film]] produced by [[Pixar|Pixar Animation Studios]] for [[Walt Disney Pictures]].<ref name="inc">{{cite news|last1=Taylor|first1=Drew|title=Review: 'Monsters, Inc.' In 3D Is Just As Much Fun As It Was The First Time Around|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2012/12/review-monsters-inc-in-3d-is-just-as-much-fun-as-it-was-the-first-time-around-250042/|work=[[IndieWire]]|access-date=August 22, 2016|date=December 21, 2012|archive-date=August 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818014351/https://www.indiewire.com/2012/12/review-monsters-inc-in-3d-is-just-as-much-fun-as-it-was-the-first-time-around-250042/|url-status=live}}</ref> Featuring the voices of [[John Goodman]], [[Billy Crystal]], [[Steve Buscemi]], [[James Coburn]], [[Mary Gibbs (actress)|Mary Gibbs]], and [[Jennifer Tilly]], the film was directed by [[Pete Docter]], co-directed by [[Lee Unkrich]] and [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]], and produced by [[Darla K. Anderson]], from a screenplay by [[Andrew Stanton]] and [[Dan Gerson|Daniel Gerson]]. The film centers on two monsters, the hairy James P. "Sulley" Sullivan (Goodman) and his one-eyed partner and best friend [[Mike Wazowski]] (Crystal), who are employed at the titular energy-producing factory Monsters, Inc., which generates power by scaring human children. However, the monster world believes that the children are toxic, and when a little human girl, Boo (Gibbs), sneaks into the factory, she must be returned home before it is too late.

Docter began developing the film in 1996, following an idea conceived in 1994 when ''[[Toy Story]]'' (1995) was nearing completion, and wrote the story with [[Jill Culton]], [[Jeff Pidgeon]] and [[Ralph Eggleston]], while Stanton wrote the screenplay with Gerson. The characters went through many incarnations over the film's five-year production process. The technical team and animators found new ways to simulate fur and cloth realistically for the film. [[Randy Newman]], who composed the music for Pixar's three prior films, returned to compose the score for its fourth.

''Monsters, Inc.'' premiered at the [[El Capitan Theatre]] in Los Angeles on October 28, 2001, and was released in theaters in the United States on November 2. Upon its release, it received critical acclaim and was a commercial success,<ref name="AFIMonsters">{{cite web |title=Detail view of Movies Page |url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=62121 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920061422/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=62121 |archive-date=September 20, 2015 |access-date=October 12, 2015 |work=American Film Institute}}</ref> grossing over $528&nbsp;million worldwide to become the [[2001 in film#Highest-grossing films|third-highest-grossing film of 2001]].<ref name="monincboxmoj">{{cite web|title=Monsters, Inc. (2001) – Box Office Mojo|url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0198781/ |access-date=April 16, 2020|archive-date=August 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828201654/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=monstersinc.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The film won the [[Academy Award for Best Original Song]] for "[[If I Didn't Have You (Disney song)|If I Didn't Have You]]" and was nominated for the inaugural award for [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]], as well as [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]] and [[Academy Award for Best Sound Editing|Best Sound Editing]]. ''Monsters, Inc.'' saw a [[3D film|3D]] re-release in theaters in December 2012. A [[prequel]] titled ''[[Monsters University]]'', directed by [[Dan Scanlon]], was released in June 2013. A sequel series titled ''[[Monsters at Work]]'' premiered on [[Disney+]] in July 2021.

==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 to 700 words. Please check the word count before making any additions. Current word count is 546 words. -->
In a world inhabited entirely by monsters, the city of Monstropolis harnesses the screams of [[human]] children for energy. At the Monsters, Incorporated factory, skilled monsters employed as "scarers" venture into the human world to scare children and harvest their screams through doors that activate portals to children's bedroom closets. The work is considered dangerous, as humans are believed to be toxic and capable of killing a monster through physical contact. Monsters, Inc. CEO, [[Henry J. Waternoose III]], is concerned about the declining energy production, as children are becoming more difficult to scare.

One evening after work, top scarer [[James P. "Sulley" Sullivan]] discovers that an active door has been left in the station of his rival, [[Randall Boggs]]. He inspects the door and accidentally lets a toddler girl into the factory. Frightened, Sulley unsuccessfully tries returning the girl, who escapes into Monstropolis, interrupting Sulley's best friend and assistant [[Mike Wazowski]] on a date at a sushi restaurant. Chaos erupts when other monsters see the girl; Sulley and Mike escape with her as the Child Detection Agency (CDA) arrives and quarantines the restaurant. Forced to keep the girl hidden in their apartment for the night, Sulley realizes that the rumor of humans being toxic is actually false, and their laughter can generate more energy than screams.

The next day, Sulley and Mike disguise the girl as a monster and attempt to send her back to her door in the factory. While Mike seeks the door out, Sulley grows attached to her and nicknames her "Boo". Randall, waiting in ambush for the girl, kidnaps Mike by accident and reveals his plan to kidnap children and extract screams from them using a device called a scream Extractor. Sulley rescues Mike, and they search for Waternoose to alert him of Randall's plan. However, Sulley accidentally scares Boo during a demonstration he is forced to give, and she inadvertently reveals herself to Waternoose.  He is revealed to be in league with Randall, abducts Boo, and banishes Mike and Sulley to the [[Himalayas]] in the human world.

Sulley finds a way to return to the monster world, but Mike initially refuses to go with him. Sulley returns to the factory and rescues Boo from the scream extractor, but Randall fights him. Mike returns to reconcile with Sulley, incapacitates Randall, and both search for Boo's door. Randall eventually catches up to the trio, and Boo easily defeats him after a chase through the factory door vault. Sulley and Mike banish Randall through a door to a trailer in a swamp in the human world, where the homeowners beat him with a shovel.  Sulley and Mike destroy the door to prevent Randall's return.

They finally locate Boo's door, but Waternoose brings it down to the scare floor, intending to have the CDA arrest Mike and Sulley. Mike distracts the CDA while Sulley and Boo lure Waternoose into the training room, where Sulley tricks Waternoose into revealing his conspiracy with Randall to kidnap as many children as needed to save the company. Mike, having recorded the conversation, exposes Waternoose to the CDA, who arrest him. Undercover CDA agent Roz allows Sulley to send Boo home, but orders her door destroyed. Sulley retools the company's power generation method to harvest children's laughter instead of screams, as laughter is ten times more powerful. With the energy crisis solved, the factory is now focused on making children laugh to collect energy; Mike becomes the company's top comedian and Sulley becomes the new CEO. Mike then reveals to Sulley he has rebuilt Boo's door. Sulley enters it and he and Boo greet each other.

