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The sequel boasts the second-biggest animated opening of all time in North America and the biggest ever worldwide when comparing like-for-like markets.
By Pamela McClintock
Senior Film Writer
Where to begin in describing the emotions that Hollywood and theater owners  — not to mention Pixar and its parent company Disney — are likely feeling over the stunning start of Inside Out 2 at the box office. (Hint: Sadness isn’t one of them.)
In a joyous comeback for Pixar, the tentpole opened to a massive $155 million domestically over Father’s Day weekend — well ahead of an expected $90 million — to secure the second-biggest animated launch of all time for a three-day weekend, not adjusted for inflation. It also did historic business overseas, where it opened to a record $140 million for a global total of $295 million, the biggest opening of all time for an animated film in like-for-like markets when accounting for exchange rates.
Fellow Pixar sequel Incredibles 2 is the crown-holder for top animated domestic opening ($182.7 million). That was previously followed by Illumination and Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($146.4 million) — which Inside Out 2 has supplanted — Pixar’s Finding Dory ($135.1 million) and Walt Disney Animation’s Frozen II ($130.3 million).
Inside Out 2 is just what the doctor ordered for Pixar, which has endured several years of strife, including when the former Disney regime decided to send a trio of Pixar films straight to streaming.
Internationally, the film only opened in 60 percent of the marketplace this weekend. It broke records across Latin America, where it secured the second-biggest opening of all time behind Marvel and Disney’s Avengers: Endgame and opened to $30.2 million in Mexico alone. Inside Out 2 also drew big numbers across Europe and Asia; South Korea ponied up $14.9 million and the U.K., $13.9 million.
Heading into the weekend, the $200 million sequel was tracking for a North American debut in the $90 million range, in line with the first film, which went on to earn nearly $860 million globally. Instead, Inside Out 2 is the first movie since Barbie almost a year ago to cross $100 million in its launch, a symbol of just how beleaguered the box office has been so far in 2024 due to strike-related delays and a precipitous downturn in moviegoing. (Barbie opened to $162 million domestically. And, like Barbie, Inside Out 2 has every chance of joining the billion-dollar box office club.)
Inside Out 2 earned glowing reviews and boasts a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 93 percent. It earned an A CinemaScore, while the Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 96 percent is a Pixar-best.
Directed by Kelsey Mann, the sequel introduces a whole new cast of emotions who are brought into “head”-quarters when the story’s young heroine, Riley, becomes a teenager. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust aren’t so sure how to feel about the arrival of Anxiety, Envy, Ennui and Embarrassment. Amy Poehler leads the voice cast that also includes Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Ayo Edebiri, Lilimar, Grace Lu, Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Paul Walter Hauser and Yvette Nicole Brown.
Inside Out 2 started its box office run with $13 million in Thursday evening previews, well ahead of expectations. Traffic was so strong on Friday that it became clear that the film would open to at least $130 million to $140 million domestically. By late evening, rival studios were throwing out estimates of $140 million to $150 million, but Disney and Pixar continued to take a safer approach in sticking to a prediction of $140 million-plus.
Thanks to Inside Out 2 and Sony’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which is now in its second frame, overall domestic box office revenue was up for the first time this year. Father’s Day weekend came in a hefty 30 percent ahead of the same weekend in 2024 when DC’s The Flash and Pixar’s Elemental opened to disappointing numbers. (The Flash quickly fizzled, while Elemental was eventually able to find its stride.)
Bad Boys 4, reteaming Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, fell a scant 42 percent in its second weekend to $33 million as it cleared the $100 million mark domestically and $200 million worldwide.
20th Century and Disney’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes came in No. 3 as it nears the $400 million mark globally. It earned another $5.2 million domestically for a North American total of $157.8 million and $374.5 million globally (its foreign total is $216.7 million).
Alcon and Sony’s The Garfield Movie placed No. 3 with $5 million for a domestic cume of $78.5 million.
IF, the third PG family pic in the upper reaches of the box office chart, was in a close race with Warner Bros.’ The Watchers for No. 5 with estimated $3.5 million versus $3.7 million, respectively. Wherever it lands for the weekend, director John Krasinski and Paramount will be happy celebrating IF, an original CGI/live action hybrid crossing $100 million domestically.
Weekend actuals will be released Monday morning.
June 16, 8:15 a.m. Updated with revised estimates.
This story was originally published June 15 at 8:36 a.m.
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