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Post by pitbulllady on Apr 5, 2014 14:23:22 GMT -5
Here's a thought, since we have had so many conversations lately on Randall's role in a hypothetical MI sequel(a REAL sequel, set post-MI): how would you work the popular characters from MU into that sequel?
Most of the conversations have centered on just Randall, Sulley, Mike and Boo, but that's leaving out some characters from this franchise who have proven to be VERY popular with audiences, who were introduced in Monsters University, and that especially applies to Asian audiences. That particular demographic really carried MU at the box office and helped push it to its current rank of #4 in Pixar's top ten highest-grossing movies, so it would be foolish to ignore and forget the MU characters in a sequel and pretend that they never existed. Judging by fan art, fanfiction and discussions, the most popular characters from MU are Johnny, Javier(in spite of not having any spoken lines at all),Dean Hardscrabble, Terri and Terry Perry, Claire Wheeler and Brock Pearson. In fact, ALL of the ROR's, especially Johnny, have turned out to have a very large and dedicated following, in spite of Pixar really portraying them as antagonists or elitists. How do you work them into a plot for MI2 without having it just be token fan-service?
pitbulllady
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Post by RandallBoggs on Apr 5, 2014 19:58:34 GMT -5
Been working on a sequel in theory for years now, given all the info and the like I've discovered in the time...
MU didn't so much change things. I (like others) knew that Randall was a good person before and that his change occurred do to some embarrassing situation that damage his sociability...and, despite some skepticism, I knew Sullivan was the "jock" type with that slacker edge. That he came from either money or a famed history.
As for Wazowski...well like you said PBL, in some terms it's from HIS point of view. I mean he didn't...really learn anything to change up. Heck, even in the climax (I guess it's the climax) at the Scare Game finale, he STILL thinks that everyone's personal achievements are ALL thanks to him (We have what we need right here. Heart? No! Me!). So he didn't so much change.
So that leaves it up to, yes, the newcomers. Now this is something, for the most part, I couldn't predict accurately in my sequel drafting. Naturally, nobody could have. But there are possibilities.
Now...will ALL of them make it in? No, they won't. Sorry, but you can NOT pile on character-after-character-after-character from one film into another. Some are, obviously, constant (Randall, Sullivan, Wazowski) but others are one-shots for the occasion (pending an actual series, which I've also worked on).
As much as it should be said....lets start with Johnny. Would he have a place in the sequel? Now, I'm going off my own script, which has room (especially when it comes to Randall) but...yes, Johnny could be in. Why? Well, Johnny's a great scarer. Better than Sullivan (if I recall the scores correctly. Though, Sullivan's not better than Randall, and Randall may be better than Johnny) at least.
From his Scare Card, Johnny apparently went to Fear Co. Ok, leave theories involving "Dear Daddy" behind for the moment...Fear Tech. Fear Co is another scream-producing factory. Monsters Inc. is a scream-producing factory. It's CEO is currently James P. Sullivan. See where I'm going? Monsters Inc. is going through a test phase of the new Laugh-Energy (note, again, that the switch IS NOT GLOBAL. You do NOT change such a thing in less than a year), and it is not going well. The energy output is seemingly far greater, yes, but it steps on the boundaries of what Scareing is, produces a probably more dangerous work environment, and (a long-future fear) it may eclipse Scareing all together (woe be to those college kids eh?). Johnny, like practically EVERY MU student, would be affected by this, even if they aren't personally. Fear Co., for instance, may see this Laugh Energy as a threat. Not just to Scareing tradition itself, but also in a business sense because, lets face it, they didn't think of it first.
Johnny's, at the least, one of Fear Co.'s brightest Scarers. So his JOB and CAREER may be thought to be in danger because "that nutjob Sullivan is starting to show that making these toxicbags LAUGH is better than scareing!"
Actually, anybody who went to Fear Co. or Monsters Inc. would be affected.
For Johnny, it's his career. And if he's a "Fear Co. Golden Boy" he might need to show that scareing can be JUST as better as laughter somehow.
