Pixar’s Monsters University rakes in $82M in its domestic debut

Pixar earned its 14th No. 1 at the box office this weekend — out of 14 releases. Yep, the animation studio, now owned by Disney, has never not opened a film in first place. Its latest release, Monsters University, was no exception. It finished at the top of its class, according to Entertainment Weekly.  The film grossed $82-million in its domestic debut.

“Monsters University” paced a high-traffic summer weekend for Hollywood: Paramount’s big-budget zombie flick “World War Z” allayed fears of a flameout with a strong $66-million debut ($110-million global); and last week’s champ, Warner Bros./DC’s “Man of Steel,” grossed $41.2-million, according to the Washington Post.

Will Monsters University be the new Cars 2?

Disney/Pixar’s upcoming Monsters University feature is “the first Pixar movie in memory that is basically registering as ‘no big deal’ to the film community,” according to Forbes.

Since 2010, Pixar has released only one original film, Brave, along with three based on previous properties: Toy Story 3, Cars 2, and Monsters University (the Monsters, Inc. prequel coming to theaters this summer), according to Slate.

Are new Tron and Monsters, Inc. attractions coming to Disneyland and California Adventures?

Could the increase in the daily attendance rates at Disneyland and California Adventure lead to new attractions?  According to MiceChat, there are plans to build a new Monstropolis area at California Adventure, based on the popular Monsters, Inc. movie:

But instead of working on Disneyland next, TDA is now seriously considering an additional E Ticket thrill ride and new themed placemaking for DCA in the next few years. Taking a concept originally cooked up a few years ago for Disney Hollywood Studios in Florida, there’s now a very serious proposal to tear out the MuppetVision and Stage 17 buildings in the back of DCA’s HollywoodLand area and build a Monsters Inc. mini-land there.