“Inside Out 2” brought anxiety, shame, envy and boredom to the screen. It’s no wonder the animated sequel turned out to be a box office hit.
The film, which was released nine years after the original, brought audiences back into Riley's mind. Now 13 years old, Riley, along with new and old thrills alike, stole the hearts of theatergoers around the world.
A slow start to the box office in 2024, which included the worst Memorial Day weekend in decades (excluding 2020, when theaters were closed due to COVID-19), had reignited panic about the state of the exhibition industry.
“Inside Out 2” has officially changed its tone.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, said the success of the Pixar sequel “isn't a surprise,” citing its “nearly limitless demographic appeal.”
“‘Inside Out 2’ is the movie that saved the 2024 summer movie season, arriving just when some had given up hope, thinking the slow start in May would foreshadow a disappointing June through Labor Day for theaters,” Dergarabedian wrote in an email to The Times. “‘Inside Out 2’ shifted emotions in Hollywood from sad to happy in a spectacular opening weekend.”
It's been an especially good summer for animated films. “Despicable Me 4” grossed $437.8 million worldwide. With that success, “Despicable Me” has become the first animated franchise in history to surpass the $5 billion mark.
But “Inside Out 2” remains the star of the summer. Here are some records the animated film has broken to prove it.
The highest-grossing film of 2024 in the United States and the world
Five weeks after its release, “Inside Out 2” has grossed $1.36 billion worldwide ($574 million domestically). It is the only film this year to reach the $1 billion mark.
And the film shows no signs of losing steam. The sequel has yet to be released in Japan, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the Czech Republic, where it is sure to be a hit.
It is also the 17th highest-grossing film of all time. This weekend, the film surpassed “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” and “Black Panther.”
The third highest-grossing animated film of all time
While the film currently sits at bronze in this category, it is just $13 million away from catching the second-highest-grossing animated film: “Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Dergarabedian predicts the Pixar film will surpass the video game adaptation by the end of the week.
Disney's “Frozen 2” takes the crown with $1.45 billion worldwide.
The highest-grossing Pixar film of all time worldwide
“Inside Out 2” surpassed its sequel “Incredibles 2” to become Pixar’s highest-grossing film to date. The superhero adventure grossed $1.24 billion when it was released in 2018.
The second biggest opening weekend for an animated film worldwide
With a massive $295 million in its opening weekend, “Inside Out 2” had the second-highest debut for an animated film, behind only “Incredibles 2.”
The fifth highest-grossing animated film of all time internationally
While “Despicable Me 4” is enjoying success, “Inside Out 2” dethroned “Despicable Me 3” this weekend to rank among the top five animated films internationally. 2017’s “Despicable Me 3” grossed $770 million internationally.
The fourth highest-grossing adult release at the domestic box office
Thanks to the $574.4 million earned by “Inside Out 2,” Pixar now occupies the top four spots on the list of films suitable for general audiences. The sequel joins films such as “The Lion King,” “Incredibles 2” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
The best films of all time in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Uruguay
The film grossed around $95.3 million in Mexico, where it attracted its largest Latin American audience. The film was also among the top 10 grossing films in Argentina, Central America, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, Bolivia and the Philippines.
Eleventh animated film to reach $1 billion
Only 11 animated films have ever reached the $1 billion mark worldwide, and Pixar is responsible for eight of those titles. “Inside Out 2” joins this exclusive club alongside films like “Frozen,” “Frozen 2” and “Toy Story 3.”
The biggest animated film of all time in 17 countries
“Inside Out 2” won this crown in Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Lebanon, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. It also won this title, for a non-local film, in Ukraine.
It is the second country with the highest income in Central America, after Ecuador, the Philippines and Slovakia.
