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After just two weeks in theaters, Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 has become the biggest movie of the year, generating millions at the box office.
Credit: Pixar
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While Disney and Pixar both have a wide range of iconic films under their belts, few projects shook the world like Inside Out in 2015. This wildly original film captured the minds and hearts of millions, becoming one of Pixar’s biggest hits, effectively ensuring a sequel was on the way.
However, a sequel would not come for nearly a decade, with this year’s Inside Out 2 now taking hold of the box office despite the multiple-year gap.
Inside Out 2 was expected to smash the worldwide box office before its release, but its performance has been nothing short of extraordinary for Pixar, a studio that was desperate for a hit following lackluster releases over the last few years.
Credit: Pixar
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Per Variety, Pixar’s new sequel has generated a total of $724 million globally. Not only does this indicate that fans still wanted to check back in with Riley and her list of emotions, but it also shows that animation is at one of its healthiest points in years, at least for Disney.
Inside Out 2‘s success pushes it past the year’s previous box office record holder, Dune: Part Two, with the Timothée Chalamet-led sci-fi epic netting $711 million in total. The last time a Pixar film grossed over a billion dollars was with 2019’s Toy Story 4.
If all things go right for Disney, Inside Out 2 is poised to be the year’s first billion-dollar movie, though 2024 has been a particularly tricky year for cinema in general.
The Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt-led action comedy The Fall Guy failed to stir up much interest and generated less-than-expected box office returns when it was released at the start of the summer.
The same can be said for George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which also failed to make a mark at the worldwide box office.
Credit: Disney
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The success of Inside Out 2 is a good sign for Disney, which is betting big on its Moana animated franchise later this year. Originally designed as a Disney+ exclusive series, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that a direct sequel to 2016’s Moana was in the works and would be released in late 2024.
This film follows the events of the first film and sees stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho return to their respective roles as Maui and Moana.
Disney is putting a lot of chips on the table regarding Moana in general, with the company also developing a live-action version of the original film. Not a lot is known about this project, but given Disney’s past success with live-action remakes, Moana is expected to be a surefire hit at the box office.
This live-action trend continues in 2025, with Disney releasing its remake of Snow White starring Rachel Zegler.
What upcoming Disney film are you most excited about?