== Voice cast ==
{{multiple image
| direction         = horiztotal
| align             = right
| total_width       = 300
| footer            = (Left-to-Right) [[John Goodman]] (pictured in 2016), and [[Billy Crystal]] (2018) lend their voices to [[James P. "Sulley" Sullivan|Sulley]] and [[Mike Wazowski|Mike]]
| image1            = John Goodman (30383991304) (cropped).jpg
| image2            = Billy Crystal by Gage Skidmore.jpg
}}
{{Main|List of Monsters, Inc. characters}}
* [[John Goodman]] as [[James P. "Sulley" Sullivan]], a huge, intimidating but well-meaning scarer at Monsters, Inc. At the film's beginning, he has been the "Best Scarer" at Monsters, Inc. for several months running.
* [[Billy Crystal]] as [[Mike Wazowski]], a short, one-eyed scarer assistant who is Sulley's best friend, roommate, and coworker. He is charming and generally the more organized of the two, but he is prone to neurotics, and his ego sometimes leads him astray.
* [[Mary Gibbs (actress)|Mary Gibbs]] as [[List of Monsters, Inc. characters#Boo|Boo]], a three-year-old<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Corliss|first1=Richard|title=Pixar's Monsters University: When Hairy Met Scary|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2013/06/13/pixars-monsters-university-when-hairy-met-scary/|access-date=September 27, 2015|magazine=Time|date=June 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317111412/http://entertainment.time.com/2013/06/13/pixars-monsters-university-when-hairy-met-scary/|archive-date=March 17, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Veltman|first1=Chloe|title=Fun factory|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4727218/Fun-factory.html|access-date=September 27, 2015|work=The Telegraph|date=December 31, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927194840/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4727218/Fun-factory.html|archive-date=September 27, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Cohen|first1=Karl|title=Monsters, Inc.: The Secret Behind Why Pixar Is So Good|url=http://www.awn.com/animationworld/monsters-inc-secret-behind-why-pixar-so-good|publisher=Animated World Network|access-date=September 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915031917/http://www.awn.com/animationworld/monsters-inc-secret-behind-why-pixar-so-good|archive-date=September 15, 2015|date=October 26, 2001|url-status=live}}</ref> human girl who is unafraid of any monster except Randall, the scarer assigned to her door. She believes Sulley is a large cat and refers to him as "Kitty". The book based on the film gives Boo's "real" name as Mary Gibbs, the name of her voice actress, who is also the daughter of one of the film's story artists, Rob.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.self.com/story/boo-from-monsters-inc-is-a-yoga-master-now|title=Boo From 'Monsters, Inc.' Is A Grown-Up Yoga Master Now|first=Haley|last=Goldberg|date=November 4, 2016|access-date=November 1, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107025730/https://www.self.com/story/boo-from-monsters-inc-is-a-yoga-master-now|url-status=live}}</ref>
** Gibbs was so young during production that the majority of her lines were captured via real or simulated play scenarios designed to elicit the required audio reactions, rather than any traditional line work, including being followed around the Pixar office with a mic by the crew.<ref name="Shaffer2017">{{cite book|last=Shaffer|first=Joshua C|title=Discovering the Magic Kingdom: An Unofficial Disneyland Vacation Guide – Second Edition|date=July 17, 2017|publisher=Synergy Book Publishing|isbn=978-0-9991664-0-6|page=209}}</ref>
* [[Steve Buscemi]] as [[Randall Boggs]], a snide and preening monster with a [[chameleon]]-like ability to change his skin color and blend in completely with his surroundings, who makes himself a rival to Sulley and Mike in the scream collection.
* [[James Coburn]] as [[Henry J. Waternoose]], the CEO of Monsters, Inc., a job passed down through his family for three generations, who is secretly in league with Randall.
* [[Jennifer Tilly]] as [[Celia Mae]], a receptionist for Monsters, Inc. and Mike's girlfriend.
* [[Bob Peterson (filmmaker)|Bob Peterson]] as [[List of Monsters, Inc. characters#Roz|Roz]], the administrator for Scare Floor F, where Sulley, Mike, and Randall work. She is secretly the head of the CDA, operating undercover inside Monsters, Inc.
* [[John Ratzenberger]] as [[Yeti (Monsters, Inc.)|Yeti]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Monsters, Inc. (2001)|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b82b286ac|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804073312/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b82b286ac|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 4, 2012|publisher=British Film Institute|access-date=September 27, 2015}}</ref> a.k.a. The Abominable Snowman,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nusair|first1=David|title=Top 5 John Ratzenberger Roles in Pixar Films|work=About.com Entertainment |url=http://movies.about.com/od/animatedmovies/tp/john-ratzenberger-pixar-films.htm|publisher=About.com|access-date=September 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519143143/http://movies.about.com/od/animatedmovies/tp/john-ratzenberger-pixar-films.htm|archive-date=May 19, 2011|quote=Abominable. Can you believe that? Do I look abominable to you? Why can't they call me the Adorable Snowman, or the Agreeable Snowman, for crying out loud? I'm a nice guy.|url-status=live}}</ref> a former Monsters, Inc. employee who was banished to the [[Himalayas]]. His appearance is based on that of the Abominable Snowman in the 1964 [[Rankin/Bass Productions|Rankin/Bass]] animated special ''[[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Brown|first1=Scott|title=The moments you missed in ''Monsters, Inc.''|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2001/11/09/moments-you-missed-monsters-inc|access-date=September 27, 2015|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=November 9, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927194043/http://www.ew.com/article/2001/11/09/moments-you-missed-monsters-inc|archive-date=September 27, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Frank Oz]] as [[List of Monsters, Inc. characters#Fungus|Fungus]], Randall's beleaguered assistant.
* [[Daniel Gerson]] as [[List of Monsters, Inc. characters#Needleman and Smitty|Needleman and Smitty]], two small janitor monsters who idolize Sulley and operate the Door Shredder when required.
* [[Steve Susskind]] as Jerry, a good friend of Waternoose who manages Scare Floor F.
* [[Bonnie Hunt]] as Flint, a talent recruiter who trains new monsters to scare children.
* [[Jeff Pidgeon]] as Bile, an accident-prone trainee scarer for Monsters, Inc.
* Sam Black as [[List of Monsters, Inc. characters#Scarers of Floor F|George Sanderson]], a scarer at Monsters, Inc. In a [[running gag]] throughout the film, he repeatedly makes contact with objects from the human world, resulting in CDA agents tackling him, shaving his entire body, and sterilizing him.

==Production==
===Development===
The idea for ''Monsters, Inc.'', along with ideas that would eventually become ''[[A Bug's Life]]'', ''[[Finding Nemo]]'', and ''[[WALL-E]]'', was conceived in a lunch in 1994 attended by [[John Lasseter]], [[Pete Docter]], [[Andrew Stanton]], and [[Joe Ranft]] near the completion of ''[[Toy Story]]''.<ref name="PixarTouch01">{{harvnb|Price|2008|p=157}}</ref> One of the ideas that came out of the brainstorming session was a film about monsters. "When we were making ''Toy Story''", Docter said, "everybody came up to me and said, 'Hey, I totally believed that my toys came to life when I left the room.' So when Disney asked us to do some more films, I wanted to tap into a childlike notion that was similar to that. I knew monsters were coming out of my closet when I was a kid. So I said, 'Hey, let's do a film about monsters.{{'"}}<ref name="Monsters Inc, 2002 DVD, commentary">''Monsters Inc.'', 2002 DVD, commentary</ref>

Docter began work on the film that would become ''Monsters, Inc.'' in 1996, while others focused on ''[[A Bug's Life]]'' (1998) and ''[[Toy Story 2]]'' (1999). Its code name was ''Hidden City'', after Docter's favorite restaurant in [[Point Richmond, Richmond, California|Point Richmond]].<ref name="PixarTouch195">{{harvnb|Price|2008|p=195}}</ref> By early February 1997, Docter, together with [[Harley Jessup]], [[Jill Culton]], and [[Jeff Pidgeon]], had drafted a treatment that bore some resemblance to the final film. Docter pitched the story to Disney with some initial artwork on February 4 that year. He and his story team left with some suggestions in hand and returned to pitch a refined version of the story on May 30. At this pitch meeting, longtime Disney animator [[Joe Grant]]&nbsp;– whose work stretched back to ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' (1937)&nbsp;– suggested the title ''Monsters, Inc.'', a play on the title of the gangster film ''[[Murder, Inc. (1960 film)|Murder, Inc.]]'' (1960),<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ziebarth|first1=Christian|title=Joe Grant Life Celebration|url=http://animatedviews.com/2005/joe-grant-life-celebration/|publisher=Animation World Network|access-date=May 16, 2015|date=July 1, 2005|archive-date=May 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516113930/http://animatedviews.com/2005/joe-grant-life-celebration/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the name stuck.<ref name="PixarTouch197">{{harvnb|Price|2008|p=197}}</ref> The film would be the first Pixar feature not directed by Lasseter, helmed instead by Docter, as well as Lee Unkrich and David Silverman, who served as co-directors.<ref name="Entertainment15">{{cite magazine|last1=Snetiker|first1=Marc|title=Pete Docter dives deep into Monsters, Inc. legacy and creation, 15 years later|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/11/02/monsters-inc-anniversary-pete-docter|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=November 4, 2016|archive-date=November 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103133942/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/11/02/monsters-inc-anniversary-pete-docter|url-status=live}}</ref> The early test of ''Monsters, Inc.'' was released on October 11, 1998.

