No Sequel for MONSTERS, INC.?

Looks unlikely at the moment, says director Peter Docter

By SCOTT COLLURA     August 02, 2002

In an exclusive interview with CINESCAPE, MONSTERS, INC. director Peter Docter recently talked up the upcoming DVD special edition for that CGI animated instant classic. And while you'll have to wait for the scoop on the DVD (and believe us, it rocks), we can tell you what Docter had to say regarding rumors of a sequel to the popular Pixar hit. Or rather, what he didn't say.

"So far we've talked about it here and there, but really what it comes down to is the same with TOY STORY 2, is that we just had this great idea: 'Oh, this has got to be done.' So far we haven't come up with that great idea for MONSTERS. We're thinking about it, but it really won't make any sort of headway until we come up with the really killer idea. It's idea driven."

Having dampened our hopesfor the momentregarding the further adventures of Sulley and Mike, Docter did let loose with some details on Pixar's next film, FINDING NEMO.

"There' s actually a little preview for it on the [MONSTERS, INC.] DVD," he says. "It's about tropical fish characters. It's an underwater story and it's really fantastic. If you've ever been scuba diving or snorkeling you know that there's just a complete, amazing world down there and computer graphics is really a great medium [for it]. It's something we try to do with all of the films is to take advantage of the medium so that you're not trying to fight against something. Humans are really hard. Toys were a good first choice because everything we did was kind of plastic looking. With fish it's the same way. A lot of the other things that are going on down therewell, water excepted, water's really hardbut a lot of the other things are fairly straightforward for what computers can do with it, sort of fish shapes and that sort of thing."

Docter actually won't be directing FINDING NEMO (that task has fallen to his colleague Andrew Stanton), but he is in the early stages of development on his next film for Pixar. And we mean early.

"I'm just starting now in development, thinking of ideas for people to watch in 2007," he says, referring to the enormous lead-time an animated film requires.

"You have any ideas?" he concludes with a laugh. "Let me know. I'm just sitting here in a room thinking up thoughts."

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