A trailer has been released for Monsters at Work, a Monsters, Inc. spin-off set to be released on Disney+. The series will be directed by Stephen Anderson and will see John Goodman and Billy Crystal reprise their roles as Sulley and Mike Wazowski respectively.
Monsters at Work will be a direct narrative sequel to Pete Docter’s 2001 hit, Monsters Inc. It follows the developments that came at the end of that feature, as the city of Monstropolis adapts to powering itself via laughter, rather than fear. Tyler Tuskmon—an enthusiastic recent Scare Major graduate—is adjusting to this change too, and dreams of climbing the ladder to work alongside the now-famed James P. Sullivan and Mike Wazowski.
Goodman and Crystal will be joined by a cast of newcomers, including Ben Feldman, who is starring as Tylor Tuskmon. Alongside him will be Mindy Kailing as Val Little, Henry Winkler as Fritz, Lucas Neff as Duncan, and Alanna Ubach as Cutter. After his brief but loveable appearance in the original film, John Ratzenberger will also be returning as Yeti.
Bobs Gannaway is the show’s executive producer, with Ferrell Barron producing alongside. Although we expect the spin-off to bring new and fresh ideas to the franchise, Pete Docter offered the team old concept art from the original film, and we can therefore expect to see much of the heart and soul which made Monsters, Inc. such a roaring success at the start of the century.
This is Pixar’s first TV animation spin-off, and will follow in the footsteps of Disney’s success with its multiple Star Wars and Marvel spin-off shows. It is likely to be a watershed show in ushering in other Pixar TV ventures, with Up and Cars series already announced.
We were first expecting Monsters at Work sometime in 2020, but Billy Crystal later explained how the global pandemic had interrupted production. After another date of Spring 2021 was also delayed, we have now been given an official release with this short trailer.
The first episode of Monsters at Work can be found on Disney+ on 7 July.
Words by Ben Faulkner
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