Pixar's relationship with the box office has been an emotional rollercoaster ever since the start of the Pandemic. First there was fear, as the beloved animation studio's Soul, Luca, and Turning Red all found themselves releasing exclusively on Disney+ with no theatrical release amidst lockdown. Next there was anxiety, as 2022 cinema comeback Lightyear crawled to an underwhelming $226 million global cume. And then some joy, finally, as Elemental found its box office legs and took nearly $500 million worldwide last year. And now, with the release of Inside Out 2, Pixar have become the Envy of their peers once again as their hotly anticipated sequel has enjoyed a record-breaking opening weekend.
Per Box Office Mojo, director Kelsey Mann's follow-up to Pete Docter's 2016 fan favourite smashed all box office expectations over the weekend, cruising to a cool $155 million taken in North America and a dizzying $295 million total worldwide. Not only does this make Inside Out 2's the second-biggest animated launch of all-time Stateside (just behind Incredibles 2's $182.7 million back in 2018), but — accounting for exchange rates in like-for-like territories — more significantly, it now boasts the record for the biggest animated opening weekend of all-time. Yes, even bigger than The Super Mario Bros. Movie!
With the underwhelming performances of films like Furiosa and The Fall Guy getting summer blockbuster season off to a slightly chilly start at the box office, Inside Out 2 also arriving as the first movie since last year's Barbie to break $100 million in its opening weekend feels like a major turning point for the company. Recently, the voice of Joy herself, Amy Poehler, told Empire that she'd love to see more Riley-related sequels, Seven Up-style. And with Inside Out 2 riding high at the box office and getting overwhelmingly positive reviews, it looks like she may just get her wish yet. Insid3 Out anyone? Watch this (head)space!