Monsters at Work is an American animated sitcom developed by Bobs Gannaway that premiered on Disney+ on July 7, 2021, as part of Pixar's Monsters, Inc. franchise. Based on and a direct continuation of Monsters, Inc., it features the voices of John Goodman and Billy Crystal reprising their roles as James P. "Sulley" Sullivan and Mike Wazowski from the original film and the 2013 prequel Monsters University; several other voice actors from the films reprise their roles as guests. Unlike other animated productions in the Monsters, Inc. franchise, Pixar did not produce the series. It was instead produced by Disney Television Animation and was the studio's second series to be based on a Pixar film after Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, on which Pixar served as a co-producer studio.
A second season premiered on Disney Channel on April 5, 2024. The first season of the series received mixed reviews from critics.
Premise Monsters at Work begins the day after Henry J. Waternoose III was arrested, with the Monsters, Incorporated factory making the transition to laugh power. Tylor Tuskmon, a recent Scare Major graduate from Monsters University, having previously received a letter of acceptance from Waternoose to be a scarer at the factory, is excited to work at the same company as his idol Sulley. However, Tylor is devastated to learn that the company is no longer in need of scarers, and he is reassigned to work as a mechanic on the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team (MIFT). Meanwhile, Sulley and Mike encounter the trials and tribulations of running the company.
In season two, Tylor's position and friendships at Monsters, Incorporated are put at risk when he receives a job offer to work at business rival Fear Co.
Cast and characters
Main John Goodman as James P. "Sulley" Sullivan: The CEO of Monsters, Incorporated, Mike's best friend, and Tylor's mentor. The season 2 and series finale "Powerless" reveals his middle name to be Patrick. Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski: The self-appointed Senior Co-President of Monsters, Incorporated, Chief Executive Vice-Deputy Administrative Director of Comedy Resources Management, and Sulley's best friend. He is also a top jokester and was Tylor's teacher in comedy during season 1. Ben Feldman as Tylor Tuskmon: A scare graduate from Monsters University who was reassigned to the Monsters, Incorporated Facilities Team (MIFT). During season 1 he took part-time classes to be a jokester. Mindy Kaling as Val Little: Tylor's acquaintance from Monsters University who shared a class with him during their freshman year before she dropped out. She is an enthusiastic mechanic. As season 1 progresses, she and Tylor become best friends. Henry Winkler as Fritz: The friendly and scatterbrained tapir-nosed boss of MIFT. Lucas Neff as: Duncan P. Anderson: A self-centered winged monster at MIFT who is obsessed with getting Fritz's job, and has a one-sided rivalry with Tylor. A human father in "The Damaged Room" Richard, a small winged monster in "Little Monsters". Alanna Ubach as: Katherine "Cutter" Sterns: A crab-like worker at MIFT. Ubach also voices several minor characters, such as Carla "Killer Claws" Benitez, "Roaring" Rosie Levin, a human mother in "The Damaged Room", and the narrator of the orientation film in "Welcome to Monsters, Incorporated".
Recurring Bonnie Hunt as Ms. Flint: A winged monster who runs the simulation room at Monsters, Incorporated. Hunt reprises her role from the film. Curtis Armstrong as Mr. Crummyham: The gecko-like supervisor at Monsters, Incorporated. Jennifer Tilly (season 1), and Roxana Ortega (season 2) as Celia Mae: Mike's snake-haired girlfriend who has been promoted from Monsters Incorporated receptionist to Laugh Floor supervisor. Tilly reprised her role from the film for season 1, while Ortega took over the role for season 2 after having previously voiced the character in the video game Disney Speedstorm (2023). Bob Peterson as: Roz: The slug-like leader of the Child Detection Agency who previously was undercover as a secretary at Monsters, Incorporated. Bob "Dentures" Peterson: A dinosaur-like monster who shares Peterson's name and has removable teeth. He was originally voiced by Jack Angel in the film. Roze, Roz's twin sister who takes over Roz's old job. Stephen Stanton as: Needleman and Smitty: Two workers of Monsters, Incorporated who operate the Door Shredder. They were originally voiced by Dan Gerson in the film. George Sanderson: A scarer who was the victim of the code "23-19". He was originally voiced by Sam Black in the film. Christopher Swindle as: Jeff Fungus: The former scare assistant of Randall Boggs who is now Mike's laugh assistant. He was originally voiced by Frank Oz in the film. Thaddeus "Phlegm" Bile: A trainee scarer. He was originally voiced by Jeff Pidgeon in the film. Theodore "Ted" Pauley: A monster with 16 removable eyes. He was originally voiced by Katherine Ringgold in the film. Chuck: The assistant of Pete "Claws" Ward. He was originally voiced by Danny Mann in the film. Aisha Tyler as Millie: Tylor's mother. John Ratzenberger as: Bernard: Tylor's father. The Abominable Snowman: A former Monsters, Inc. mailroom worker who Sully brought out of exile. It is revealed that he was banished by Waternoose for stumbling upon a letter detailing his and Randall's scream extractor plot. Ratzenberger reprises his role from the original film. Jenifer Lewis as Virginia Tuskmon: Tylor's grandmother who moves in with Tylor and his parents in season 2. Joe Lo Truglio and Ali Wong as Jack and Jill: two TV journalists who share a centipede-like body. They appear in season 2. Rhys Darby as Roger Rogers: a monster who joins MIFT in season 2. In "Lights! Camera! Chaos!", it is revealed that he is actually Henry J. Waternoose IV, the son of convicted former CEO Henry J. Waternoose III. In "Descent into Fear", it is revealed that Roger was his childhood nickname. Nathan Fillion as Johnny Worthington III: The CEO of Fear Co. and Claire's husband who appears in season 2, reprising his role from Monsters University Aubrey Plaza as Claire Wheeler-Worthington: The Senior Vice-President of Marketing of Fear Co. and Johnny's wife who appears in season 2, reprising her role from Monsters University Bobby Moynihan as Chet Alexander: Johnny's assistant who appears in season 2, reprising his role from Monsters University Janelle James as Joy: The top scarer at Fear Co. who appears in season 2 Richard Ayoade as Declan: A scare floor supervisor at Fear Co. who resembles Duncan and appears in season 2. Paula Pell as Sunny: Cutter's girlfriend who works at Monsters, Incorporated at the receiving station and appears in season 2.
