Secrets behind the making of the beloved Pixar film Monsters, Inc. have been revealed – and there’s one fact about the film you definitely won’t know!
The 2001 film from director Pete Docter followed best friends Sulley and Mike on their adventures through the world and has become a fan favourite comfort movie.
But it has now been revealed that Monsters, Inc. wasn’t actually the original title of the film that we all know and love.
Creative Director for Franchise at Pixar Jay Ward, 55, spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail this week about working on the creation of the film back in 1998 as he promoted the Mundo Pixar Experience currently attracting visitors in London.
He said: ‘It wasn’t even called Monsters Inc when I started working on it at the end of 1998! It was called Hidden City.
‘All of our films start with a working title. They are almost like a secret title before the real name comes out.’
Director Pete then featured Hidden City Cafe in the background of a scene in the film as Mike and Sulley walk past the coffee shop on the way to work.
Jay has been in London this week promoting the Mundo Pixar Experience near Wembley which runs until November.
Secrets behind the making of beloved Pixar film Monster’s, Inc. have been revealed, including about the project’s original title
Creative Director for Franchise at Pixar Jay Ward, 55, spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail this week about working on the creation of the film back in 1998
The exhibition features 14 Pixar universes including more than 25 sculptures, as guests can explore recreated scenes from Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Cars, Finding Nemo, Inside Out, Coco, Up and many more fan favourites.
Jay said of the exhibition: ‘We wanted to give a truly immersive Pixar experience for those who aren’t near a Disney park.
‘I was at the London one yesterday and it was amazing, to see all these people coming in and the look on their faces when they go in the Toy Story room for example.’
Jay remained tight-lipped, however, on if there would be a highly anticipated Toy Story 6 after the huge success of the fifth instalment delighted audiences when it was released last month.
He told us: ‘It’s so soon! It’s funny that as soon as we launch a film people are like “when’s the next one!” And we’re like “yeah we’ll get on that”.
‘I remember when Toy Story 3 came out and we were planning 4 and people were like “no leave it alone” but then we did it and they were like “this is amazing, what’s next?”
‘People really do love these characters. But it’s too soon to say if there will be another one.’
Speaking of the great reaction to Toy Story 5, he added: ‘Everyone who has seen it has been surprised at how much they liked it and how poignant the message is!’
Jay has been in London this week promoting the Mundo Pixar Experience near Wembley, which runs until November
The exhibition features 14 Pixar universes including over 25 sculptures, as guests can explore meticulously recreated environments from Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Cars and more
In June, Toy Story 5 scored the highest opening weekend at the 2026 box office, as the Pixar franchise continues to enthrall audiences 30 years on.
The movie smashed box office records in the North America market, with a total of $160milllion, securing the biggest domestic debut of the year over Universal’s Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which debuted with a $131.7million first weekend in April.
The fifth Toy Story movie also ranked as the largest start in Disney and Pixar’s franchise, not adjusted for inflation, surpassing the record set by 2019’s Toy Story 4 with $120million.
It also scored the second-largest animated opening weekend in history, behind another Pixar favourite: Incredibles 2 (2018) with a total of $182.7million.
In the global market the film also scored hugely, opening to $152million for a global tally of $312million, on the back of a $250million budget.
Toy Story 5 arrived in cinemas across the world last month, reuniting the beloved trio of Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and Jessie (Joan Cusack).
More than 30 years since the first Pixar movie left audiences spellbound, the fifth installment is a tale for the ages as Bonnie’s toys go head-to-head with the rising influence of technology, in the form of her new tablet called Lilypad.
Hanks and Allen went on a global publicity blitz last month, helped along by the likes of Taylor Swift, who penned a new track for the movie.
With their promo trail over, critics have taken up the baton, awarding the anticipated movie a series of stellar reviews.
Giving the film five stars, the Daily Mail’s Larushka Ivan-zadeh wrote: ‘This movie is more than just another Hollywood sequel. It’s a miracle.’
She added: ‘The genius of Pixar lies in making audiences feel, rather than telling them what to think. With their finest work – Inside Out, Up and the Toy Story films – they mine deep emotional truths in a way that is almost magically transformative.’
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