Dan Hardscrabble? She's a traditionalist. She's been in Scareing for so long she's got a statue carving and scream canisters (well HAD one anyway). Her ENTIRE SCHOOL would be affected. Sure, at first it's fear that some of the curriculum would change to give students the "option" to get into classes and the like to being Comedians (coined term for now of what Laugh-Energy practitioners are called). Considering this was affected by Wazowski and Sullivan, she'd have words to say on the subject. (funny, considering how she wanted Wazowski to "continue to surprise her", and in this case, I would think she'd regret that statement).
The RORs and OKs in general...I don't think they'll make the cut. You've got to concentrate on the mains. Sure, they may be glanced or say a line like in a mob or something, but you can't pile on characters and take focus away from what really matters. After all, Celia was a prominent person in Wazowski's life in MI, but was only in a picture in MU.
After all, it's not like they'll be some new characters for MI's sequel either that will have to have focus. Got a few penned down.
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Post by pitbulllady on Apr 5, 2014 20:45:48 GMT -5
Johnny was a much better Scarer than Sulley, and he accomplished that feat all on his own, with no one to rig the numbers for him behind the scenes, no live-in coach to push him to succeed, AND Fear Co., being unincorporated, would be a much smaller company, with fewer assigned Scares and fewer Scarers, than MI. Even with him likely having been kicked to the curb by his own well-known family, either that, or voluntarily severing ties with them, he still takes great pride in the tradition of Scaring, so he probably won't take the switch-over too easily. I can see Fear Co. and some of the smaller power companies really struggling to hold on to that tradition, and keep Scaring, resisting the change over to Laugh, but I can't see Johnny as the "bad guy", who would do something to sabotage MI and Sulley's leadership. He knows that Sulley is no leader, that Sulley has a lazy streak a mile wide and takes everything for granted due to his own family name. He would also know how shallow that "cult of personality" is, how most of the people who act like they adore you are just looking out for their own interests and sponging off of someone else's fame. I never got the impression from MU that Johnny resented Sulley at all, quite the opposite, actually. Even with his own famous family name, he understood, as a college kid, that it would only get you just so far in like, and tried to get that point across to Sulley. If anything, I think he'd try to warn Sulley that a fall was imminent and that TOO sudden a change might not be such a good thing in the long run for MI either, and that he'd better watch his back in his position. If anyone would know what it's like to be used by others, and mistake that for having allies and friends, it would be Johnny.
As for Mike, Mike CAN'T change or grow much as a character. That is 100% consistent with the assessment of Mike as a bona fide psychopath. Mike will always have a very limited ability to empathize with anyone else, or to see things from anyone else's perspective. He will always be, in his mind, the absolute center of the universe. We see that even when he was a young child in MU, with his blatant disregard for any rules that impeded him doing what he wanted to do, and we see it all the way through MI.
pitbulllady
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Post by RandallBoggs on Apr 5, 2014 20:58:01 GMT -5
Weird how that works out, Johnny's better than Sullivan, so is Randall, who may be better than Johnny, and lets face it, they are ALL ethereal beings of the scare arts compared to Wazowski heheh.
I wouldn't say it's a struggle at all. The struggle is for Sullivan. Scareing is a tradition, and even more so, a way of life. Practically EVERYONE grew up with scareing surrounding them. Sure, Laugh Energy may seemingly bring more power...but that (despite business ethics on supply and demand/money) won't be enough to cause a drastic change that would put other companies in serious danger (though said companies STILL see it as a threat).
Sullivan's already dealing with enough issues as is on his new energy proposal. Johnny, yes, wouldn't exacerbate the situation. As far as he may seen it, "to each his own" I suppose. The scare industry will NOT go silently into that deep night (whatever that quote is),and never fully leave. While the "big boys" and a LOT of the "blue collars" are wigging out, Johnny might have clearer head on his shoulders.
Johnny may wind up being a personal (not charged) rep for Fear Co and, for his own reasons, yes, caution Sullivan on what's "going on at the other companies", straight from the mouth as it were.
*shrugs* I give leeway, nobody can say I haven't heh.
Though, Wazowski may meet his match in the sequel. Oh boy...the plans I got for that will be his personal haunting heheh.
