Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” has reached a significant milestone by joining the billion-dollar club. This animated feature film has managed to generate an impressive $1.014 billion in global box office revenue as of the latest reports. Surpassing all other films in 2024, “Inside Out 2” has become the highest-grossing movie of the year. Furthermore, it stands out as the first animated film since “Barbie” by Warner Bros. to achieve the remarkable feat of crossing the $1 billion mark in worldwide earnings.
The exceptional success of “Inside Out 2” marks a crucial victory for Disney’s Pixar animation studio. Despite being a renowned and prolifically successful entity in the industry, Pixar faced challenges at the box office following the disruptions caused by the pandemic. The studio encountered difficulties, especially due to the decision by Disney to release several animated features directly on its streaming platform, Disney+. This strategy was implemented during the periods of theatrical closures and even after cinemas had reopened. Consequently, prior to the release of “Inside Out 2,” no Pixar or Walt Disney Animation studio film had managed to surpass $480 million in global box office collections since 2019.
“Inside Out 2” has served as a testament to the immense importance of the family audience in driving box office success. Data from EntTelligence indicates that over 70% of the viewers during the film’s domestic premiere belonged to the underserved family demographic. This audience segment played a pivotal role in the box office triumphs of other family-oriented films such as Universal’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Considering the lack of family-friendly options until the recent releases of Sony’s “The Garfield Movie” and Paramount’s “IF,” the success of “Inside Out 2” underscores the significant impact of catering to the family audience.
In addition to attracting families, “Inside Out 2” successfully drew in teenagers to theaters, with 14% of the audience falling within the 13 to 17 age group. The engagement of this younger demographic, which has been noticeably absent from the market in recent times, holds strategic significance for the film industry. Regaining the attention of teenagers and encouraging their return to cinemas has become a crucial objective for studios and movie theater operators. Upcoming releases like Universal and Illumination’s “Despicable Me 4” are poised to further engage families and teens, with a scheduled premiere over the July Fourth holiday weekend.