Inside Out 2 has been the story of the summer, breaking records at the ticket booth and delighting audiences around the world. Now, the film has reached a rare milestone: earning $1 billion at the box office.
The Pixar Animation Studios film — which brings audiences back into the mind of Riley as she deals with a host of new emotions as a teenager — has crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office in 19 days of release. That’s the fastest ever for an animated film.
It stands as the highest grossing movie of 2024 to date, and the only one to cross $1 billion.
Inside Out 2 will be one of only 11 animated titles to have ever surpassed the $1 billion mark — and eight out of the 11 belong to Walt Disney Animation Studios or Pixar.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have reached this phenomenal milestone in record time, and it once again proves that global audiences will come out for a great movie,” Tony Chambers, EVP, Theatrical Distribution, said. “The film’s remarkable success is a testament not only to the incredible creativity of the Pixar team but an example of moviegoing at its very best.”
The box office achievement followed a hot streak in theaters in which the film had a record opening, a massive second weekend and tremendous weekday numbers showing how much Inside Out 2 has become an event for audiences.
Inside Out 2 has also been a big hit with critics. The film is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with critics praising the film’s visuals, cast, and clever yet in-depth storytelling. It also received an “A” CinemaScore and a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 96%.
But the success of Inside Out 2 will not end at the box office.
The Walt Disney Company has a unique ability to not just help foster cultural events and craft powerful storytelling, but to go beyond storytelling to build enduring franchises that stand the test of time via film, TV, streaming, attractions, merchandising, events, and more.
Since racking up $858 million in 2015 and earning an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Inside Out has gone on to become one of Pixar’s most beloved and recognizable titles. The brand can be found everywhere from shorts to merchandise to attractions, and the love for the Inside Out franchise is only likely to grow following the record success of its sequel.
Pete Docter — Chief Creative Officer of Pixar and director of 2015’s Inside Out — has said that the first film has “continued to be part of the conversation” since it opened nearly a decade ago, which led to the creation of the sequel.
“We hear from people saying, ‘This movie changed the way I think about parenting,’ or ‘The way I understand my own existence’ and like, whoa, that’s pretty heavy for a cartoon,” he noted. “Maybe there’s more to be done with this world?”
Docter added that telling amazing stories like Inside Out 2 is “really the root of what Pixar is about.”
“We’re not an animation studio — we say we are, but ultimately we’re a storytelling studio,” he said. “You might think our movies are about cars or bugs or monsters, but they’re really about us at the core. They’re about our experiences as human beings that we hope will then resonate with the audience.”