Pixar Theory: Inside Out’s Bing Bong Is From Monsters Inc.

A popular Pixar theory suggests Bing Bong from Inside Out is actually a memory of a monster from Monsters, Inc. Even though most Pixar movies are standalone stories, it is common for the films to have references to one another. This has helped create the Pixar Universe Theory, which suggests that all Pixar films do take place in the same universe. And in some cases, the possible connectivity of the films has created some incredible theories about how multiple Pixar titles might be related.

This is true of the studio’s 2015 hit Inside Out. The film, directed by Pete Docter, largely takes place inside the mind of a young girl named Riley. The movie puts a creative twist on human emotions by having Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust be in charge of how Riley feels, but her normal attitude is lost when Joy and Sadness have to try and find her core memories. This adventure leads them to meet Bing Bong, one of Riley’s childhood imaginary friends. His cotton candy design mixed with elements of a cat, elephant, and dolphin shows the creativity of Riley’s imagination, but what if she didn’t make him up?

There is a theory that Bing Bong isn’t completely imaginary and that he’s instead based on a monster similar to the ones featured in Monsters, Inc. The ending of the 2001 movie saw Monsters Inc. move away from scaring children to trying to bring them joy, as they discovered that laughter provided more power than screams. This change saw non-scary monsters, like Mike Wazowski, get a chance to visit the rooms of children around the world, and this could include Riley from Inside Out. The theory suggests that Bing Bong is a monster who used to visit Riley in the middle of the night and bring her joy, so then she made an imaginary friend based around him to continue their adventures elsewhere.

Thanks to the possible connections between Pixar movies, Bing Bong having ties to the Monsters, Inc. franchise is a tantalizing theory to consider. Even though Joy associates him with imaginary adventures with Riley, that doesn’t mean Bing Bong couldn’t have existed before. It is possible that Riley didn’t realize Bing Bong wasn’t real and believed he was imaginary the first time he showed up. Although there’s no reason why Bing Bong can’t just be an imaginary creation of Riley, the idea of there being another version of Bing Bong who still makes children laugh is a touching thought. The fact that Pete Docter directed both of the Pixar films in question makes this theory all the more plausible.

Unsurprisingly, the idea that Bing Bong comes from the Monsters, Inc. universe has so far not been addressed by Pixar. It may seem unlikely that this will change in the future, although the Disney+ series Monsters at Work could include a Bing Bong cameo to solidify this theory as a fact. Now, those who support this theory will just have to wait until the series launches on Disney+ sometime in 2020 to see if Inside Out and Monsters, Inc. do have a Bing Bong connection.

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Cooper Hood
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Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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