Disney opens its latest animated extravaganza, the highly anticipated “Monsters, Inc.” on Friday – and there’s a whole lot more riding on it than the reported $100 million budget.

Although Monsters, Inc., was released after Toy Story and Toy Story 2, the idea for the film was conceived in 1994, with work production beginning in 1996.

Disney-Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” Nickelodeon’s “Spongebob’s Big Birthday Blowout,” work-in progress sneak peeks at Netflix’s “Klaus” and Warner Animation Group’s “Scoob ...