Pixar’s Sequel Surge: Monsters, Inc. 3 Kicks Off Development, Incredibles 3 Targets 2028, Coco 2 Lands 2029

Pixar is back in theaters this weekend with Hoppers, an original animal adventure that early buzz pegs as a lively, funny crowd-pleaser. I am catching a late show tonight after the kid-heavy screenings clear out. While we wait for that, Pixar is already mapping out the next few years, and yes, the sequel train is very much leaving the station.

What Pixar is cooking

• Monsters Inc. 3: Early development. The Monsters world is gearing up for another run.
• The Incredibles 3: Targeting 2028. Peter Sohn (Elemental) is in the director's chair, with Brad Bird back to write the screenplay.
• Coco 2: Aiming for 2029. A follow-up to the 2017 hit is on the long-range calendar.
• Pixar's first musical: In development with Turning Red filmmaker Domee Shi leading the charge.
• Ono Ghost Market: Originally developed as a Disney+ series, this project inspired by Asian folklore about supernatural marketplaces is shifting to a feature film.

None of this comes with a press release stamp yet, but the info is coming from Pixar leadership, including Pete Docter, which gives it real weight. Pixar tends to have a crowded whiteboard, so multiple titles in different stages tracks with how they operate.

The sequel strategy (and why it exists)

I like fresh ideas more than franchise maintenance, but I also get why Pixar keeps its heaviest hitters in rotation. The first two Monsters movies pulled in about $1.3 billion worldwide combined. Coco did roughly $823 million on its own. If you are running a studio, you keep feeding the machines that big.

Do I wish the lineup leaned harder on original swings? Absolutely. Am I still curious about all of these, especially a new Monsters story and an Incredibles movie with Sohn directing and Bird scripting? Also yes. Toss in Domee Shi making Pixar's first-ever musical and a series morphing into a feature with Ono Ghost Market, and the slate has more texture than it looks at first glance.

Sequels may pay the bills, but the oddball moves are where the magic usually sneaks in. I will report back after Hoppers tonight.