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Post by pitvipersnake on Apr 6, 2014 13:47:16 GMT -5
I'm quite sure that Johnny will be in a MI sequel because he's so popular. Like you, I don't think that Fear Co will switch over too laugh power, and I think that Johnny would be a strong supporter of continuing the 'ancient and noble tradition of Scaring'. But I don't think he'd do anything to stop Monsters' Inc. transferring to laugh power (actually I think he would not even believe that laughter could generate more power than screams and the Monsters Inc. would soon drive itself out of business). I definitely don't see Johnny doing anything illegal, for one thing the risk to his reputation would be too high. (Is it just me or do you imagine that Johnny would have got married and have his own children by the time MI takes place?)
As for other characters I can imagine Dean Hardscrabble making a cameo, she'd probably be retired but she could get interviewed on TV to talk about how monsters have always scared people and this must not be lost etc. etc.
I think Terry and Terri Perry will become comedians at MI, they could have a good routine where Terri wants to dance and Terry doesn't (that's the right way round isn't it?) then they bicker.
Not sure about other characters, they can't include everyone because it's unlikely that people just to happen to run into everyone they went to university with all at once unless there's a college reunion or something.
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Post by pitbulllady on Apr 6, 2014 14:30:38 GMT -5
I'm quite sure that Johnny will be in a MI sequel because he's so popular. Like you, I don't think that Fear Co will switch over too laugh power, and I think that Johnny would be a strong supporter of continuing the 'ancient and noble tradition of Scaring'. But I don't think he'd do anything to stop Monsters' Inc. transferring to laugh power (actually I think he would not even believe that laughter could generate more power than screams and the Monsters Inc. would soon drive itself out of business). I definitely don't see Johnny doing anything illegal, for one thing the risk to his reputation would be too high. (Is it just me or do you imagine that Johnny would have got married and have his own children by the time MI takes place?) As for other characters I can imagine Dean Hardscrabble making a cameo, she'd probably be retired but she could get interviewed on TV to talk about how monsters have always scared people and this must not be lost etc. etc. I think Terry and Terri Perry will become comedians at MI, they could have a good routine where Terri wants to dance and Terry doesn't (that's the right way round isn't it?) then they bicker. Not sure about other characters, they can't include everyone because it's unlikely that people just to happen to run into everyone they went to university with all at once unless there's a college reunion or something. I cannot imagine Johnny doing anything illegal, either, unless he was really backed into a corner like Randall was, and Johnny isn't the sort that others are even going to try that with, lol! Randall is an "omega", a follower, desperate to fit in and be accepted, and someone like Waternoose knows how to recognize that weakness(yes, it's a weakness-let's be honest)and exploit it. Johnny, on the other hand, is a natural "alpha". He just exudes this "don't $%^& with me" aura, even when he's at his nicest. I do think he would probably be married, with kids, by the time that MI takes place, and certainly by the time that Laugh energy really takes off, so he's gonna have that to think about. Randall had absolutely no one, and I'm convinced that this played a major role in him allowing himself to get caught up in something like the Scream Extractor. He had no one that would be hurt, or left all alone, if the worse happened, but Johnny probably would have a family that depended on him by this time frame. I really do believe that once Johnny is able to get over his father's negative influence, that mask of "elitist d-baggery" will be dropped. He will attract and make REAL friends, who don't care about his family name, and that will help soften the stress of Laugh energy being more efficient. pitbulllady |
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Post by pitvipersnake on Apr 7, 2014 15:21:45 GMT -5
Remember, also, they will almost certainly introduce new characters for the next Monsters film. Too many characters gets confusing for the audience, especially those who aren't part of the 'hard-core' fan-base.
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Post by RandallBoggs on Apr 7, 2014 20:30:39 GMT -5
Contrary to Randall's popularity affecting his MU appearance, I don't think popularity alone will make the cut as far as the others are concerned. First and foremost, needs to make sense, as well as be creditable to spend time toward.