Other cast members include Bobs Gannaway as Otis, the new Monsters, Incorporated receptionist, and Roto, Duncan's pet, Gabriel Iglesias as Gary Gibbs, Mike Wazowski's arch-nemesis who appears in "The Big Wazowskis" and "Bad Hair Day", and Dee Bradley Baker as Winchester: the non-verbal member of the Monsters, Incorporated Facilities Team, nicknamed "Banana Bread".
Alfred Molina reprises his role as Professor Derek Knight from Monsters University (2013) in "Welcome to Monsters, Incorporated" and the season 2 episode "A Monstrous Homecoming". John Michael Higgins guest stars as Argus Blinks in "The Cover Up". Bob Uecker guest stars in "The Damaged Room" as a monster parody of himself named Bob Yucker. Gannaway's daughter Hadley guest stars in "Little Monsters" as Ms. Flint's daughter Thalia. In addition, Devin Bright, Cooper Friedman, Lucian Perez, and Isabella Abiera voice monster children in "Little Monsters".
Additional monster voices include Carlos Alazraqui, Ferrell Barron, Hiromi Dames, Michaela Dietz, and Dave Wittenberg.
Season 2 features Jennifer Coolidge, Bowen Yang, Danny Pudi, Cody Rigsby, Jimmy Tatro, Danny Trejo, and Alan Tudyk as guest stars. Julia Butters voices Lorelei Worthington, Johnny and Claire's daughter. Kurtwood Smith voices Alistair Clawbottom.
Steve Buscemi reprises his role as Randall Boggs in the season 2 episodes "Descent Into Fear" and "Powerless".
Episodes Series overview
Season 1 (2021)
Season 2 (2024)
Production Development During the Walt Disney Company's earnings call in November 2017, CEO Bob Iger announced that a new series set in the universe of Monsters, Inc., was in development for their planned streaming service Disney+. The series is produced by Disney Television Animation. Longtime Disney Television producer Bobs Gannaway served as showrunner for the first season. He was asked to work on the series after development began, due to his experience on both TV animation and films, having directed the spin-off of Pixar's Cars franchise; Planes: Fire & Rescue.
During the 2019 D23 Expo, Gannaway and producer Ferrell Barron revealed that employees from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar were also involved in the production, to create a series that Barron described as "unique and special". Monsters, Inc. filmmakers, including director and Pixar's chief creative officer Pete Docter, provided the team with both used and unused concept art from the film, with the unused concept art being recycled for the series. Gannaway stated that the creative leaders at Pixar were, "very supportive of the show" and additionally stated, "they were also very much like 'Go out and create new characters and have fun.' So, it wasn't by any means any kind of policing situation. It was go have fun in the world with your new characters."
In February 2020, Stephen Anderson revealed that he would serve as one of the directors on the series. Anderson joined the series eight months before Disney Television Animation was temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after being approached personally by Gannaway; he ultimately did not direct any of the episodes. In early 2021, Billy Crystal revealed that production had slightly slowed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that it should be released later that year.
In September 2021, cast member Henry Winkler indicated that a second season was in development. The second season was officially announced at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2022, with Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers (the Prep & Landing shorts, Olaf's Frozen Adventure) replacing Gannaway and Anderson as showrunner and supervising director, respectively.
Writing According to Anderson, Pixar assisted the producers on the series by providing notes during its writing and early storyboarding process in order to "keep [them] on track as far as the legacy of the project". He also said that the series would differ from the films by further exploring "different areas of Monsters, Inc.", and that the series would further explore the transition in the company from screams to laughs seen at the end of the first film. Anderson also said that the series would feature an overarching story, but certain episodes would focus more on character development than the overall arc.
The series expands the role of the female characters in the original film, with receptionist Celia Mae being promoted to Laugh Floor supervisor in order to "move a female character up into a leadership role", as well as featuring trainer Ms. Flint's reaction to the transition from scares to laughter. The series also features a new character named Roze, who is Roz's twin sister, as the producers felt that, due to the latter being revealed as the head of the "Child Detection Agency" at the end of the first film, "she wouldn't be back outside the laugh floor". In addition, Bob Peterson, story supervisor on Monsters, Inc., serves as a creative consultant for the first season.