===Writing===
The storyline took on many forms during production.<ref name = "CultureProductionNotes">{{cite web|url=http://culture.com/articles/724/monsters-inc-production-notes.phtml|title=Monsters Inc: Production Notes|publisher=Culture.com|access-date=June 19, 2012|archive-date=January 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115044850/http://culture.com/articles/724/monsters-inc-production-notes.phtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Docter's original idea featured a 30-year-old man dealing with monsters that he drew in a book as a child coming back to bother him as an adult. Each monster represented a fear he had, and conquering those fears eventually caused the monsters to disappear.<ref>{{cite news |first = Erik |last = Davis|title = The Original Pitch for 'Monsters, Inc.' |url-status=dead |url = http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/monsters-inc-original-pitch/ |publisher=Cinematical |date = November 13, 2009 |access-date =August 8, 2010 |archive-date=August 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808051141/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/monsters-inc-original-pitch/}}</ref> Docter later scrapped this concept, and instead decided on a buddy story between a monster and a child titled simply ''Monsters'', in which the monster character of Sulley (known at this stage as Johnson) was an up-and-comer at his workplace, where the company's purpose was to scare children. Sulley's eventual sidekick, Mike Wazowski, had not yet been added.<ref name = "CultureProductionNotes"/><ref name="PixarTouch196">{{harvnb|Price|2008|p=196}}</ref>

Between 1996 and 2000, the lead monster and child went through radical changes as the story evolved. As the story continued to develop, the child varied in age and gender. Ultimately, the story team decided that a girl would be the best counterpart for a furry, {{convert|8|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} co-star.<ref name = "CultureProductionNotes"/> After a girl was settled upon, the character continued to undergo changes, at one point being from Ireland and at another time being an African American character.<ref name="PixarTouch197"/> Originally, the character of the little girl, known as Mary, became a fearless seven-year-old toughened by years of teasing and pranks from four older brothers.<ref name="PixarTouch197"/> In stark contrast, Johnson is nervous about the possibility of losing his job after the boss at Monsters, Inc. announces a downsizing. He feels envious because another scarer, Ned (who later became Randall), is the company's top performer.<ref name="PixarTouch197"/> Through various drafts, Johnson's occupation went back and forth between scarer and some other position such as a janitor or a refinery worker, until his final incarnation as the best scarer at Monsters, Inc.<ref name="PixarTouch197"/> 

Throughout development, Pixar worried that having a main character whose main goal was to scare children would alienate audiences and make them not empathize with him. Docter would later describe that the team "bent over backwards trying to create a story that still had monsters" while still attempting to solve the problem.<ref name="Entertainment15"/> A key moment came when the team decided, "Okay, he's the BEST scarer there. He's the star quarterback", with Docter noting that before that moment "design after design, we really didn't know what he was about."<ref name="Entertainment15"/> Disney noted to Pixar early on that they did not want the character to "look like a guy in a suit".<ref name="Entertainment15"/> To this end, Johnson was originally planned to have tentacles for feet; however, this caused many problems in early animation tests. The idea was later largely rejected, as it was thought that audiences would be distracted by the tentacles.<ref name = "EarlyTests">Early Tests. Commentary by [[Thomas Porter (Pixar)|Thomas Porter]], Steve May and Michael Fong, ''Monsters Inc''. 2002 DVD.</ref> Mary's age also differed from draft to draft until the writers settled on the age of three. "We found that the younger she was, the more dependent she was on Sulley", Docter said.<ref name="Monsters Inc, 2002 DVD, commentary"/> Eventually, Johnson was renamed Sullivan. Sullivan was also planned to wear glasses throughout the film. However, the creators abandoned this idea as they found the eyes were a perfectly readable and clear way of expressing a character's personality.<ref name = "EarlyTests"/>

The idea of a monster buddy for the lead monster emerged at a "story summit" in Burbank with employees from Disney and Pixar, held on April 6, 1998. A term coined by Lasseter, a "story summit" was a crash exercise that would yield a finished story in only two days.<ref name="PixarTouch180">{{harvnb|Price|2008|p=180}}</ref> The group agreed that a buddy character would give the lead monster someone to talk to about his predicament. Development artist Ricky Nierva drew a concept sketch of a rounded, one-eyed monster as a concept for the character, and everyone was generally receptive to it.<ref name="Monsters Inc, 2002 DVD, commentary"/> Docter named the character Mike, after the father of his friend [[Frank Oz]], a director and [[The Muppets|Muppet]] performer (and the voice of Fungus).<ref name="PixarTouch197"/> [[Jeff Pidgeon]] and Jason Katz story-boarded a test in which Mike helps Sulley choose a tie for work, and Mike Wazowski soon became a vital character in the film.<ref name="Monsters Inc, 2002 DVD, commentary"/> Originally, Mike had no arms and had to use his legs as appendages; however, due to some technical difficulties, arms were soon added to him.<ref name="Monsters Inc, 2002 DVD, commentary"/>

Screenwriter [[Daniel Gerson]] joined Pixar in 1999 and worked daily on the film with the filmmakers for almost two years. He considered it his first experience in writing a feature film. He explained, "I would sit with Pete [Docter] and [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]] and we would talk about a scene and they would tell me what they were looking for. I would make some suggestions and then go off and write the sequence. We'd get together again and review it and then hand it off to a story artist. Here's where the collaborative process really kicked in. The board artist was not beholden to my work and could take liberties here and there. Sometimes, I would suggest an idea about making the joke work better visually. Once the scene moved on to animation, the animators would plus the material even further."<ref name = "CultureProductionNotes"/>

Docter has cited the 1973 film [[Paper Moon (film)|''Paper Moon'']] as inspiration for the concept of someone experiencing getting stuck with a kid who turns out to be the real expert, and he credits Lasseter for coming up with the "laughter is ten times more powerful than fear" concept.<ref>{{Cite podcast |url=https://www.happyscribe.com/public/people-i-mostly-admire/21-cf65f8b7-1067-4673-a2ac-db9c4e0d9b10 |title=21. Pete Docter: "What If Monsters Really Do Exist?" |website=People I (Mostly) Admire |publisher=Freakonomics Radio |last=Levitt |first=Steve |date=27 Mar 2021 |access-date=31 Mar 2021}}</ref>

===Casting===
[[Bill Murray]] was considered for the voice role of Sulley. He screen-tested for the role and was interested, but Docter was unable to make contact with him to formally offer the part.<ref>{{cite web|last=Farr|first=John|title=Bill Murray and the Roles That Got Away|website=[[HuffPost]]|date=September 19, 2014|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-farr/bill-murray-and-the-roles_b_5850434.html|access-date=May 25, 2015|archive-date=June 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619004834/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-farr/bill-murray-and-the-roles_b_5850434.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Evans|first=Bradford|title=The Lost Roles of Bill Murray|date=February 17, 2011|url=http://splitsider.com/2011/02/the-lost-roles-of-bill-murray/|access-date=May 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520115025/http://splitsider.com/2011/02/the-lost-roles-of-bill-murray|archive-date=May 20, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The voice role of Sulley went to [[John Goodman]], the longtime co-star of the comedy series ''[[Roseanne]]'' and a regular in the films of the [[Coen brothers]]. Goodman interpreted the character as the monster equivalent of a [[National Football League]] player. "He's like a seasoned lineman in the tenth year of his career," he said at the time. "He is totally dedicated and a total pro."<ref name="PixarTouch198">{{harvnb|Price|2008|p=198}}</ref> [[Billy Crystal]], regretting having turned down the part of [[Buzz Lightyear]] years prior, accepted that of Mike Wazowski, Sulley's one-eyed best friend and scare assistant.<ref name="BillyCrystal">{{cite web|url=http://www.crankycritic.com/qa/pf_articles/billycrystal.html |title=Billy Crystal – Cranky Critic StarTalk |last=Fischer |first=Paul |access-date=March 11, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020112704/http://www.crankycritic.com/qa/pf_articles/billycrystal.html |archive-date=October 20, 2008}}</ref><ref name="BillyCrystalCT">{{cite news|last=Pearlman|first=Cindy|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EF7B35B6B4F1765&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Crystal clear on 'Monsters'|format=Fee required|date=October 28, 2001|work=Chicago Sun-Times|access-date=March 16, 2009|archive-date=January 13, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113070726/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EF7B35B6B4F1765&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Animation===
[[File:Pixaranimationstudios.jpg|thumb|When production began in earnest on ''Monsters, Inc.'' in 2000, Pixar relocated to a larger building in [[Emeryville, California]].]]
In November 2000, early in the production of ''Monsters, Inc.'', Pixar packed up and moved for the second time after its [[Lucasfilm Ltd.]] years.<ref name="PixarTouch198"/> The company's 500 employees had become spread among three buildings, separated by a busy highway. The company moved from Point Richmond to a much bigger campus in [[Emeryville, California|Emeryville]], co-designed by Lasseter and [[Steve Jobs]].<ref name="PixarTouch198"/>

