It’s fair to say there is not a lot of original film content being released this year. Many of the movies gracing our screens are sequels, prequels, or remakes, and while some are finding this a tad uninspiring, a few of those sequels are still bringing us absolute joy—literally.
Inside Out 2 reunites us with Riley (Kensington Tallman) and her emotions, who are led by Joy (Amy Poehler)—until now, that is. Riley is now going through puberty, and that comes with a whole host of new emotions, chief of which is Anxiety (Maya Hawke). The sequel has been the talk of the town, and it seems to have lived up to the hype, pulling in huge audience numbers as fans of the original flock to theatres to dive back into Riley’s somewhat dysfunctional mind. Though the film showcases Riley navigating new challenges, it still follows much of what made the first film so successful.
It was the original film’s appeal that likely brought so many back to theatres to watch the sequel. As reported by Variety, the film has raked in $724 million globally at the box office so far, making it the highest-grossing movie of 2024 to date. This is especially impressive given that the film has only been out for two weeks and will continue to grow as it opens in other territories, such as Japan, where the release date is August 1. In North America alone the film has pulled in a whopping $355 million. Variety surmises that Inside Out 2 could be the first 2024 film to cross the coveted $1 billion earnings mark.
It has already overtaken this year’s other big blockbuster hit, Dune: Part 2, Dennis Villeneuve’s masterful continuation of the epic space saga adapted from the novels by Frank Herbert. For comparison, Dune: Part 2 pulled in a worldwide box office gross of $711 million.
The audiences for these films are going to be very different, and whilst some (myself included) would be happy to head to the cinema to watch both, Inside Out 2 has a much broader audience given its family-friendly nature and easy feel-good vibes. In a world currently struggling through a rising mental health crisis, films like Inside Out 2 are highly appealing as they feel relatable, comforting, and, in many ways, healing.
Pixar still has competition though, with Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine landing in theatres on July 26. There has been a lot of hype for the upcoming return of these beloved characters, and Marvel has a history of raking it in at the box office (though they have been struggling to live up to that history in recent years). There is also the child-friendly Despicable Me 4 and the less child-friendly A Quiet Place: Day One, a sequel and a prequel respectively, that will be vying for our attention over the summer months.
