Sequel Ideas: Monsters, Inc. · 3:29am Feb 22nd, 2015
This could be the start of another series of blogs where I give ideas I have for sequels to movies I like or this could just be a one-off thing. Either way, this is just something I wanted to share and hear others' thoughts about. I recently sat down and watched both Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University. Monsters, Inc. is one of my all-time favorite animated films (which should be a given as it is Pixar) and its prequel Monsters University, while not as groundbreaking or equal in quality, is an overall terrific film IMO. However, I'd really like to potentially see an official sequel to the first film come around sometime in the future. In my spare time over the past couple days (when I wasn't doing schoolwork, relaxing, or slowly working on the next chapter of my DW series), I came up with an idea for a sequel. So, for any of you fellow Pixar fans or casual viewers, here's my personal dream sequel idea for Monsters, Inc.
The Title:
With the first film being titled Monsters, Inc. and the prequel being Monsters University, I wanted to go with something different aside from simply Monsters, Inc. 2. The title I decided to go with is Monsters Forever as I felt it would be a fitting title for the final film in an out-of-order trilogy as well as I found it to fit quite well with the plot I've laid out. If any of you have a better title idea, feel free to suggest it.
The Plot:
Monsters Forever takes place sixteen years after the end of Monsters, Inc. Sulley is still the CEO of Monsters, Inc. and has led it into a new golden age of success following his switching the power source from screams to laughter. Mike is married to his girlfriend from the first film, Celia, and is conflicted over Celia's desire to have children. Meanwhile, in the human world, Mary Gibbs (Boo's official real name as revealed by Pixar) is now 18 years old and studying animation in college. She considers her memories of Sulley, Mike, and the monster world to be nothing more than dreams she had when she was younger. This is because her family moved away only a few months after Sulley reunited with her at the end of the first film and they lost contact as Sulley was unable to find her new home. Meanwhile, Randall has spent the last sixteen years traveling around the human world in secret and just trying to survive. He holds an immense amount of hatred for Mike, Sulley, and Boo and seeks revenge, even though he is plagued by dreams involving the time when he and Mike were good friends. He sees Mary at her college and recognizes her as Boo all grown up. He follows her to her babysitting job and attacks her with the desire to at least get his revenge on one person who wronged him. Meanwhile, the child Mary is babysitting gets a visit from a young joker (or whatever they call the scarers after laughter replaced screams) trying to cheat and rack up his stats for best joker. The fight between Mary and Randall results in the two of them flying through the closet and back into the monster world. Meanwhile, a powerful monster known as Nightmare has returned to seek vengeance for a crime done against him by his fellow monsters, a sadistic general from the human world puts a plan into motion to invade the monster world and destroy them in an act of revenge for a tragedy in his past, and the answer to stopping both threats lies behind the oldest door in the monster world which holds the oldest fear in existence behind it.
The Characters:
Mary "Boo" Gibbs:
The first film's focus was on Sulley, the prequel focused on Mike, so I think it would be fitting to have this film focus on Mary/Boo. Being grown up, she would obviously be a much more different person compared to little Boo. I would see her as being curious, creative, a bit mischievous, and not easily pushed around (due to her being able to stand up to Randall in the climax of the first film). Her memories of the monster world ultimately inspire her creativity and desire to create unique worlds and characters through animation. I can see her fight against Randall when he finds her being a funny throwback to her fight with him as a toddler; with her beating him with a baseball bat, pulling on his head, and the like. Upon returning to the monster world, she would obviously first assume that she's dreaming. She would quickly realize the opposite, however. A big moment in the movie would, obviously, be her reunion with Sulley. I picture the two of them staring at each other in stunned silence for a few seconds as they come to terms with who they're looking at. Sulley would then ask, "Boo?" Mary would ask in response, "Kitty?" They would then slowly approach each other and Mary would cautiously touch his face. She would then say, "This is real. This is all real. You're real," before hugging him. Mary would also be a huge instigator in Randall's redemption (more on that later) and would be one of the factors helping him see what an jerk he's made of himself. I also see her bonding a bit with Celia and ultimately being the one to open the oldest door. After the threat is resolved, she would return to the human world but with the ability to call Sulley on her cellphone and visit the monster world whenever she pleases.
James P. "Sulley" Sullivan:
As stated earlier, Sulley would still be the CEO of Monsters, Inc. and leading it through a new golden age. However, he would be conflicted over a few things. One being, obviously, him missing Boo. An item he holds onto is a birthday present he was meant to give to Boo but was unable to as she moved away before her birthday. He would later give it to her after they reunite. I haven't come up with what the present could be. Maybe it could be a hand-drawn picture of them together or something like that. Sulley would also miss the good old days of just him and Mike since he's now living by himself due to Mike marrying Celia. He would also be facing fears of failing Monsters, Inc. and making a mistake that could ruin the company; all the while being tormented by visions of Waternoose. The events of the film would ultimately help him overcome these three main problems with him becoming closer to Mike and reuniting with Mary.
Michael "Mike" Wazowski:
Mike would be in a happy marriage with Celia and be held as one of the great "jokers" at Monsters, Inc. However, he would also be missing the old days with him and Sulley and be conflicted over Celia's desire to have children due to how chaotic his experience with young Boo was. He would be the first person Randall would go after following his return to the monster world. I can already picture a scene of Randall sneaking into Mike and Celia's house and Mike confronting him. The two would share some back-and-forth about what happened in the first film and even begin to delve into their time together in college. This would be cut short by Nightmare appearing and kidnapping Randall (more on that plot point later). Mike would be happy to reunite with Mary, try to protect Celia, and become even closer friends with Sulley all the while slowly mending things with Randall.
