Pixar’s Inside Out 2 has now become the highest grossing animated film ever, surpassing Frozen 2. More on it below.
Inside Out 2 has been a much needed hit for Pixar and it’s also a bloody good film. Shortly after the film’s release, it became the highest grossing film of 2024 and it’s now the highest grossing animated film in history, as reported by Variety. Not too shabby.
The Pixar sequel shattered the record formerly held by Disney’s Frozen 2, released in 2019. Inside Out 2, released in June to rave reviews, only took six weeks to claim the title. Its global box office takings hover at around $1.46bn. That’s a billion, not million. It also took the sequel only 19 days to break the magical billion dollar limit. In comparison, Frozen 2 grossed $1.45bn during its theatrical run.
Inside Out 2 follows the emotions in teenage girl Riley’s head. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust are joined by newcomers Anxiety, Envy, Ennui and Embarassment as Riley goes through puberty. Things get tricky when Anxiety takes over Joy’s job and boots the old emotions out of the headquarters, leaving poor Riley without Joy.
The film’s voice cast finds Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith and Lewis Black returning to their parts as Joy, Sadness and Anger while Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling were replaced by Tony Hale and Liza Lapiro as Fear and Disgust. Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Paul Walter Hauser and Adèle Exarchopoulos voiced the new emotions.
Read more: Does Inside Out 2 need to turn Pixar around?
The film has clearly resonated with both children and older viewers. This writer was certainly won over by the film’s ability to make such difficult topics accessible and visually compelling.
Inside Out 2’s record breaking run is dampened by Pixar’s layoffs earlier this year and the closures of multiple cinemas, especially in the UK. Inside Out 2’s success is proof that people still want to go to the cinema and experience films on a big screen, but might it be too late? We certainly hope not.
