Pixar seems to have overcome the challenge of having a blockbuster movie, all thanks to Inside Out 2. The past few years have seen the animation studio struggle to land a movie that the audience finds interesting enough for them to grace the movie theaters with their presence.
The sequel to Inside Out was one of the most-anticipated movies of the year and it seems to have performed as the company might have expected it to. In fact, it has left behind one of the best-animated movies, Coco in one regard.
Pixar’s Inside Out 2 Has Outgrossed Coco In Terms of Global Earnings
The animation studio struggled to attract an audience to watch animated movies whether it was for sequels like Lightyear or original films like Luca and Turning Red. This might have something to do with the fact that its movies were used to strengthen the Disney+ streaming service.
In late 2020, three movies (Soul, Turning Red, and Luca) were released on the streaming service ignoring theaters altogether. This weakened Pixar’s brand, just like the many other studios that Disney owns. The company was encouraged to make original shows that would attract more subscribers, but all attempts to accomplish their target were futile.
Inside Out 2 has proved to be a shining beacon of hope as the decades-old animation company returns its focus to feature films. According to Deadline, the movie has earned $863.1 million globally within 16 days of its release. This is even more than the original film which earned $857.6 million.
The movie has left behind Coco (which earned $814 million globally) in terms of box-office gross. So, Inside Out 2 is not only looking to make Coco leave the spot as the seventh-highest-grossing film but also replace Inside Out as the sixth-highest-grossing film. However, its final position will only be defined once it completes its theatrical run.
What Is The Inside Out Sequel About?
Inside Out, released in 2015, follows the inner workings of the mind of a young girl named Riley. As she adjusts to her family’s relocation, five personified emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger – manage her thoughts and actions. The sequel sees new emotions trying to take control over her head besides the already-existing ones.
While the first film was directed by the studio’s Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter himself, this new film is directed by Kelsey Mann. This film marks Mann’s feature directorial debut and has emerged as the highest-grossing film of the year.
This year’s summer box office had been seeing a slump with even movies like Furiosa: A Mad Max Story and The Fall Guy underperforming. Inside Out 2 is turning out to be a savior for both Pixar and the box office in general.
Inside Out 2 is in theaters now.
Frequently asked questions
How well did Inside Out 2 perform at the box office?
Inside Out 2 became a massive hit for Pixar, ultimately grossing about $1.699 billion worldwide. That total made it the highest-grossing Pixar film ever, surpassing Incredibles 2, and pushed it past the original Inside Out’s lifetime haul of roughly $858.8 million. It also topped Coco’s $814 million total, addressing years of softer box-office returns for the studio.
Why had Pixar been struggling before Inside Out 2’s release?
In the years before Inside Out 2, several Pixar films underperformed in theaters or skipped them entirely. Soul, Turning Red, and Luca all went straight to Disney+ in the pandemic era, while Lightyear disappointed at the box office. That stretch was widely seen as weakening Pixar’s theatrical brand, making Inside Out 2’s success a notable turnaround for the studio.
Who directed Inside Out 2, and what is the sequel about?
Inside Out 2 was directed by Kelsey Mann, marking his feature directorial debut, while Pete Docter, who directed the 2015 original, was involved as an uncredited co-director. The sequel follows teenage Riley as new emotions arrive to compete with Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger for control of her mind. Inside Out 2 is available to watch now.
