Inside Out 2 scores big, bringing Joy to Box Office 

Hollywood can breathe a sigh of relief. This weekend, Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” smashed box office expectations, proving that family-friendly blockbusters are alive and well. Directed by Kelsey Mann, the sequel introduces a whole new cast of emotions who are brought into “head”-quarters when the story’s young heroine, Riley, becomes a teenager.

Pixar’s sequel proves audiences are still hungry for big-screen experiences

The sequel raked in a whopping $155 million domestically, marking the second-highest opening in Pixar’s 29 years of making films, the biggest debut of 2024 and well ahead of an expected $90 million. Globally, “Inside Out 2” reached a staggering $295 million, with a record-breaking international opening of $140 million. It was the biggest opening of all time in markets including Colombia and Turkey, and the second-biggest across Latin America, behind only “Avengers: Endgame”.

A shot in the arm for a struggling industry

This isn’t just a win for Pixar; it’s a win for family-friendly films and the theatrical industry as a whole. Theatrical releases have faced numerous challenges in recent years. Pandemic shutdowns and a lengthy labor strike significantly impacted production schedules, leading to a scarcity of major new releases. The rise of streaming services also caused some to believe audiences had permanently abandoned the big screen experience. By mid-year, the domestic box office had earned $2.8 billion, down 24 percent over the same period last year and 42 percent behind 2019, the last normal year before the COVID-19 crisis, according to Comscore.

Looking ahead: a summer (and year) full of blockbusters

The good news doesn’t stop with “Inside Out 2.” The coming months are packed with highly anticipated releases that promise to keep the box office buzzing. Marvel fans can look forward to the R-rated “Deadpool and Wolverine,” while September brings the return of Beetlejuice and a new chapter in the Joker saga. The year will continue to be action-packed with “Venom: The Last Dance,” “Gladiator II,” “Moana 2,” “Wicked,” “Kraven the Hunter,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” and a Mufasa origin story – “Mufasa: The Lion King.”