Monsters University (2013)
- To accurately portray their role in Monsters University, Billy Crystal spent weeks conducting hands-on research and rehearsing directly with director Dan Scanlon.
- Monsters University utilized mostly practical sets and locations to ground the story, a specific choice insisted upon by Dan Scanlon.
Monsters University is a 2013 American animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios, directed by Dan Scanlon, a prequel to the 2001 hit Monsters, Inc. The film follows a young Mike Wazowski, voiced by Billy Crystal, as he arrives at Monsters University determined to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a professional Scarer. When he is kicked out of the Scare Program after clashing with the naturally talented but lazy James P.
Sullivan, the two must join the misfit fraternity Oozma Kappa and win the university's Scare Games to earn their way back into the program. Monsters University surprised many by subverting the expected "underdog wins" narrative โ in one of Pixar's most daring storytelling choices, Mike ultimately fails to become a Scarer because he genuinely isn't scary enough, and the film argues that accepting your limitations and finding alternative paths to your goals is more valuable than the fantasy of overcoming all obstacles through sheer determination. This unusually honest message for a family film was praised by critics and educators.
The film earned $744 million worldwide and was a strong commercial success for Pixar, though some critics felt it lacked the emotional depth of its predecessor.
