Monsters University and Cars 3D Blu Ray to be released October 29 – With an Advanced Digital Release

Last month we noted that the Monsters University Blu Ray was now available to pre-order on Amazon. Today, we now know the official Blu-ray release date for Monsters University…and a re-release of the first Cars movie in 3D. Amazon has recently listed the official Blu Ray release dates for both movies as October 29 for North America and November 25 in the UK. Additionally, and perhaps more excitingly, is that Monsters University will also be released in Digital High Definition (2D & 3D) on October 8 (just two months away)!

Monsters University Bonus Features

Campus Life – What’s it like being on a production crew at Pixar? Get a look at a day in the life of the “Monsters University” crew through their own eyes.

Story School – This documentary examines the challenges of creating a prequel as well as themes that run through the story, and the change in focus from Sulley to Mike. We’ll also look at how gags are developed – from writing jokes to brainstorming a million ideas, only 5% of which actually end up in the movie.

Scare Games – At Pixar, we play hard while we work. The same people who keep the film production moving – producers, managers, coordinators and artists – are also the ones who bring spirit and excitement to some of our extracurricular activities. We check out the MU production teams as they go head to head in the mostly playful Pixar Scare Games competitions. A sample of this feature has previously been released on YouTube and can be seen on our post here (the extra in the movie is much longer).

Monthropology – This takes a close look at the monsters themselves and how they are comprised of different shapes and how their different controls create varied emotions. It also takes a look at the arduous process of creating the character of Dean Hardscrabble.

Welcome to MU – Sets aren’t just buildings, they are the worlds our characters live in and explore. This look at the Monsters University campus and its development is told from the perspective of the artists who created each piece of the campus from the architecture to the ivy leaves.

Music Appreciation – Randy Newman’s scores are a mainstay of Pixar films, and this documentary will give you a privileged look at his creative process. We follow the “Monsters University” scoring process from spotting to writing and on to the scoring session. including special college-themed recording sessions.

Scare Tactics – Animators are actors who digitally bring the characters to life. In this look at how the MU animation team worked, you’ll see their process of how they channeled their own monster-selves and created moments on screen that were really funny, really scary and also really serious, sometimes all at the same time.

Color and Light – How can a single painting set the tone for an entire scene? We’ll look at the creation of the colorscripts and how they were realized technically in the final film. Along with the process, this piece explores the many layers of technical innovation required to produce such a naturalistic feel.

Paths to Pixar – MU Edition – When one door closes, sometimes another door opens – one with an even more exciting opportunity behind it. Members of the MU crew tell their own compelling backstories and share the challenges they overcame along their paths to Pixar.

Furry Monsters: A Technical Retrospective – Explore the difficulties in creating characters that are 20 years younger with tools that are 10 years more advanced in this contrasting look at the differing technical challenges that arose when making “Monsters, Inc.,” and “Monsters University.”

Deleted Scenes – Four separate scenes – “Rivalry,” “Recon,” “Movie Night,” and “Drama Class” – are highlighted with an introduction from director Dan Scanlon.

The Blue Umbrella – This animated short film from Pixar Animation Studios, directed by Saschka Unseld and produced by Marc Greenberg, played in theaters in front of “Monsters University.” “The Blue Umbrella” tells the story of an evening commute in which the rain starts to fall and the city comes alive to the sound of dripping rain pipes, whistling awnings and gurgling gutters. And in the midst, two umbrellas—one blue, one not—fall eternally in love.

Additional Bonus Features – Audio Commentary, Promo Picks, College Campaign, Theatrical Campaign, Set Flythroughs, Art Gallery and more!
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I am very excited to see the extras – Story School, Color and Light, as well as Paths to Pixar. Obviously, I’ll be excited to see them all, but those are the ones that initially jumped out to me. We were surprised to learn that the short film, Party Central will not appear on the Monsters University blu ray, but will instead be released in theaters with The Good Dinosaur!

Cars 3D Blu Ray Release

A listing for the Cars 3D Ultimate Collector’s Edition has also listed for release on October 29. This would mark the first time that the original Cars movie has been made available in a 3D format – Even the massive 11-disc Cars Directors Edition didn’t contain the 3D version of Cars.