In production, the film differed from earlier Pixar features, as every main character in the movie had its own lead animator – [[John Kahrs]] on Sulley, Andrew Gordon on Mike, and Dave DeVan on Boo.<ref name="PixarTouch199">{{harvnb|Price|2008|p=199}}</ref> Kahrs found that the "bearlike quality" of Goodman's voice provided an exceptionally good fit with the character. He faced a difficult challenge, however, in dealing with Sulley's sheer mass; traditionally, animators conveyed a figure's heaviness by giving it a slower, more belabored movement, but Kahrs was concerned that such an approach to a central character would give the film a "sluggish" feel.<ref name="PixarTouch199"/> Like Goodman, Kahrs came to think of Sulley as a football player whose athleticism enabled him to move quickly in spite of his size. To help the animators with Sulley and other large monsters, Pixar arranged for Rodger Kram, a [[University of California, Berkeley]] expert on the locomotion of heavy mammals, to lecture on the subject.<ref name="PixarTouch199"/>

Adding to Sulley's lifelike appearance was an intense effort by the technical team to refine the rendering of fur. Other production houses had tackled realistic fur, most notably [[Rhythm & Hues]] in its 1993 [[polar bear]] commercials for [[Coca-Cola]] and in its talking animals' faces in the 1995 film ''[[Babe (film)|Babe]]''.<ref name="PixarTouch199"/> However, rendering the characters of ''Monsters, Inc.'' required fur on a much larger scale. From the standpoint of Pixar's engineers, the quest for fur posed several significant challenges; one was to figure out how to animate a large number of hairs – 2,320,413 of them on Sulley – in a reasonably efficient way,<ref name="PixarTouch199"/> and another was to make sure that the hairs cast shadows on other ones. Without [[self-shadowing]], either fur or hair takes on an unrealistic flat-colored look (e.g., in ''Toy Story'', the hair on Andy's toddler sister, as seen in that movie's opening sequence, is hair without self-shadowing).<ref name="PixarTouch199"/>

The first fur test featured Sulley running an [[obstacle course]]. Results were not satisfactory, as such objects caught and stretched out the fur due to the extreme amount of motion. Another similar test was also unsuccessful, because, this time, the fur went ''through'' the objects.<ref name = "EarlyTests"/> Pixar then set up a Simulation department and created a new fur simulation program called '''Fizt''' (short for "physics tool").<ref name="PixarTouch200"/> After a shot with Sulley in it had been animated, the department took the data for that shot and added Sulley's fur. Fizt allowed the fur to react in a more natural way. Every time when Sulley had to move, his fur automatically reacted to his movements, thus taking the effects of wind and gravity into account as well. The Fizt program was also used to control the movement of Boo's clothes, which provided another "breakthrough".<ref name="PixarTouch200">{{harvnb|Price|2008|p=200}}</ref> The deceptively simple-sounding task of animating cloth was a challenge because of the hundreds of creases and wrinkles that occur in clothing when the wearer moves.<ref name="ReferenceA">2002, Monsters Inc, DVD-Behind the Scenes</ref> The team also had to solve the complex problem of how to keep cloth untangled – in other words, to keep it from passing through itself when parts of it intersect.<ref name="PixarTouch201">{{harvnb|Price|2008|p=201}}</ref> Fizt applied the same system to Boo's clothes as to Sulley's fur. Boo was first animated shirtless; the Simulation department then used Fizt to apply the shirt over Boo's body, allowing her clothes to react to her movements in a more natural manner.

[[File:MonstersIncVault.jpg|thumb|right|The "door vault" scene is one of the film's most elaborate sets.]]
To solve the problem of cloth-to-cloth collisions, Michael Kass, Pixar's senior scientist, was joined on ''Monsters, Inc.'' by David Baraff and Andrew Witkin and developed an [[algorithm]] they called "global intersection analysis" to handle the problem. The complexity of the shots in the film, including elaborate sets such as the door vault, required more computing power to render than any of Pixar's earlier efforts combined. The [[render farm]] in place for ''Monsters, Inc.'' was made up of 3500 [[Sun Microsystems]] processors, compared with 1400 for ''Toy Story 2'' and only 200 for ''Toy Story'', both built on Sun's own RISC-based [[SPARC processor architecture]].<ref name="PixarTouch201"/>

The scene in which the Harryhausen's restaurant was decontaminated was originally going to feature the restaurant being blown up.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unilad.com/film-and-tv/monsters-inc-deleted-scene-911-192732-20230702|title=Monsters, Inc. scene had to be deleted last minute after 9/11|date=July 2, 2023 }}</ref> Due to the [[September 11 attacks]], the explosion was replaced by a plasma dome.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/movies-tv-shows-changed-edited-september-11|title=13 movies and TV shows that were altered in the wake of 9/11|website=[[Insider.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|user=Animated_Antic|author=Animated Antic|number=1059473913556553728|date=November 5, 2018|title=In the original version of Monsters Inc, Harryhausen's actually wasn't simply put under quarantine but was rather destroyed. This had to be changed due to fear of upsetting audiences because of recent events at the time.}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=January 2022}}

==Music==
{{Main|Monsters, Inc. (soundtrack)}}
[[Randy Newman]] composed the score for ''Monsters, Inc.'' as his fourth feature film collaboration with Pixar. The end credits song "[[If I Didn't Have You (Disney song)|If I Didn't Have You]]" was sung by [[John Goodman]] and [[Billy Crystal]].<ref name="CultureProductionNotes" />

The album was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Original Score]] and a [[Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media]].<ref name="nytimes1" /> The score lost both these awards to ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', but after sixteen nominations, the song "[[If I Didn't Have You (Disney song)|If I Didn't Have You]]" finally won Newman his first [[Academy Award for Best Original Song]]. During his acceptance speech, he jokingly said "I don't want your pity".<ref name="nytimes1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Academy Awards Acceptance Speeches - Search Results {{!}} Margaret Herrick Library |url=http://aaspeechesdb.oscars.org/link/074-16/ |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences}}</ref> It also won a [[Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media]].<ref name="nytimes1" />

==Release==
===Marketing===
In October 2000, a teaser trailer of ''Monsters, Inc.'' was released, being distributed online and included on home video releases of ''[[Toy Story 2]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Linder|first=Brian|title=Monsters, Inc. Trailer Debuts Online|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/10/10/monsters-inc-trailer-debuts-online|publisher=IGN|access-date=February 12, 2022|date=October 10, 2000}}</ref> This trailer would be attached to ''[[102 Dalmatians]]'' theatrically and can later be seen on the [[DVD]] release of ''[[The Emperor's New Groove]]'', which was released on May 1, 2001.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Emperor's New Groove DVD Review |url=https://www.dvdizzy.com/emperor.html |website=DVDizzy.com}}</ref> Another ''Monsters, Inc.'' trailer premiered in theaters in June 2001 with the release of ''[[Atlantis: The Lost Empire]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Linder|first=Brian|title=Friday Fright-Day: Monsters, Inc. Trailer Bows Tomorrow|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/06/08/friday-fright-day-monsters-inc-trailer-bows-tomorrow|publisher=IGN|access-date=February 12, 2022|date=June 8, 2001}}</ref>

Several [[Happy Meal]] toys based on the film were released by [[McDonald's]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2001-10-24-0110240301-story.html|title=Disney a happy meal ticket for McDonald's|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=October 24, 2001 }}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Hasbro]] debuted their own ''Monsters, Inc.'' toys at the [[North American International Toy Fair]] event.<ref>{{cite web|last=Keier|first=Helen|title=Toy Fair Day 2: Monsters, Inc., Star Wars, JP3, Tomb Raider, and More!|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/13/toy-fair-day-2-monsters-inc-star-wars-jp3-tomb-raider-and-more|publisher=IGN|access-date=February 12, 2022|date=February 13, 2001}}</ref>

===Theatrical===
The film premiered on October 28, 2001, at the [[El Capitan Theatre]] in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], California.<ref>{{cite web|title=World Premiere of Disney/Pixar's MONSTERS, INC.|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/World+Premiere+of+Disney%2FPixar's+MONSTERS,+INC.-a079509167|publisher=The Free Library|access-date=March 1, 2014|date=October 28, 2001|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305040606/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/World+Premiere+of+Disney/Pixar%27s+MONSTERS%2C+INC.-a079509167|url-status=live}}</ref> It was theatrically released on November 2, 2001 in the United States, in Australia on December 26, 2001, and in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2002.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmdates.co.uk/films/3569-monsters-inc/ |title=Monsters, Inc. &#124; UK Cinema Release Date |publisher=Filmdates.co.uk |access-date=October 24, 2013 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192538/http://www.filmdates.co.uk/films/3569-monsters-inc/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The theatrical release was accompanied by the Pixar short animated film ''[[For the Birds (film)|For the Birds]]''.<ref name=IGNAnnecy>{{cite news|last=Linder|first=Brian|title=Oscar Spotlight: Animated Short Film|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/02/13/oscar-spotlight-animated-short-film|access-date=November 23, 2012|newspaper=IGN|date=February 13, 2002|archive-date=February 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223223141/http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/02/13/oscar-spotlight-animated-short-film|url-status=live}}</ref>

