New Pixar films revealed: Monsters, Inc. 3 is coming – and much more

Pixar is working on "Monsters, Inc. 3". But that's not the only new film the animation studio has unveiled. In addition to the third installment of "Monsters, Inc.", several films have been announced that will tell completely new stories. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal in an interview with Pixar's Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter.

Docter himself directed the first "Monsters, Inc." film in 2001, together with David Silverman and Lee Unkrich. The film tells the story of Mike and Sulley, two likeable monsters who work for a very special factory. The company generates energy that feeds on the fear of frightened children. This was followed in 2013 by "Monsters University", a prequel by director Dan Scanlon that deals with Mike and Sulley's first encounter at university. In addition, the series "Monsters at Work" has been running on Disney+ since 2021, which takes place after the events of the first film.

Planned Pixar sequels

It remains to be seen how "Monsters, Inc. 3" will relate to the films and the series. In any case, Pixar is keeping the details under wraps. Neither the plot nor the director have been revealed yet.

However, further sequels to popular Pixar films have already been confirmed. Later this year, we can look forward to "Toy Story 5", a new adventure featuring toy heroes Woody and Buzz Lightyear. The fifth "Toy Story" film will be released in theaters on June 19, 2026.

In addition, "Incredibles 3" is set to follow in 2028. However, the new installment of the animated film series about the eponymous superhero family will not be directed by Brad Bird. As with "The Incredibles" and "The Incredibles 2", he is once again responsible for the story. This time, however, Peter Sohn will direct.

A planned sequel to "Coco" is expected in 2029. The first installment was about 12-year-old Miguel, who experiences an adventure in the realm of the dead. Lee Unkrich will once again direct "Coco 2", this time together with Adrian Molina.

New Pixar original films

In addition to the sequels, Pixar films that tell entirely new stories have also been announced. One of them is "Ono Ghost Market". Not much has been revealed about the content yet. However, the story is based on Asian myths about supernatural bazaars where the living and the dead interact. Originally, "Ono Ghost Market" was to be realized as a streaming series. Now, however, it is to become a film instead.

In addition, a new development in the Pixar universe was announced. The animation studio is working on its first musical. Apart from that, all that is known is that "Turning Red" director Domee Shi will be in charge of the production.

In addition to these two new announcements, we can also continue to look forward to "Gatto". The animated film about a thieving cat in Venice is scheduled to hit theaters in early March 2027. Directed by Enrico Casarosa, "Gatto" will have a special look that appears to be hand-painted.

On the other hand, the once-planned film "BeFri" has apparently been shelved for good. The film was supposed to be about the end of a friendship and was in development for three years before it was scrapped. Apparently, there wasn't enough potential for it to be a box office success.

"Hoppers" successfully launched in theaters

In any case, Pixar has struggled in recent years to develop new stories that build on the financially successful original stories of the past. While sequels to established film series such as "Toy Story" and "Inside Out" are filling cinemas, new material is falling short of expectations.

Those responsible are likely to be all the more pleased with the current Pixar film "Hoppers". The story about a robot beaver had a successful theatrical release last week. "Hoppers" not only received positive reviews, but also opened with $88 million at the global box office, $46 million of which was generated in the US and Canada alone. This makes "Hoppers" the most successful animated film launch – apart from sequels – in almost 10 years.