Inside Out 2 has become the first movie of 2024 to surpass $1 billion at the global box office — and it did so faster than any animated film in history. After just 19 days in theaters, the Pixar-Disney sequel has earned $469.3 million in North America and $545.5 million internationally, combining for a total of $1.015 billion worldwide.
Inside Out 2 Box Office: A Record-Breaking Run
The film opened on June 14 with $151 million domestically, immediately breaking the year's biggest opening-weekend record and surpassing Dune: Part Two's 2024 mark of $711 million. It was also the first release since Barbie — which opened in July 2023 — to debut to more than $100 million. Inside Out 2 has since held the number-one spot at the box office for three consecutive weekends and is now the highest-grossing film of 2024 in both the United States and globally.
The result places Inside Out 2 among an elite group of only 11 animated films ever to join the billion-dollar club — eight of which are Disney productions.
What It Means for Pixar and Movie Theaters
The success is a much-needed boost for both movie theaters and Pixar. Cinemas have endured a sluggish summer, and Pixar has struggled at the box office ever since Disney routed several of its films — including Turning Red, Soul, and Luca — directly to Disney+ during the pandemic.
Pixar chief Pete Docter acknowledged the damage that strategy caused, noting that it conditioned audiences to expect Pixar films on streaming rather than in theaters, hurting the theatrical performance of Lightyear and Elemental.
That cycle now appears broken. Michael O'Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners, praised the film's performance: "The film's stunning global success once again illustrates that audiences the world over will respond to compelling, entertaining movies and that they will want to enjoy them on the big screen."
Kelsey Mann's Debut and the New Emotions
Directed by Kelsey Mann in his feature-film debut, Inside Out 2 revisits a teenage Riley as she arrives at hockey camp and confronts a wave of new emotions. Returning voice cast members include Amy Poehler, while newcomers Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Paul Walter Hauser, and June Squibb voice the new characters: Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Nostalgia respectively.
The sequel's emotional resonance — and its connection to the beloved 2015 original, which grossed $859 million worldwide — is widely credited for driving strong word-of-mouth and repeat viewings that have sustained its box-office momentum.