As with ''A Bug's Life'' and ''Toy Story 2'', a montage of "outtakes" and a performance of a play based on a line from the film were made and included in the end credits of the film starting on December 7, 2001.<ref>{{cite web|title=Animated 'Outtakes' Show Life 'Behind The Screams' With Disney/Pixar's 'Monsters, Inc.'|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/animated-outtakes-show-life-behind-the-screams-with-disneypixars-monsters-inc-74485462.html|publisher=PR Newswire|access-date=March 19, 2017|date=December 4, 2001|archive-date=March 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320232346/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/animated-outtakes-show-life-behind-the-screams-with-disneypixars-monsters-inc-74485462.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the success of the 3D re-release of ''[[The Lion King]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Smith|first=Grady|title='Beauty and the Beast,' 'The Little Mermaid,' 'Finding Nemo,' 'Monsters, Inc.' get 3-D re-releases|url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/10/04/disney-3d-beauty-beast-mermaid/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=October 27, 2011|date=October 4, 2011|archive-date=October 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014175532/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/10/04/disney-3d-beauty-beast-mermaid/|url-status=live}}</ref> Disney and Pixar re-released ''Monsters, Inc.'' in 3D on December 19, 2012, after it was previously scheduled for January 18, 2013.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 24, 2012 |title=Disney Moves Up 'Monsters Inc 3D' To December |url=https://www.deadline.com/2012/07/monsters-inc-release-date-move-disney-december-19-2012/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725161054/http://www.deadline.com/2012/07/monsters-inc-release-date-move-disney-december-19-2012/ |archive-date=July 25, 2012 |access-date=July 24, 2012 |newspaper=Deadline}}</ref>

===Home media===
''Monsters, Inc.'' was released on [[VHS]] and [[DVD]] on September 17, 2002.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Most Anticipated Monster Movie Hit Comes to DVD and VHS|url=http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/press_box/news/20020423-78248.htm|access-date=November 13, 2011|newspaper=Pixar|date=March 1, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061015181434/http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/press_box/news/20020423-78248.htm|archive-date=October 15, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Dan|last=Bennett|url=http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/product_article.cfm?sec_id=2&article_id=3250|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020616143557/http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/product_article.cfm?sec_id=2&article_id=3250|title=Creating a Monster of a DVD|website=hive4media.com|archive-date=June 16, 2002|date=June 6, 2002|access-date=September 11, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Both releases are [[THX]] certified and feature the animated shorts ''[[Mike's New Car]]'' and ''[[For the Birds (film)|For the Birds]]''.<ref name="IGN Monsters">{{cite web |last= |date=September 11, 2002 |title=Monsters, Inc. |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/09/11/monsters-inc-2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240828002542/https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/09/11/monsters-inc-2 |archive-date=August 28, 2024 |access-date=August 28, 2024 |website=IGN |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The DVD release presents the film in widescreen and fullscreen, both taken from the digital source by Pixar. The widescreen version additionally includes filmmakers' commentary and a sound effects-only audio track. The second disc includes a variety of bonus features including animated shorts, outtakes, and the "[[If I Didn't Have You (Disney song)|If I Didn't Have You]]" music video.<ref>{{cite web |title=Monsters, Inc. DVD Review |url=https://www.dvdizzy.com/monstersinc.html |website=DVDizzy.com}}</ref> This release set a new record for the highest single-day DVD sales, with 5 million copies being sold on its first day.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dalrymple |first=Jim |date=September 18, 2002 |title=Monsters Inc. DVD sets sales record |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/155924/monsters.html |website=Macworld}}</ref> Although this record was surpassed by ''[[Spider-Man (2002 film)|Spider-Man]]'' two months later, the film continued to hold the highest single-day record for an animated movie until it was overtaken by ''[[Finding Nemo]]'' in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/nemo-breaks-sales-records-wbna3404287|title='Nemo' breaks sales records|website=Today.com|date=November 5, 2003 |access-date=February 7, 2022}}</ref> The film was released on [[Blu-ray]] on November 10, 2009,<ref>{{cite news|last=McCutcheon|first=David|title=Monsters, Inc. Founded|url=http://bluray.ign.com/articles/101/1012386p1.html|access-date=November 13, 2011|newspaper=IGN|date=August 10, 2009|archive-date=April 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419005608/http://bluray.ign.com/articles/101/1012386p1.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and on Blu-ray 3D on February 19, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Monsters, Inc. - 3D: Ultimate Collector's Edition|url=http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/8077/monsters_inc_3d.html|publisher=High-Def Digest|access-date=December 31, 2012|archive-date=November 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103035359/http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/8077/monsters_inc_3d.html|url-status=live}}</ref> While the 2009 Blu-ray release featured a 5.1 [[DTS-HD Master Audio]] surround sound track, the 2013 reissue and its 3D counterpart feature a 7.1 channel [[Dolby TrueHD]] track.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Luke Hickman |title=Monsters, Inc: Collector's Edition Blu-ray Review |url=https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/8472/monsters_inc_2013.html |website=High-Def Digest |access-date=19 August 2022 |date=21 February 2013}}</ref> '' Monsters, Inc.'' was released on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K Blu-ray]] on March 3, 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Heller |first1=Emily |title=A bunch of Pixar movies, including Up and A Bug's Life, come to 4K Blu-ray |url=https://www.polygon.com/deals/2020/3/3/21162925/disney-pixar-4k-uhd-blu-ray-collectors-edition-amazon-best-buy-steelbook |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |access-date=April 22, 2021 |language=en |date=March 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304022027/https://www.polygon.com/deals/2020/3/3/21162925/disney-pixar-4k-uhd-blu-ray-collectors-edition-amazon-best-buy-steelbook |archive-date=March 4, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office===
On its first day of release, ''Monsters, Inc.'' earned $17.8&nbsp;million, then generated $26.9&nbsp;million the following day, making the latter the second-highest Saturday gross of all time, behind ''[[The Mummy Returns]]''.<ref name="ScaresUp">{{Cite web |last=Natale |first=Richard |date=2001-11-05 |title='Monsters' Scares Up Some Big Business |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-nov-05-ca-489-story.html |access-date=2022-02-07 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref> It ranked number one at the box office upon opening, beating out ''[[K-PAX (film)|K-PAX]]'', ''[[Thirteen Ghosts]]'', ''[[Domestic Disturbance]]'', and ''[[The One (2001 film)|The One]]''.<ref name="ScaresUp" /> The film's debut also led to audience declines of ''[[From Hell (film)|From Hell]]'', ''[[Riding in Cars with Boys]]'', ''[[Training Day]]'', ''[[Bandits (2001 film)|Bandits]]'', and other films.<ref name="ScaresUp" /> ''Monsters, Inc.'' held the record for having the biggest opening weekend of an animated film, making $62,577,067 and surpassing the previous record held by ''[[Toy Story 2]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brainerddispatch.com/newsmd/monsters-inc-mashes-its-competition-with-record-opening|title='Monsters, Inc.' mashes its competition with record opening|date=November 8, 2001}}</ref> It would last for two years until the release of ''[[Finding Nemo]]'' in May 2003.<ref>{{cite news |last=Breznican |first=Anthony |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98992509/nemo-sinks-bruce-at-box-office/ |title='Nemo' sinks 'Bruce' at box office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220403180509/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98992509/nemo-sinks-bruce-at-box-office/ |date=June 2, 2003 |access-date=April 3, 2022 |archive-date=April 3, 2022 |page=26 |work=The Associated Press |publisher=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> The film was ranked as the biggest three-day opening weekend for a Disney film, dethroning ''[[Pearl Harbor (film)|Pearl Harbor]]''. It was even the fourth film of the year to reach $60&nbsp;million within its first three days of release, just after ''The Mummy Returns'', ''[[Planet of the Apes (2001 film)|Planet of the Apes]]'', and ''[[Rush Hour 2]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title='Monsters' scares up win at box office |url=https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2001/11/04/Monsters-scares-up-win-at-box-office/78081004905129/ |access-date=11 February 2022 |work=[[United Press International]] |date=4 November 2001 |archive-date=February 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211025803/https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2001/11/04/Monsters-scares-up-win-at-box-office/78081004905129/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film had a small drop-off of 27.2% over its second weekend, earning another $45,551,028, while also outgrossing ''[[Shallow Hal]]'' and ''[[Heist (2001 film)|Heist]]'' to remain at the top spot.<ref>{{cite news |last=Breznican |first=Anthony |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer-monsters-inc-p/102742524/ |title='Monsters, Inc.' passes $100 million mark
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006141206/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer-monsters-inc-p/102742524/ |date=November 14, 2001 |access-date=October 6, 2024 |archive-date=October 6, 2024 |page=10 |work=AP Entertainment Writer |publisher=[[The News and Observer]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> In its third weekend, the film experienced a larger decline of 50.1%, placing itself in the second position just after ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone]]''. In its fourth weekend, however, there was an increase of 5.9%, making $24,055,001 that [[Thanksgiving]] weekend for a combined five-day gross of $32.5&nbsp;million, thus remaining in second place and edging out newcomers ''[[Spy Game]]'', ''[[Black Knight (film)|Black Knight]]'', and ''[[Out Cold (2001 film)|Out Cold]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109072570/harry-potter-keeps-its-lead-over/ |title='Harry Potter' keeps its lead over Thanksgiving weekend |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220906213139/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109072570/harry-potter-keeps-its-lead-over/ |date=November 27, 2001 |access-date=September 6, 2022 |archive-date=September 6, 2022 |page=33 |publisher=[[Daily Record (New Jersey)|Daily Record]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> As of May 2013, it is the eighth-biggest fourth weekend ever for a film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=monstersinc.htm|title=Monsters, Inc. – Weekend Grosses|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=September 4, 2010|archive-date=August 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824145834/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=monstersinc.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/moreweekends.htm?page=4&p=.htm|title=Top Weekends: 2nd&nbsp;– 12th&nbsp;– Weekend Grosses|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=September 4, 2010|archive-date=January 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109113654/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/moreweekends.htm?page=4&p=.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The film made $289,916,256 in North America, and $287,509,478 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $577,425,734.<ref name=monincboxmoj/> The film is Pixar's ninth-highest-grossing film worldwide and sixth-highest in North America.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=pixar.htm|title=Pixar Movies at the Box Office|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=September 4, 2010|archive-date=August 19, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819044746/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=pixar.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> For a time, the film surpassed ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'' as the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time, only behind 1994's ''[[The Lion King]]''.<ref name="PixarTouch201"/>

