The movie anxieties of summer in Hollywood gave way to joy this weekend with the massive debut of Disney and Pixar's “Inside Out 2.” The animated sequel grossed $155 million in ticket sales at 4,440 theaters in the United States and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday.
It's the second-highest-grossing opening weekend in Pixar's nearly 29 years of making movies and the second-biggest animated opening ever (behind only the release of “Incredibles 2,” which grossed $182.7 million. in 2018). It is also the biggest of 2024, in which no film debuted above $100 million. With an estimated $140 million in international screenings, “Inside Out 2” had a staggering, record-breaking global debut: $295 million.
The success is significant for Pixar and marks a much-needed return to form for a studio that has had a series of disappointing releases, including “Elemental,” which ultimately became a hit, and “Lightyear,” which was not. . It's also important for the Hollywood ecosystem and the health of theatrical exhibition, which had been down 26% before this weekend. “Inside Out 2” marks the biggest opening since “Barbie” launched with $162 million last July.
“This is a monumental weekend for movie theaters,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
Kelsey Mann directed “Inside Out 2,” which begins with Riley turning 13. That means the arrival of new emotions like Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), Envy (Ayo Edebiri) and Shame (Paul Walter Hauser). ) To the mix. Amy Poehler once again voiced Joy in a cast that included Tony Hale, Lewis Black, and Phyllis Smith as Fear, Anger, and Sadness, respectively. It received rave reviews from both critics (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences who gave it an A CinemaScore, suggesting it won't be an opening weekend wonder either. With kids out of school and a market open until “Despicable Me 4” enters the ring over the July 4 holiday weekend, “Inside Out 2” is just getting started.
The film is estimated to have cost $200 million to produce, which does not include the millions spent on marketing. Going into the weekend, I was expecting a debut in the $90 million range, which would have been in line with “Inside Out’s” opening weekend in June 2019. Even that would have been considered a fantastic achievement. , and enough to claim the biggest prize. opening of the year, finally displacing March releases like “Dune: Part Two” and “Godzilla x Kong.”
It got off to a strong start with $13 million in Thursday preview screenings, which began at 3 p.m. As the weekend's only major release, its theatrical presence was equally impressive: It played on 400 IMAX screens, more than 900 “premium large format”. screens and more than 2,500 3D screens.
“Family audiences still love going to the movies,” Dergarabedian said. “As an out-of-home experience, it's still a relative bargain.”
This new commitment to film comes after Disney sent several Pixar films directly to its streaming service, Disney+, during the pandemic, including “Soul,” “Luca” and “Turning Red.” Last month, the New York Times reported that Pixar had decided to refocus on feature films (and not producing shows for Disney+) and had laid off 14% of its workforce (about 175 employees).
“As important as this weekend is for the industry as a whole, for Pixar this is huge. They’ve been trying to get their groove back since the pandemic,” Dergarabedian said. “Pixar had for decades one of the most impressive box office records of all time. “They’re really back in a big way.”
Second place went to Sony's “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” now in its second weekend with $33 million, just 42% less than its debut. In just 12 days, it has already earned more than $112 million domestically and $214 million worldwide. As of Friday, the four-film franchise had surpassed the billion-dollar mark.
The success of “Bad Boys” last weekend was the start of a higher-grossing turnaround for the delayed summer movie season. For Hollywood, the summer season, which runs from the first weekend in May to Labor Day, typically accounts for about 40% of the annual box office. The deficit is still significant, with ticket sales falling 28% in the summer and 24% for the year (and this is still before “Barbenheimer”), but it is still moving in a more promising direction.
“We're not going to get there overnight,” Dergarabedian said. “But it is good news for cinemas. And we have some big movies coming.”
Bahr writes for the Associated Press.
