Disney’s and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” has already grossed $13 million in Thursday previews on its way to a projected $80 million to $100 million domestic opening weekend, multiple outlets reported Friday, putting the Disney sequel on track to land the coveted title of biggest movie of 2024, so far.
Disney and Pixar's “Inside Out 2” is expected to make up to $90 million at the U.S. box office this ... [+]
Disney and Pixar released the highly anticipated sequel to 2015’s “Inside Out” this week, with an official premiere Friday night, following the success of its predecessor, which earned an Academy Award for best animated feature film and was nominated for best original screenplay.
Pixar has been looking to rebound from a series of flops of its own, including the 2022 Buzz Lightyear origin story “Lightyear,” which grossed $118.3 million in the U.S. with a $50.6 million domestic opening on tepid reviews and pushback from religious conservatives over a same-sex kiss, as well as last year’s “Elemental,” which pulled in $154.4 million after a $29.6 million opening.
With “Inside Out 2,” Pixar could see the biggest opening since its 2015 predecessor, which raked in $90.4 million in the U.S. in 2015, or “Toy Story 3,” which made $110.3 million in its U.S. opening weekend in 2010.
If its weekend projection holds true, it would also outpace a group of 2024 blockbusters and a significantly larger set of box office duds, taking the top spot for opening weekend this year, over “Dune: Part Two,” which made $82.5 million in its opening weekend in the U.S., as well as “Godzilla v. Kong” ($80 million), “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” ($58.4 million) and “Kung Fu Panda 4” ($58 million).
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
In its first days in theaters, critics and audiences have raved over the Pixar sequel, with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 95% score and critics rating it nearly as well at 93%. Those scores put it in range of its 2015 predecessor, which boasted a 98% critics score and 89% audience score on the site. In its review, the New York Times lauded the movie as a “predictably charming sequel,” which delves into new emotions of anxiety, envy and embarrassment, all personified in the brain of teenage protagonist Riley. Despite that charm, other critics have not been as favorable, with NPR calling it “imperfect” and not “nearly as emotionally overwhelming as its predecessor,” while The Guardian lamented the plot feels “a little bit convoluted and repetitive.”
$356.4 million. That’s how much “Inside Out” has earned at the domestic box office since its 2015 release, plus another $501.1 million internationally, according to Box Office Mojo. While that’s a far cry from Pixar’s best performing movie—2018’s “Incredibles 2” ($608.6 million)—it still places fifth on the animation studio’s list, behind a group of sequels including “Finding Dory” ($486.3 million), “Toy Story 4” ($434 million) and “Toy Story 3” ($415 million).