Randall "Randy" Boggs:
After seeing the prequel, I was introduced to a whole new side of Randall Boggs; and a video I recently came across on Youtube shows that there's definitely room to see that the friendly Randy didn't entirely get overtaken by the spiteful Randall.
This film would act as Randall's redemption story but it would take place at a gradual, realistic pace. The best of both sides of Randall would be seen with him being at his most hateful and vengeful at the beginning and being his most kind and friendly at the end. At the beginning, he would be conflicted between his need for revenge along with his faint sadness about losing Mike as a friend all those years ago. After confronting Mike, he would be kidnapped by Nightmare (who is drawn to those suffering from severe anger, guilt, sadness, the like). Nightmare would then torture him with visions of his past and even reconstruct the scream extractor to use on him. Mary, who would be kidnapped by Nightmare as well and held in the same room, would stand up to Nightmare and free Randall due to "seeing that he's suffered enough". This would be the major start of his redemption. He would go on to work with Mary, Mike, and Sulley in order to help save the monster world all the while accepting the wrongs he committed in the past and mending things with the others. But, as I said, it would be a gradual process and Randall would constantly be swinging back and forth between his Randall and Randy mannerisms. During the climax, he would finally redeem himself by taking a bullet for Mike. He would survive and appear at the end to say goodbye to Mary with his friendship with Mike restored and him starting over with Sulley. I could see Mary thanking him for trying to kill her, which is what brought them back to the monster world, and he would awkwardly tell her, "Uh...your welcome." He'd also return to wearing glasses at the end of the film and go on to become one of the top "jokers".
Nightmare:
The main villain of the film. He'd be an incredibly old but powerful monster with a frightening series of powers; all of which involving nightmares (duh), visions, and the like. I picture him as a giant, black owl/bat creature with red eyes and smoke pouring out of random parts of his body. His origin story would be that his original name was Ned Copper (feel free to offer up new names as well as potential new villain names) and that he was shunned due to his unique abilities. His only friend (could be just a close friend or a sibling) was hurt badly by a group of bullies in an attempt to mess with Ned and he unleashed a full blast of his powers on them, causing them to go insane. He was locked away and slowly gained a hatred for all monsters and eventually escaped to take his revenge. He would ultimately be defeated by Mary, Sulley, and Mike harnessing the oldest fear that everyone shares (which is the fear of the unknown) and using it against him.
General James Coburn:
Named after the voice actor who voiced Waternoose in the first film (who passed away in 2002, may he rest in peace), he would act as the secondary villain of the film. As a child James experienced a horrible tragedy at the hands (or claws) of none other than Waternoose when he killed James's mother when she discovered him scaring her son. This would cause him to grow up bitter, cold, sadistic, and with an extraordinary hatred of monsters. He would gain fighting experience from the army and fund a project with a group of loyal friends and soldiers in order to find a way into the monster world. He would eventually succeed in doing this and first lay waste to Monsters University before attacking the rest of the city and progressing towards Monsters, Inc. (which is where the climax would take place). He would meet his demise whilst fighting against Waternoose (who had escaped from prison).
Celia Mae-Wazowski:
Mike's girlfriend from the first film who would be married to him in this film. She would have a desire to have children, which Mike would be conflicted about. She would play a bigger role in this film than in the first with her bonding with Mary, getting kidnapped by Nightmare, and partaking in the climax.
Abigail Hardscrabble:
The ex-chair of the Scarer program at Monsters University who would have retired from the job around the time of the ending of the first film. She would help provide sanctuary to Mary, Sulley, Mike, and Randall during the attack from James and would be the one to tell them about the oldest door. I can already picture her telling Sulley and Mike, "You surprised me once long go at Monsters University and you surprised me again sixteen years ago when you replaced screams with laughter. I'm sure surprising me a third time will be a walk in the park for you by this point."
Henry J. Waternoose III:
The ex-CEO of Monsters, Inc. who was arrested at the end of the first film. Visions of him would torment Sulley as he struggles with the fear of failing Monsters, Inc. He would later escape prison when both Nightmare and James attack the city. He would meet his demise during a battle with James.
Others:
I can see many characters from both films returning in this along with some new ones. I haven't really thought up any new characters or thought about any returning secondary characters aside from Roz, the Oozma Kappa group, and possibly the Abominable Snowman.
Conclusion:
So that wraps up my idea for a Monsters, Inc. sequel. Do you guys like my ideas? Do you have any suggestions and ideas of your own? And if anyone out there takes inspiration from this for a fanfic, be my guest and write away!
Pretty good, but it might be overloaded with too many villains with the human general.
Send this to Pixar. Do it.
Oh, and the Abominable Snowman could be included in a brief montage scene of all the places Randall traveled to. I can just see him walking up and offering an unamused Randall (slouched forward, arms crossed, annoyed face) a tray of snowcones.
I saw Monster's Inc many years ago. Haven't seen Monster's University, though. If nothing else, this would make a monster of a fanfiction.
I once had an idea for a fanfiction I called Avengers: Unity that was a crossover between The Amazing Spider-Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now Marvel and Sony are actually doing it.