Hollywoodâs summer movie anxieties gave way to joy this weekend with the massive debut of Disney and Pixarâs âInside Out 2.â The animated sequel earned $155 million in ticket sales from 4,440 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday.
What You Need To Know
- With an estimated $140 million from international showings, âInside Out 2â had a staggering, and record-breaking, $295 million global start
- Not only is it the second-highest opening weekend in Pixarâs 29 years of making films and the second-biggest animated opening ever (behind only the $182.7 million launch of âIncredibles 2â in 2018); Itâs also the biggest of 2024, and since âBarbieâ
- Importantly, âInside Out 2â audiences spanned ages and all demographics. Post-COVID, Tony Chambers, who heads theatrical distribution for Disney said, breakout successes depend on attracting multicultural audiences
- Second place went to Sonyâs âBad Boys: Ride or Die, â now in its second weekend with $33 million, down only 42% from its opening
Not only is it the second-highest opening weekend in Pixarâs 29 years of making films and the second-biggest animated opening ever (behind only the $182.7 million launch of âIncredibles 2â in 2018); Itâs also the biggest of 2024, and since âBarbie.â With an estimated $140 million from international showings, âInside Out 2â had a staggering, and record-breaking, $295 million global start.
Tony Chambers, who heads theatrical distribution for Disney, was confident that the film would do âextremely well.â But even he was surprised at how much it exceeded already high expectations.
âPeople go to the theaters for great movies,â Chambers said. âThe reviews, the word of mouth just helped build this momentum ⦠Itâs becoming a bit of a phenomenon.â
Importantly, âInside Out 2â audiences spanned ages and all demographics. Post-COVID, he said, breakout successes depend on attracting multicultural audiences.
The success is significant for Pixar, marking a much-needed return to form for a studio that has had a string of underwhelming launches including âElemental,â which did eventually become a success, and â Lightyear,â which didnât. Itâs also vitally important for the greater Hollywood ecosystem and the health of theatrical exhibition, which had been running at a 26% deficit.
âEverybody needed this because success begets success,â said Chambers, who has been getting excited calls from exhibitors and fellow studios alike. âItâs great for the industry, great for Pixar and great for the business overall.â
Disney was already having a good summer, with âKingdom of the Planet of the Apes,â which this weekend was in third place in its sixth weekend with $5.2 million (bringing its global total to $374.5 million). And next up is â Deadpool & Wolverine â (July 26).
Kelsey Mann directed âInside Out 2,â which picks up with Riley as she turns 13. That means the arrival of new emotions like Anxiety (Maya Hawke) and Envy ( Ayo Edebiri ) to Joyâs (Amy Poehler) party. It got glowing reviews from critics (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) and polled audiences who gave it an A CinemaScore, suggesting that this wonât be a first-weekend wonder. With kids out of school and an open market until âDespicable Me 4â enters the ring over the Fourth of July, âInside Out 2â is just getting started.
âThis is a monumental weekend for movie theaters,â said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.
âInside Out 2â is estimated to have cost around $200 million to produce, which does not account for the millions spent on marketing. Going into the weekend, it was tracking for a debut in the $90 million range, which would have been in line with âInside Outâsâ first weekend in June 2019. Even that would have been considered a terrific achievement, and enough to claim the biggest opening of the year â finally unseating March releases like â Dune: Part Two â and âGodzilla x Kong.â
âFor the entire industry that works for theatrical, this is a huge turning point for 2024,â said Daniel Loria of Boxoffice Pro. âThis is the sort of weekend weâve been waiting for.â
As the only major release of the weekend, its theatrical footprint was equally impressive playing on 400 IMAX screens, over 900 âpremium large formatâ screens and over 2,500 3D screens.
This recommitment to theatrical comes after Disney sent several Pixar films straight to its streaming service, Disney+, over the pandemic including âSoul,â âLucaâ and âTurning Red.â Last month, the New York Times reported that Pixar had decided to return its focus to feature films (and not producing shows for Disney+) and that it had laid off 14% of its workforce (about 175 employees).
âAs important as this weekend is for the industry at large, for Pixar this is huge. Theyâve been trying to get their groove back since the pandemic,â Dergarabedian said. âTheyâve really come back big.â
Second place went to Sonyâs âBad Boys: Ride or Die, â now in its second weekend with $33 million, down only 42% from its opening. In just 12 days, itâs already earned over $112 million domestically and $214 million globally. As of Friday, the four-film franchise had crossed the $1 billion mark.
âBad Boysââ success last weekend was the start of a higher-earning turnaround for the lagging summer movie season. For Hollywood, the summer season, which runs from the first weekend in May through Labor Day, usually represents about 40% of the yearly box office. The deficit is still significant, with ticket sales down 28% for the summer and 24% for the year (and this is still before âBarbenheimerâ) but itâs progress in a more promising direction nonetheless.
âWeâre not going to get there overnight,â Dergarabedian said. âBut itâs good news for theaters. And we have some big movies on the way.â
On the ground, theater owners saw their cineplexes come to life this weekend.
âIt has been magical,â said Jeff Whipple, a vice president for Megaplex Theaters. âWe have seen literally generations of families brought together for this movie.â
Megaplex Theaters operates 15 locations and 173 screens in Utah and Southern Nevada. And the energy was palpable, Whipple said. Not only have families been hanging around after the showtimes to discuss the film; Theyâve also been scoping out whatâs coming next with kids taking pictures of the âDespicable Me 4â posters and displays and dads taking note of the âDeadpool & Wolverineâ date.
âI think word is going to spread on this film and help draw people into theaters throughout the summer,â Whipple said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. âInside Out 2,â $155 million.
2. âBad Boys: Ride or Die,â $33 million.
3. âKingdom of the Planet of the Apes,â $5.2 million.
4. âThe Garfield Movie,â $5 million.
5. âThe Watchers,â $3.7 million.
6. âIF,â $3.5 million.
7. âFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga,â $2.4 million.
8. âThe Fall Guy,â $1.5 million.
9. âThe Strangers: Chapter 1,â $760,000.
10. âLord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,â $632,910.