Johnny's skepticism on Laugh Energy could be one of two things here. Disbelief is well...questionable. A foundation established is that he thoroughly believed Wazowski wasn't the scarer type...he WAS right, like everyone else...but the shock-of-the-moment would make him question his beliefs (albiet ones probably instilled by his father. So thinking laughter would be better may not be so disbelieving to Johnny. Or, he'd find it as a credible threat, but not much he could (or would want to) do about it.
As for kids, that's another thing...depends. His father was a person who was the sort of family man boarding on a "Stannis" (you get a cookie for who knows who) way of thinking. Marry to groom the next generation to be winners. So would Johnny be married/have kids, or would he be in the bachelor spot of things to deeply scorn his father?
Retirement is a very questionable thing for a Monster. For all we know, I haven't perused her files as much, Hardscrabble was in her after-prime. I mean, after all, Waternoose was making his way to his 150s (think it was somewhere around 130/138 or so when he was in MI)
Terry and Terri would, like Hardscrabble, be background at best.
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Boo being in MU is, quite obviously, an impossible thing, being set years before she was born, so popularity would have done squat for her. As said, sense before popularity.
Celia's more questionable than Boo, but understandable. The focus was about Wazowski's dream, and a love-interest would have side-tracked that. So, instead of being excluded, she got a snippit pic like Waternoose.
George is an unusual example...he was included for...no real reason. I can't recall if his VA was...no that was AS wasn't it? Yes, think it was...
Well, the AS was a banished monster...HOW is still up in the air. People may think it was legally because he looked at someone's mail. But who can say that said-person had a rather incriminating document that AS was better off reporting, but said-person through him through a door. Funny enough, probably the same door said-person stole/was given to "tie up loose ends".
Anyway, it's debatable if AS would show up...probably so to keep in that his VA has been in ever pixar film (think he's a lucky charm in some ways or something) to date. Given that Randall's in the human world, and that would be involved somehow, yeah, he'd show up somewhere.
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As I said at the start PVS, yep, there will be new characters. While I doubt Pixar will wait as long as they did to make the sequel, yes, time will take it's toll. However, some of us here at the board have been around since the start and kept the fandom for Randall afloat, and will continue to do so...so it being "winked out" as an idea probably won't happen.
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Post by conteremo on Apr 7, 2014 21:28:14 GMT -5
That's the thing, *supposedly* there are a lot of sequels planned for MI, but given Billy Crystal's age...it's questionable whether Mike will be able to make it in later ones, at least as the main character (yes, sad thought on Crystal's part). So Pixar might be planning on shifting the focus to different monsters in the future, whether it be Randall, monsters from MU, or to new characters...or Boo. Who knows? I'm curious as to what their ideas are. My wager was on Johnny and Randall tbh, but I'd also like to see some female characters, and I love the idea of a girl relative of Randall's!
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Post by pitbulllady on Apr 8, 2014 0:03:58 GMT -5
Contrary to Randall's popularity affecting his MU appearance, I don't think popularity alone will make the cut as far as the others are concerned. First and foremost, needs to make sense, as well as be creditable to spend time toward. Johnny's skepticism on Laugh Energy could be one of two things here. Disbelief is well...questionable. A foundation established is that he thoroughly believed Wazowski wasn't the scarer type...he WAS right, like everyone else...but the shock-of-the-moment would make him question his beliefs (albiet ones probably instilled by his father. So thinking laughter would be better may not be so disbelieving to Johnny. Or, he'd find it as a credible threat, but not much he could (or would want to) do about it. As for kids, that's another thing...depends. His father was a person who was the sort of family man boarding on a "Stannis" (you get a cookie for who knows who) way of thinking. Marry to groom the next generation to be winners. So would Johnny be married/have kids, or would he be in the bachelor spot of things to deeply scorn his father? Retirement is a very questionable thing for a Monster. For all we know, I haven't perused her files as much, Hardscrabble was in her after-prime. I mean, after all, Waternoose was making his way to his 150s (think it was somewhere around 130/138 or so when he was in MI) Terry and Terri would, like Hardscrabble, be background at best. -------- Boo being in MU is, quite obviously, an impossible thing, being