‘Inside Out 2’ Passes ‘Frozen 2’ to Become the Highest-Grossing Animated Film EVER
Leading up to the June release of Inside Out 2, Pixar was on the ropes. After years of releasing films directly to Disney+ due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pixar returned to theaters in 2022 with Lightyear.
The Toy Story spinoff would bomb at the box office, grossing a measly $226 million on a $200 million budget.
Photo: Pixar
When last year’s Elemental had a bad debut weekend, critics and fans alike began to wonder if Pixar had lost its touch. While Elemental would eventually rebound and manage to bring back $496 million at the box office, the film was not the kind of wild success the studio needed.
Pixar Was Banking on ‘Inside Out 2’
To turn things around, Pixar turned to its wildly popular Inside Out franchise. Needless to say, the stakes were high. In fact, Pixar CCO Pete Docter told reporters that should Inside Out 2 fail at the box office, the studio would have to “think even more radically about how we run our business.”
Image: Pixar
As it turns out, Pixar had nothing to worry about. Inside Out 2 has been nothing short of a blockbuster. After a massive $155 million opening at the domestic box office, the film has shown no signs of slowing down.
Now, less than six weeks after the film first hit theaters, Inside Out 2 has surpassed Frozen 2 to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time with a worldwide gross of $1.46 billion.
Image: Pixar
While it became clear over the last few weeks that Inside Out 2 would eventually become the highest-grossing animated film ever, it is nevertheless a stunning achievement for Disney and Pixar.
The film has now crossed the $600 million mark at the domestic box office and is the 13th highest-grossing film of all time globally.
We’re filled with Joy! Thanks to every fan around the world for making Inside Out 2 the biggest animated movie of all time. 💛🧡 pic.twitter.com/HQYtxtHnYG
— Pixar (@Pixar) July 24, 2024
“’Inside Out 2′ is a quintessentially Pixar film, and it’s been amazing to see how it has connected so deeply with people all over the world,” Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment, said. “We knew it was really special, but no one could have predicted it would reach these record-breaking heights. We’re grateful to all the fans who have made this the biggest animated film ever.”
Happy Days Are Here Again
After much ado about the death of Pixar and the changing of the guard in animation, the studio has once again proven itself to be the gold standard in the medium.
Image: Pixar
For Disney, Inside Out 2‘s success could be just the beginning of the story. With Deadpool & Wolverine tracking towards a record-breaking opening weekend in just a few days and Moana 2 on the horizon, the studio could be looking at the kind of banner year that it has not had since 2019.
Photo: Disney
Both Disney and Pixar, then, should be jumping for joy.
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