Inside Out 2 Scores Massive $155 Million Opening

By LINDSEY BAHR (AP Film Writer)

Hollywood's summer movie anxieties gave way to joy this weekend with the massive film debut from Disney and Pixar. Inside Out 2.” The animated sequel grossed $155 million in ticket sales from 4,440 theaters in the United States and Canada, according to studio estimates as of Sunday.

Not only is it the second biggest opening weekend in Pixar's nearly 29 years of film production and the second biggest animated opening ever (behind only the debut of “The Incredibles 2”) for $182.7 million in 2018); It's also the biggest film of 2024, with no debut film topping $100 million. With an estimated $140 million from international screenings, “Inside Out 2” had a stunning and record-breaking worldwide debut, grossing $295 million.

The success is significant for Pixar, marking a much-needed return to form for a studio that has suffered a series of disappointing launches, including “ Elementary”, which ultimately became a success, and “ Light year“, It was not the case. It is also vitally important to the Hollywood ecosystem as a whole and to the health of theatrical exhibition, which had been with a deficit of 26%before this weekend. “Inside Out 2” marks the biggest opening since “Barbie” launched for $162 million last July.

“This is a monumental weekend for movie theaters,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

Kelsey Mann directed “Inside Out 2,” which picks up with Riley as she celebrates her 13th birthday. This means the arrival of new emotions like Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Boredom (Adèle Exarchopoulos), Envy ( Ayo Edebiri ) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) in the mix. Amy Poehler once again lends her voice to Joy in a cast that also includes Tony Hale, Lewis Black and Phyllis Smith as Sadness. It received rave reviews from critics (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) and surveyed audiences who gave it an A CinemaScore, suggesting it won't be a first-weekend wonder either. With children out of school and an open market until “Despicable Me 4” enters the ring on July 4, “Inside Out 2” is just getting started.

“Inside Out 2” is estimated to have cost around $200 million to produce, not including the millions spent on marketing. Going into the weekend, he expected a debut in the $90 million range, which would have been in line with Inside Out's first weekend in June 2019. Even that would have been considered a success great, and enough to win the biggest prize. opener of the year – ultimately toppling March releases like ” Dune: part two ” And ” Godzilla x Kong.”

It got off to a roaring start with $13 million in Thursday previews, which began at 3 p.m. The only major release of the weekend, its theatrical footprint was equally impressive on 400 IMAX screens, more than 900 “premium large format” screens and more than 2,500 3D screens.

“The family audience still loves going to the movies,” Dergarabedian said. “As an away-from-home experience, it’s still a good deal.”

This recommitment to cinema comes after Disney sent several Pixar films directly to its streaming service, Disney+, because of the pandemic, including “Soul,” “Luca” and “Turning Red.” Last month, the New York Times reported that Pixar had decided to refocus on feature films (and not on the production of programs for Disney+) and that it had laid off 14% of its workforce (around 175 employees).

“As important as this weekend is for the industry as a whole, for Pixar it's huge. They're trying to get their groove back since the pandemic,” Dergarabedian said. “Pixar has for decades been one most impressive box office records of all time They really came back with a bang.

Second place went to Sony ” Bad Boys: Ride or Die, ” is now in its second weekend with $33 million, down just 42% from its opening. In just 12 days, he has already earned over $112 million domestically and $214 million globally. As of Friday, the four-film franchise had crossed the $1 billion mark.

“Bad Boys'” success last weekend was the start of a revenue recovery for the lagging summer movie season. For Hollywood, summer time, which runs from the first weekend in May through Labor Day, typically accounts for about 40 percent of the annual box office. The deficit is still significant, with ticket sales down 28% for the summer and 24% for the year (and that's still before “Barbenheimer”), but it's progress nonetheless in one direction. more promising.

“We won’t get there overnight,” Dergarabedian said. “But it’s good news for theaters. And we have some great films on the way.