set years before she was born, so popularity would have done squat for her. As said, sense before popularity. Celia's more questionable than Boo, but understandable. The focus was about Wazowski's dream, and a love-interest would have side-tracked that. So, instead of being excluded, she got a snippit pic like Waternoose. George is an unusual example...he was included for...no real reason. I can't recall if his VA was...no that was AS wasn't it? Yes, think it was... Well, the AS was a banished monster...HOW is still up in the air. People may think it was legally because he looked at someone's mail. But who can say that said-person had a rather incriminating document that AS was better off reporting, but said-person through him through a door. Funny enough, probably the same door said-person stole/was given to "tie up loose ends". Anyway, it's debatable if AS would show up...probably so to keep in that his VA has been in ever pixar film (think he's a lucky charm in some ways or something) to date. Given that Randall's in the human world, and that would be involved somehow, yeah, he'd show up somewhere. ----------- As I said at the start PVS, yep, there will be new characters. While I doubt Pixar will wait as long as they did to make the sequel, yes, time will take it's toll. However, some of us here at the board have been around since the start and kept the fandom for Randall afloat, and will continue to do so...so it being "winked out" as an idea probably won't happen. You KNOW that they will have the Abominable Snowman because he's voiced by John Ratzenberger, and ALL Pixar movies have a cameo by John Ratzenberger! As long as he's around to do voices, he'll be in every Pixar movie. As for the reason why the AS was banished, I agree with you here in that while MU hints at him being banished because of mail tampering, that wouldn't make sense for him to warn Mike and Sulley about it if he was doing that himself. He probably did get framed for discovering some incriminating evidence against the CEO, since he was apparently thrown into the Himalayas through that same door that said CEO used to dispose of Mike and Sulley. But George, though, I don't even know why he was in MU except as pure fan-service, a sort of "remember THAT guy who..." moment. George doesn't even have any spoken lines in MU, while he does in MI. pitbulllady |
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Post by pitbulllady on Apr 8, 2014 0:10:25 GMT -5
That's the thing, *supposedly* there are a lot of sequels planned for MI, but given Billy Crystal's age...it's questionable whether Mike will be able to make it in later ones, at least as the main character (yes, sad thought on Crystal's part). So Pixar might be planning on shifting the focus to different monsters in the future, whether it be Randall, monsters from MU, or to new characters...or Boo. Who knows? I'm curious as to what their ideas are. My wager was on Johnny and Randall tbh, but I'd also like to see some female characters, and I love the idea of a girl relative of Randall's! That's a good point, though I really hate to think of Billy Crystal being unable to voice Mike, as much as I dislike the green beach ball himself. But this is a whole universe, a whole parallel earth here, and there is so much potential to take a look at the lives of other monsters besides Mike and Sulley, to look at their struggles and triumphs, too. Kory Rae hinted in one of the interviews right after MU was released that Boo might make an appearance in one of the later movies, so I don't think we've seen the last of her, and I sure hope we have not seen the last of either Randall or Johnny. pitbulllady |
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Post by RandallBoggs on Apr 8, 2014 18:53:18 GMT -5
Yes, I couldn't remember who it was. The mention of George got me skeptical of who.
Glad you agree about why he was banished. I'm not exactly sure how long it takes to be head of the mail room (not...long?) if that's a career choice, but AS would have at least been around for some time to know the ropes to pass on to those under him. Slightly off the guy may be...but considering what Waternoose was doing, the fact that he was banished in the same area as the door...seems likely it wasn't just him whimiscally breaking his own rule. (plus, banishment? for mail tampering? Is that a death penalty somewhere, just for a comparison? Not saying it's wrong/illegal/deserves punishment, but isn't that kind of harsh? Would think AS gave that out as a sort of "absolute no", an exaggeration to ensure it's not actually done.)
Actually, maybe he also got hit on the head REAL hard (lets not put it past Waternoose, old he may be, but he tossed Sullivan around)...cause he didn't show much in remembrance of two of his workers-to-come-scarers. Though, granted, a few minutes passed we didn't see.
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I dunno...it's like Toy Story without Buzz/Woody or Nemo without...well...Nemo. Randall may be liked more, but Wazowski and Sullivan have the spot light. By "rules of series", the focus is on them.