In the United Kingdom, Ireland, and [[Malta]], it earned £37,264,502 ($53,335,579), marking the sixth-highest-grossing animated film of all time in the country and the [[List of highest-grossing films in the United Kingdom|32nd-highest-grossing film of all time]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/intl/uk/|title=United Kingdom and Ireland and Malta Box Office Index|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=February 17, 2011|archive-date=March 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310161010/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/uk/|url-status=live}}</ref> In Japan, although earning $4,471,902 during its opening and ranking second behind ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' for the weekend, it moved to first place on subsequent weekends due to exceptionally small decreases or even increases and dominated for six weeks at the box office. It finally reached $74,437,612, standing as 2001's third-highest-grossing film and the third-largest U.S. animated feature of all time in the country behind ''[[Toy Story 3]]'' and ''Finding Nemo''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/intl/japan/yearly/?yr=2002&p=.htm|title=Japan Yearly Box Office|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=February 17, 2011|archive-date=May 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511054555/http://boxofficemojo.com/intl/japan/yearly/?yr=2002&p=.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Critical response===
Review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gave the film an approval rating of 96% based on 200 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Clever, funny, and delightful to look at, ''Monsters, Inc.'' delivers another resounding example of how Pixar elevated the bar for modern all-ages animation."<ref>{{cite Rotten Tomatoes|id=monsters_inc |title=Monsters, Inc. |type=m |access-date={{RT data|access date}}|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920123731/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/monsters_inc|archive-date=September 20, 2019|url-status=live}}{{RT data|edit}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] assigned the film a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite Metacritic |id=monsters-inc |title=Monsters, Inc. |type=m |access-date=September 1, 2010 |archive-date=August 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825190856/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/monsters-inc |url-status=live }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a rare "A+" grade, becoming the second Pixar film to gain the score after ''[[Toy Story 2]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thewrap.com/movies-a-plus-cinemascore-lord-of-rings-harry-potter-black-panther-photos/ |title=53 Movies With A+ CinemaScore Since 2000, From 'Remember the Titans' to 'Just Mercy' (Photos) |date=2020-01-12 |first=Thom |last=Geier |website=TheWrap |access-date=May 1, 2022 |archive-date=June 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200203/https://www.thewrap.com/movies-a-plus-cinemascore-lord-of-rings-harry-potter-black-panther-photos/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Charles Taylor of ''[[Salon (website)|Salon]]'' magazine stated, "[i]t's agreeable and often funny, and adults who take their kids to see it might be surprised to find themselves having a pretty good time."<ref>{{cite web|first=Charles |last=Taylor |url=http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/review/2001/11/02/monsters_inc |title=Monsters, Inc: The new animated feature from Pixar has too much Disney pap and not enough Gothic. |work=Salon |date=November 2, 2001 |access-date=September 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101015070328/http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/review/2001/11/02/monsters_inc/ |archive-date=October 15, 2010}}</ref> Elvis Mitchell of ''[[The New York Times]]'' gave it a positive review, praising the film's usage of "creative energy", saying "There hasn't been a film in years to use creative energy as efficiently as ''Monsters, Inc.''"<ref>{{cite news|last=Mitchell|first=Elvis|title=Monsters of Childhood With Feelings and Agendas|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/02/movies/02MONS.html|access-date=April 19, 2012|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 2, 2001|archive-date=January 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130103130908/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/02/movies/02MONS.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Although Mike Clark of ''[[USA Today]]'' thought the comedy was sometimes "more frenetic than inspired and viewer emotions are rarely touched to any notable degree", he also viewed the film as "visually inventive as its Pixar predecessors".<ref>{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Clark|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/2001-11-02-monsters-inc-review.htm|title='Monsters, Inc.' yields dividends|access-date=September 1, 2010|work=[[USA Today]]|date=November 5, 2001|archive-date=June 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625155338/http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/2001-11-02-monsters-inc-review.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

''ReelViews'' film critic [[James Berardinelli]] gave the film 3{{fraction|1|2}} stars out of 4 and wrote that the film was "one of those rare family films that parents can enjoy (rather than endure) along with their kids".<ref>{{cite web|first=James|last=Berardinelli|url=http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/m/monsters_inc.html|title=Monsters, Inc. – A movie review by James Berardinelli|publisher=Reelviews.net|access-date=September 1, 2010|archive-date=September 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905195416/https://preview.reelviews.net/movies/m/monsters_inc.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, calling it "cheerful, high-energy fun, and like the other Pixar movies, has a running supply of gags and references aimed at grownups".<ref>{{cite news |first= Roger |last= Ebert |author-link=Roger Ebert |url= http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20011102/REVIEWS/111020303/1023|title= Monsters, Inc.|date= November 2, 2001 |access-date= September 1, 2010|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |archive-date= December 16, 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101216025804/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20011102%2FREVIEWS%2F111020303%2F1023 |url-status= dead }}</ref> [[Lisa Schwarzbaum]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the film a "B+" grade and praised its animation, stating "Everything from Pixar Animation Studios – the snazzy, cutting-edge computer animation outfit – looks really, really terrific and unspools with a liberated, heppest-moms-and-dads-on-the-block iconoclasm."<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Lisa Schwarzbaum |author-link=Lisa Schwarzbaum |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,182272,00.html|title=Monsters, Inc.|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=November 9, 2001|access-date=September 1, 2010|archive-date=May 15, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515071120/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,182272,00.html|url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2025, it was one of the films voted for the "Readers' Choice" edition of ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'}} list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century," finishing at number 242.<ref>{{cite web |title=Readers Choose Their Top Movies of the 21st Century |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/movies/readers-movies-21st-century.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=2 July 2025}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{{See also|List of Pixar awards and nominations (feature films) #Monsters, Inc.|l1=Table of Pixar awards and nominations for Monsters, Inc.}}
''Monsters, Inc.'' won the [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]] ([[Randy Newman]], after fifteen previous nominations, for "[[If I Didn't Have You (Disney song)|If I Didn't Have You]]").<ref name="nytimes1">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/255531/Monsters-Inc-/awards |title=Monsters-Inc- - Cast, Crew, Director and Awards |access-date=October 25, 2013 |archive-date=November 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110053139/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/255531/Monsters-Inc-/awards |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was one of the first animated films to be nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]] (lost to ''[[Shrek]]'').<ref name="nytimes1"/> It was also nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]] (lost to ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'') and [[Academy Award for Best Sound Editing|Best Sound Editing]] (lost to ''[[Pearl Harbor (film)|Pearl Harbor]]'').<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-news-the-envelope-please-t/124522198/ |title=The envelope, please: The 2nd annual Foscars |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512221528/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-news-the-envelope-please-t/124522198/ |date=March 25, 2002 |access-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-date=May 12, 2023 |page=30 |publisher=[[The Journal News]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live }} {{Open access}}</ref><ref name="nytimes1"/> At the Kid's Choice Awards in 2002, it was nominated for "Favorite Voice in an Animated Movie" for [[Billy Crystal]] (who lost to [[Eddie Murphy]] in ''[[Shrek]]'').<ref name="nytimes1"/>

