7 Disney Movies That Were Accused Of Stealing Ideas

4. Little Monsters - Monsters, Inc.

As with Toy Story and The Christmas Toy, there's not much novel about saying there's monsters living under your bed or in your cupboard; that's been around as long as kids have had beds and cupboards. But the notion of a whole other monster world with a direct connection to our own through children's bedrooms is a bit more specific. And to have two films with children being kidnapped as part of an evil plot is way too particular. That's the central argument for Monsters, Inc. being a higher quality rip off of Little Monsters, a now-forgotten late eighties kids flick. There are some vague comparisons to be had between the plot and arguably designs of the main characters (blue skin/fur, horns) but it's all a little fleeting. This wasn't the only plagiarism debate Monsters, Inc. became embroiled in. First came accusations of a publisher passing on rejected ideas to Pixar (probably just before they got Kubrick to fake the moon landings) and later artist Stanley Mouse accused the designs of Mike and Sulley were copied from concept art for film he'd tried to float in the late-nineties. Was it plagiarism? Taking a childhood idea and expanding it with sound logic was nothing new for Pixar, while to say a one-eyed monster is your idea is thinking a little big of yourself. Pete Docter and co. were clearly just tapping into a popular concept. What's next, Harvard complaining Monsters University steals the idea of further education?