EXCLUSIVE: Disney/Pixar‘s Inside Out 2 came on tracking this AM and sources are telling us it’s bound to be the highest opening at the domestic box office year-to-date, inching out Dune Part Two ($82.5M) and Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire ($80M) with a 3-day between $80M-$85M. Inside Out 2 opens over the Pixar tried-and-true Fathers Day weekend of June 14-16.
That’s a big comeback for Pixar in the post Covid era following the opening weekends of last summer’s Elemental ($29.6M) and 2022’s Toy Story spinoff Lightyear ($50.5M).
Inside Out 2 is trending with teen girls and moms. The sequel to the 2015 pic (which bowed to $90.4M stateside, finaled at $356.9M domestic, $858.8M WW) brings viewers back into the mind of the now-teenage Riley (Kensington Tallman) as her emotions try to keep up with her new feelings. While Riley still has her emotions of Joy (Poehler), Fear (Tony Hale), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Liza Lapira) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) popping around in her head, the sequel brings in some troublemaking new ones: Envy (Ayo Edebiri) and Anxiety (Maya Hawke).
The first 35 minutes of Inside Out 2 was unveiled to exhibitors at April’s CinemaCon to great laughs. It’s totally a step up from the first movie.
The first Inside Out won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. That pic was directed by Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen. Inside Out 2 is directed by Kelsey Mann.