==Lawsuits==
[[File:Excuse my Dust.jpg|thumb|A drawing of a character for [[Stanley Mouse]]'s "Excuse My Dust", a film that he had tried to sell to Hollywood in 1998<ref name = "San Francisco Chronicle"/>]]
Shortly before the film's release, Pixar was sued by children's songwriter Lori Madrid of Wyoming, claiming that the company had stolen her ideas from her 1997 poem "There's a Boy in My Closet". Madrid mailed her poem to six publishers in October 1999, notably [[Chronicle Books]], before turning it into a local stage musical in August 2001. After seeing the trailer for ''Monsters, Inc.'', Madrid concluded that Chronicle Books had passed her work to Pixar and that the film was based on her work.<ref>{{harvnb|Price|2008|pp=187–188}}</ref> In October 2001, she filed the suit against Chronicle Books, Pixar, and Disney in a federal court in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Her lawyer asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction, that would forbid Pixar and Disney from releasing the film while the suit was pending. In a hearing on November 1, 2001, the day before the film's scheduled release, the judge refused to issue an injunction. On June 26, 2002, he ruled that the film had nothing in common with the poem.<ref>{{harvnb|Price|2008|pp=189–193}}</ref>

In November 2002, [[Stanley Mouse]] filed a lawsuit in which he alleged that the characters of Mike and Sulley were based on drawings of ''Excuse My Dust'', a film that he had tried to sell to Hollywood in 1998.<ref name = "MINCfacescopylawsuit"/> The lawsuit also stated that a story artist from Pixar visited Mouse in 2000 and discussed Mouse's work with him.<ref name="MINCfacescopylawsuit">{{cite news|first=Maggie |last=Shiels |title=Monsters Inc faces 'copying' lawsuit |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2477593.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080204172819/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2477593.stm |work=BBC News |date=November 14, 2002 |archive-date=February 4, 2008 |access-date=September 1, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> A Disney spokeswoman responded, saying that the characters in ''Monsters, Inc.'' were "developed independently by the Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures creative teams, and do not infringe on anyone's copyrights".<ref name = "San Francisco Chronicle">{{cite web|last=Alicia Gaura|first=Maria|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/11/09/BA8478.DTL|title=Sonoma artist claims 'Monsters, Inc.' a rip-off|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=November 9, 2002|access-date=June 18, 2012|archive-date=May 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525020912/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2002%2F11%2F09%2FBA8478.DTL|url-status=live}}</ref> The case was ultimately settled under undisclosed terms.<ref>{{cite web |author=Oliva |first=S.M. |date=January 22, 2009 |title=Animation is Built on Plagiarism... |url=http://archive.mises.org/9285/animation-is-built-on-plagiarism/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201041645/http://archive.mises.org/9285/animation-is-built-on-plagiarism/ |archive-date=December 1, 2012 |access-date=May 15, 2013 |publisher=Archive.mises.org}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=October 2020|certain=y}}

==Prequel==
{{Main|Monsters University}}
A prequel, titled ''[[Monsters University]]'', was released on June 21, 2013. John Goodman, Billy Crystal, and Steve Buscemi reprised their roles of Sulley, Mike, and Randall, while [[Dan Scanlon]] directed the film. The prequel's plot focuses on Sulley and Mike's studies at Monsters University, where they start off as rivals but soon become best friends.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Monsters University (film) |url=https://d23.com/a-to-z/monsters-university-film/ |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]]}}</ref>

==Other media==
An animated short, ''[[Mike's New Car]]'', was made by Pixar in 2002 in which the two main characters have assorted misadventures with a car Mike has just bought. This film was not screened in theaters, but is included with all home video releases of ''Monsters, Inc.'', and on [[Pixar Short Films Collection Volume 1|Pixar's Dedicated Shorts]] DVD.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Mikes-New-Car-Pixar-Short/dp/B0065GV3AY |title=Mike's New Car - Pixar Short: Pete Docter, Roger Gould, Gale Gortney: Amazon Video |website=Amazon |access-date=May 13, 2013 |archive-date=April 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130414101512/http://www.amazon.com/Mikes-New-Car-Pixar-Short/dp/B0065GV3AY |url-status=live }}</ref> In August 2002, a [[manga]] version of ''Monsters, Inc.'' was made by Hiromi Yamafuji and distributed in [[Kodansha]]'s ''Comic Bon Bon'' magazine in Japan; the manga was published in English by [[Tokyopop]] until it went out of print.<ref>[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-08-20/tokyopop-licensed-monsters-inc-manga Tokyopop licensed Monsters Inc. Manga] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529061307/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-08-20/tokyopop-licensed-monsters-inc-manga |date=May 29, 2020 }} August 20, 2002 by [[Anime News Network]]. Retrieved January 2013</ref>

Feld Entertainment toured a ''Monsters, Inc.'' edition of their ''[[Disney on Ice|Walt Disney's World on Ice]]'' skating tour from 2003 to 2007.<ref>{{cite web |author=de Barros |first=Paul |date=October 29, 2004 |title=Entertainment & the Arts &#124; Fur and flips: "Monsters, Inc." on ice |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20041029/fun29/fur-and-flips-monsters-inc-on-ice |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110123132/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20041029&slug=fun29 |archive-date=November 10, 2013 |access-date=May 13, 2013 |publisher=Community.seattletimes.nwsource.com}}</ref> ''Monsters, Inc.'' has inspired three attractions at [[Walt Disney Parks and Resorts|Disney theme parks]] around the world. In 2006 [[Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!]] opened at [[Disneyland Resort]]'s [[Disney California Adventure]] in [[Anaheim, California]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.themeparkinsider.com/reviews/disney%27s_california_adventure/monsters,_inc-_mike_and_sulley_to_the_rescue/ |title=Monsters, Inc: Mike and Sulley to the Rescue at Disney's California Adventure |publisher=Themeparkinsider.com |date=June 9, 2012 |access-date=May 13, 2013 |archive-date=August 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809021631/http://www.themeparkinsider.com/reviews/disney%27s_california_adventure/monsters%2C_inc-_mike_and_sulley_to_the_rescue/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2007, [[Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor]] opened at [[Walt Disney World|Walt Disney World Resort]]'s [[Magic Kingdom]] in [[Lake Buena Vista, Florida]], replacing [[The Timekeeper]]. The show is improvisational in nature, and features the opportunity for Guests to interact with the monster comedians and submit jokes of their own via text message.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 28, 2013 |title=Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor |url=https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/monsters-inc-laugh-floor/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613011057/https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/monsters-inc-laugh-floor/ |archive-date=June 13, 2013 |access-date=May 13, 2013 |website=Walt Disney World Resort |publisher=Disney}}</ref> In 2009 [[Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek]] opened at [[Tokyo Disney Resort]]'s [[Tokyo Disneyland]] in [[Chiba Prefecture|Chiba]], Japan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/en/tdl/atrc/tomorrow/monsters/index.html |title=Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek! &#124; Tokyo Disneyland |publisher=Tokyodisneyresort.co.jp |access-date=May 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722010322/http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/en/tdl/atrc/tomorrow/monsters/index.html |archive-date=July 22, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2009, [[Boom! Studios]] produced a ''Monsters Inc.'' comic book mini-series that ran for four issues. The storyline takes place after the movie and focuses on Sulley and Mike's daily struggles to operate Monsters Inc. on its new laughter-focused company policy. At the same time, their work is impeded by the revenge schemes of Randall and Waternoose, as well as a human child (indirectly revealed to be Sid Phillips from the ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]]'' franchise) who has hijacked the company's closet door technology to commit a string of toy thefts throughout the human world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comicvine.com/monsters-inc-laugh-factory/4050-44995/ |title=Monsters, Inc.: Laugh Factory (Volume) |publisher=Comicvine.com |date=January 1, 2010 |access-date=July 6, 2013 |archive-date=November 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111015419/http://www.comicvine.com/monsters-inc-laugh-factory/4050-44995/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Video games===
A series of video games were created based on the film. The video games included ''[[Monsters, Inc. (video game)|Monsters, Inc.]]'', ''[[Monsters, Inc. Scream Team]]'' and ''[[Monsters, Inc. Scream Arena]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamestop.com/ps2/games/monsters-inc-used/19877 |title=Monsters, Inc. - Used for PlayStation 2 |publisher=GameStop |date=January 16, 2012 |access-date=May 13, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201012536/http://www.gamestop.com/ps2/games/monsters-inc-used/19877 |archive-date=February 1, 2013}}</ref> A game titled ''Monsters, Inc. Run'' was released on the [[App Store (iOS)|App Store]] for [[iPhone]], [[iPod Touch]], and [[iPad]] on December 13, 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title='Monsters Inc. Run' by Disney Mobile Now Available for Apple iDevices|url=http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-monsters-inc-run-59319/|access-date=December 20, 2012|newspaper=Stitch Kingdom|date=December 13, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110122346/http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-monsters-inc-run-59319/|archive-date=November 10, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Sulley, Mike, Boo, Randall, Celia and Roz appear as playable characters in the video game ''[[Disney Magic Kingdoms]]'', being unlocked during the progress of the game's main storyline.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFoNj3yuJG4&ab_channel=DisneyMagicKingdoms |title=Disney Magic Kingdoms - Official Launch Trailer |date=March 17, 2016 |publisher=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