Unless there's a series. In which case, episodes would tailor to others.
Anyway...Randall definitely will have his...know that. Boo, yes, considering she knows about monsters and Sullivan would keep visiting her since Wazowski (in an effort to have something to hold over Sullivan later) repaired her door. Johnny? Unsure...but it's possible given the business relationship between Monsters Inc. and Fear Co. as rival scream factories.
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Post by pitbulllady on Apr 8, 2014 20:05:50 GMT -5
Yes, I couldn't remember who it was. The mention of George got me skeptical of who. Glad you agree about why he was banished. I'm not exactly sure how long it takes to be head of the mail room (not...long?) if that's a career choice, but AS would have at least been around for some time to know the ropes to pass on to those under him. Slightly off the guy may be...but considering what Waternoose was doing, the fact that he was banished in the same area as the door...seems likely it wasn't just him whimiscally breaking his own rule. (plus, banishment? for mail tampering? Is that a death penalty somewhere, just for a comparison? Not saying it's wrong/illegal/deserves punishment, but isn't that kind of harsh? Would think AS gave that out as a sort of "absolute no", an exaggeration to ensure it's not actually done.) Actually, maybe he also got hit on the head REAL hard (lets not put it past Waternoose, old he may be, but he tossed Sullivan around)...cause he didn't show much in remembrance of two of his workers-to-come-scarers. Though, granted, a few minutes passed we didn't see. ------------ I dunno...it's like Toy Story without Buzz/Woody or Nemo without...well...Nemo. Randall may be liked more, but Wazowski and Sullivan have the spot light. By "rules of series", the focus is on them. Unless there's a series. In which case, episodes would tailor to others. Anyway...Randall definitely will have his...know that. Boo, yes, considering she knows about monsters and Sullivan would keep visiting her since Wazowski (in an effort to have something to hold over Sullivan later) repaired her door. Johnny? Unsure...but it's possible given the business relationship between Monsters Inc. and Fear Co. as rival scream factories. I attribute the AS's inability to recognize his former co-workers to his mind having "gone", following "banishment". He mentions how stressful it, being alone, especially, and that whole thing with the "lemon" snow cones(Frank Zappa reference, btw)indicates that he's not "all there" by this point. He's been slowly going insane due to his isolation, no one to talk to. That is why it would be absolutely imperative for Randall to immediately find SOMEONE that he could connect with and talk to in the Human World, because he already was experiencing a psychosis at the time of his illegal "banishment" and if he had to try to survive on his own, especially with his physical injuries, on top of a fractured mind and spirit, he wouldn't make it. On Fear Co, though, they would not be "rival" scream factories with MI, not if the Monster World follows the same model of utilities services that we do here in the Human World's version of the US. Power companies are not allowed to compete with one another, except in the open market, and since Fear Co. is not incorporated, it would not have stocks that are traded on the market, as MI does. When you sign up for electricity, you don't have a choice as to which company provides it. Whichever one serves your area, that's your only option. Fear Co. and MI probably aren't even located in the same part of the country. A company the size of MI would pretty much have a regional monopoly, which is allowed, just as long as it's not a nation-wide monopoly. Smaller companies, like Fear Co., would be found in less-populated regions of the country and smaller towns. pitbulllady |
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Post by RandallBoggs on Apr 8, 2014 20:15:27 GMT -5
Hmm...true, isolation can lead to a maddening of the mind. Maybe it runs in the family too *shrugs* After all, AS can't be THE AS...as I believe his sightings have been brought up years before his actual banishment. Just a thought.
By that, I mean in how the energy is collected. While MI is in the "test phase" of a new energy source, it would mean that other power companies would take notice. Generally this would involve them trying to either adapt or embrace the new source. However, given how the scream industry is far more influential in society than human-world energy providers, it leads to speculation and assault to traditional values.
Fear Co. may, in a rival way, aim to try to increase it's production (maybe leading to some worker dismay at increased hours for no more pay) to match or pass MI as a way to prove the "traditional way" works.
Scareing has proven to be a 'way of life' in the monster world, while power sources in our world are more literally of the utility variety.
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