'Inside Out 2' Has Pixar Feeling Totally Ecstatic at the Box Office

In a triumphant return to box office glory, Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” has obliterated expectations with a monster $145 million domestic opening weekend. The acclaimed animated sequel easily scored 2024’s biggest debut so far, dethroning “Dune: Part Two” to become the first release to top $100 million since last summer’s “Barbie.”

The blistering start for “Inside Out 2” marks the second-biggest opening ever for the beloved Pixar Animation Studios, trailing only 2018’s superhero smash “Incredibles 2” which bowed to $182 million. It caps an impressive comeback for the Disney-owned studio after a string of releases went straight to streaming during the pandemic.

“They’re back,” proclaimed box office analyst David A. Gross. “This is a sensational opening.”

Heading into the weekend, industry projections pegged “Inside Out 2” for a solid if unspectacular $90 million start, on par with the original 2015 film’s debut. But buoyed by ecstatic reviews and rapturous audience scores, director Kelsey Mann’s emotional juggerrnaut resonated far beyond expectations.

The $200 million production looks to have easily covered its hefty budget already. Its $270 million global launch, combining domestic and $125 million from overseas markets, sets “Inside Out 2” up for a fruitful run as one of the summer’s biggest blockbusters.

For Pixar, the sequel’s runaway success provides much-needed reaffirmation of the studio’s theatrical drawing power after films like “Turning Red” and “Soul” went direct-to-Disney+ in recent years.

“It trained audiences to watch Pixar movies on streaming,” lamented studio chief Pete Docter in the lead-up to the film’s release. “Inside Out 2” has firmly reversed that trend, rocketing Pixar back to the upper echelons of the box office where they’ve spent most of their acclaimed 29-year history.

Reuniting audiences with the resonant emotions of teenage heroine Riley, voiced by Kaitlyn Dias, the film also features returning favorites like Amy Poehler’s Joy and Lewis Black’s Anger. They’re joined by new emotional arrivals representing more turbulent adolescent experiences – Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and more.

With stellar reviews, rapturous audience scores, and now a gargantuan opening weekend under its belt, “Inside Out 2” has firmly re-established Pixar as an essential big-screen experience and a marketing dream for Disney. No longer just another streaming commodity, their latest blockbuster proves that for Pixar’s inimitable emotional storytelling, the movie theater remains the ideal arena to make audiences laugh, cry, and feel every poignant frame in-between.