Monsters University

Monsters University is a 2013 American animated coming-of-age comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures.^[5] It is a prequel to Monsters, Inc. (2001), it was directed by Dan Scanlon (in his feature directorial debut), produced by Kori Rae, and written by Scanlon and the writing team of Dan Gerson and Robert L. Baird.^[b] John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich served as the film's executive producers. The music for the film was composed and conducted by Randy Newman, making it his seventh collaboration with Pixar. Monsters University tells the story of the main characters of Monsters, Inc., James P. "Sulley" Sullivan and Mike Wazowski, and their experience in college leading to them becoming best friends. John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, Bob Peterson and John Ratzenberger reprise their roles as James P. Sullivan, Mike Wazowski, Randall Boggs, Roz and the Abominable Snowman, respectively, while the new cast were joined by Helen Mirren, Alfred Molina, Peter Sohn, Joel Murray, Sean Hayes, Dave Foley, Charlie Day, Nathan Fillion and Aubrey Plaza, while Bonnie Hunt, who voiced Ms. Flint in the original film, voices Mike's childhood teacher Mrs. Graves.

Disney, as the rights holder, had plans for a sequel to Monsters, Inc. since 2005. Following disagreements with Pixar, Disney tasked its Circle 7 Animation unit to make the film.^[6] An early draft of the film was developed; Disney's purchase of Pixar in January 2006 led to the cancellation of Circle 7's version of the film.^[7] A Pixar-made sequel was confirmed in 2010^[5] and in 2011, it was announced that the film would instead be a prequel titled Monsters University.^[8]

Monsters University premiered on June 5, 2013, at the BFI Southbank in London, England, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 21. It was accompanied in theaters by a short film, The Blue Umbrella, directed by Saschka Unseld.^[9] The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $743 million worldwide against its $200 million production budget, making it the seventh highest-grossing film of 2013.^[2][4] An animated short film titled Party Central, which takes place shortly after the events of Monsters University, premiered in fall 2013 before being released theatrically with Muppets Most Wanted in 2014.^[10][11]

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