This morning, tracking for Disney/Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” suggests it’s set to achieve the highest opening at the domestic box office so far this year, potentially surpassing “Dune Part Two” ($82.5M) and “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire” ($80M) with a projected 3-day earnings between $80M-$85M. Scheduled to debut on the traditional Father’s Day weekend of June 14-16, this marks a significant return for Pixar in the post-COVID era, following the modest opening weekends of last summer’s “Elemental” ($29.6M) and the 2022 Toy Story spinoff “Lightyear” ($50.5M).
“Inside Out 2” is gaining traction particularly among teen girls and moms. The sequel to the 2015 hit, which grossed $90.4M during its opening weekend and reached $356.9M domestically and $858.8M worldwide, revisits the world inside the mind of the now-teenage Riley (played by Kensington Tallman), as her emotions grapple with her evolving feelings. Alongside Riley’s familiar emotions of Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler), Fear (voiced by Tony Hale), Anger (voiced by Lewis Black), Disgust (voiced by Liza Lapira), and Sadness (voiced by Phyllis Smith), the sequel introduces two new troublemaking emotions: Envy (voiced by Ayo Edebiri) and Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke).
Exhibitors at April’s CinemaCon were treated to the first 35 minutes of “Inside Out 2,” which reportedly received enthusiastic laughter. Directed by Kelsey Mann, the sequel is poised to build upon the success of its predecessor, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. The original “Inside Out” was directed by Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen.
