‘Monsters at Work’, Disney+’s ‘Monsters Inc.’ Spinoff, Premieres This Summer

The corporate world of Monsters Inc. is expanding thanks to Monsters at Work. Today Disney+ announced the official premiere date of its new Monsters Inc. spinoff series during the Television Critics Association’s 2021 winter tour. Starting Friday, July 2 we’re finally going to see what this crazy world looks like now that Mike and Sully are in charge.

Out of all the Pixar franchises, the Monsters Inc. world is one that’s been fleshed out more than most. The first 2001 movie followed Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman), two professional scarers who learned to have compassion for the children they were scaring. That was then followed by the 2013 comedy Monsters University, which told the story of Mike and Sully’s college days. Now Monsters at Work will focus on Monstropolis’ new corporate order through the eyes of a never-before-seen monster.

Set after the events of Monsters Inc., Monsters at Work will revolve around a power plant that’s now being run by children’s laughter instead of their screams. It will follow the story of Tylor Tuskmon (Ben Feldman). An eager young scarer, much like Mike and Sully were, all that Tylor has ever wanted was to be a scarer for this corporation. But when he learns that scaring is out and comedy is in, he’s in for a rude awakening.

In addition to Feldman, Crystal and Goodman will reprise their iconic roles. The series will also be bringing back John Ratzenberger, Jennifer Tilly, and Bob Peterson. There will also be a good deal of new faces in this show, including Henry Winkler as Tylor’s scatterbrained boss, Lucas Neff as the opportunistic plumber Duncan, Alanna Ubach as the rule-following Cutter, Stephen Stanton as the bumbling custodial team Smitty and Needleman, and Aisha Tyler as Tylor’s mom. The series will be developed and executive produced by Disney animation veteran Bobs Gannaway, known for his work on 101 Dalmatians: The Series, Timon & Pumbaa, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

As exciting as it always is to see beloved characters return to the screen, there’s another reason why this original is a big deal. Monsters at Work is the second show based off a Pixar property to ever exist, the first being the excellent and underrated Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. It’s also the very first Pixar franchise Disney+ has adapted into a series. So far Disney+ has had a stellar track record when it comes to developing big movie properties for the small screen. Both The Mandalorian and WandaVision have been critically and commercially praised. Monsters at Work is the streaming service’s chance to prove it can work that magic into its adored Pixar properties. Either way, we’re ready to laugh and contemplate our role in the workforce this summer.