A world based on the film made its debut appearance in the ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' series in ''[[Kingdom Hearts III]]'',<ref>{{cite journal |last=Pereira |first=Chris |title=New Kingdom Hearts 3 Trailer Shows Monsters Inc. World, New Gameplay Details Revealed |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-kingdom-hearts-3-trailer-shows-monsters-inc-wo/1100-6456687/ |date=February 10, 2018 |access-date=February 11, 2017 |journal=[[GameSpot]] |archive-date=February 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210130600/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-kingdom-hearts-3-trailer-shows-monsters-inc-wo/1100-6456687/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Nunneley |first=Stephany |title=Kingdom Hearts 3 release date coming at E3 2018, new trailer shows Monsters, Inc. characters |url=https://www.vg247.com/2018/02/10/kingdom-hearts-3-release-date-e3-2018-monster-inc-trailer/ |date=February 10, 2018 |access-date=February 11, 2018 |journal=[[vg247]] |archive-date=February 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211005442/https://www.vg247.com/2018/02/10/kingdom-hearts-3-release-date-e3-2018-monster-inc-trailer/ |url-status=live }}</ref> making it the second Disney-Pixar movie featured in the series after ''Toy Story''.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Fingas |first=Jon |title=The world of 'Toy Story' is coming to 'Kingdom Hearts 3' |url=https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/15/toy-story-in-kingdom-hearts-3/ |date=July 15, 2017 |access-date=February 11, 2018 |journal=[[Engadget]] |archive-date=February 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211170354/https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/15/toy-story-in-kingdom-hearts-3/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Young |first=Rory |title=Kingdom Hearts 3 New Trailer Confirms Toy Story World |url=https://gamerant.com/kingdom-hearts-3-trailer-toy-story/ |date=July 2017 |access-date=February 11, 2018 |journal=Game Rant |archive-date=February 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210210335/https://gamerant.com/kingdom-hearts-3-trailer-toy-story/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The world takes place after the events of the first film.

===Television series===
{{Main|Monsters at Work}}
In November 2017, Disney [[CEO]] [[Bob Iger]] spoke about plans to develop [[Monsters at Work|a television series spin-off of ''Monsters, Inc.'']] among other properties owned by the company.<ref>{{cite news |author= |date=November 9, 2017 |title=Disney reveals plan for new Star Wars trilogy and live-action TV series |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/nov/09/disney-new-star-wars-trilogy-live-action-tv-series |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104001033/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/nov/09/disney-new-star-wars-trilogy-live-action-tv-series |archive-date=January 4, 2018 |access-date=January 29, 2018 |newspaper=The Guardian |via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sandwell |first=Ian |date=November 10, 2017 |title=Monsters Inc is getting a spin-off TV show |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/news/a842757/monsters-inc-spin-off-tv-show-disney/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171112194013/http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/news/a842757/monsters-inc-spin-off-tv-show-disney/ |archive-date=November 12, 2017 |access-date=November 12, 2017 |website=[[Digital Spy]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/11/disney-star-wars-monsters-inc-tv-series-1202205326/|title=Disney Developing 'Star Wars', 'Monsters Inc.' TV Series For Streaming Service|first=Dawn C.|last=Chmielewski|date=November 9, 2017|access-date=April 16, 2020|archive-date=May 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529061418/https://deadline.com/2017/11/disney-star-wars-monsters-inc-tv-series-1202205326/|url-status=live}}</ref> By November of the following year the series was confirmed for [[Disney+]], and would continue the story of the previous films.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/new-star-wars-and-marvel-series-announced-for-disney-streaming-service/|title=New Star Wars and Marvel Series Announced for Disney+ Streaming Service|date=November 8, 2018|website=The Walt Disney Company|access-date=November 9, 2018|archive-date=November 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181109022946/https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/new-star-wars-and-marvel-series-announced-for-disney-streaming-service/|url-status=dead}}</ref> On April 9, 2019, it was announced that Goodman, Crystal, and Tilly would return as Mike, Sulley, and Celia, respectively for the series. Peterson returns as Roz and also voices her twin sister Roze. Additional cast members include [[Ben Feldman]] as Tylor Tuskmon, [[Mindy Kaling]] as Val, [[Henry Winkler]] as Fritz, [[Lucas Neff]] as Duncan, [[Alanna Ubach]] as Cutter, [[Stephen Stanton]] as Needleman and Smitty (replacing Gerson), and [[Aisha Tyler]] as Tylor's mother Millie. In addition, Ratzenberger returns as Yeti and also voices Tylor's father Bernard.<ref>{{cite news|last=Clark|first=Caren|url=https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/monsters-at-work-release-date-cast-plot-and-everything-you-need-to-know|title=''Monsters At Work'' – release date, cast, plot and everything you need to know|website=whattowatch.com|date=June 4, 2021|accessdate=December 1, 2021|quote=John Ratzenberger (Cheers) returns as Yeti and also voices Tylor's dad, Bernard.}}</ref> It was released on Disney+ on July 7, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gelfand |first=Ilana |date=April 9, 2019 |title=Here's Everything We Know About Monsters at Work, the Monsters, Inc.-Inspired Animated Series Coming to Disney+ |url=https://news.disney.com/monsters-at-work-announcement |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409180115/https://ohmy.disney.com/news/2019/04/09/monsters-at-work-announcement/ |archive-date=April 9, 2019 |access-date=April 9, 2019 |work=Disney News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ridgely |first=Charlie |date=June 11, 2021 |title=Monsters at Work Disney+ Gets New Release Date, Episodes to Release on Wednesdays |url=https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/monsters-at-work-premiere-date-change-wednesday-episodes/ |access-date=2021-06-12 |website=ComicBook.com}}</ref> The series begins the day after Waternoose's arrest and follows Tylor who hopes to be promoted to the Laugh Floor.<ref>{{cite news|last=Paz|first=Maggie|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/trailers/1177621-monsters-at-work-trailer|title=Monsters at Work Trailer Previews Pixar's New Disney+ Series|website=comingsoon.net|date=June 10, 2021|accessdate=December 1, 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Film|United States|Animation|Disney|Cartoon}}
*[[List of animated feature films]]
*[[List of computer-animated films]]
{{Clear}}

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last=Price|first=David|year=2008|title=The Pixar Touch|location=New York|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf|isbn=978-0-307-26575-3|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780307265753}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Monsters, Inc.}}
{{Wikiquote|Monsters, Inc.}}
* {{Official website|http://movies.disney.com/monsters-inc}}
* [https://www.pixar.com/feature-films/monsters-inc#monsters-inc-1 Pixar website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430032407/https://www.pixar.com/feature-films/monsters-inc#monsters-inc-1 |date=April 30, 2019 }}
* {{Anime News Network|manga|1586}}
* {{IMDb title|0198781|Monsters, Inc.}}
* {{TCMDb title|452480|Monsters, Inc.}}

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