‘Inside Out 2’ Passes ‘Incredibles 2’ As Pixar’s Highest-Grossing Movie

Topline

“Inside Out 2” continued its box office success and became Pixar’s highest-grossing movie on Wednesday, shortly after it became the first film of the year to hit $1 billion.

The summer hit “Inside Out 2” has seen continued success, grossing $1.25 billion globally since it … [+] opened last month.

Getty Images for Disney/Pixar

Key Facts

“Inside Out 2” surpassed “Incredibles 2” to become Pixar’s highest-grossing film at the worldwide box office, not adjusted for inflation, and the fourth highest-grossing animated film of all time, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The summer hit has grossed $1.25 billion globally, including $543.5 million in North America, according to Box Office Mojo.

The film has dominated the box office since its release in mid-June—when it grossed almost $155 million at the domestic box office, marking the best opening weekend of the year by far.

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Key Background

“Inside Out 2” has helped revive the summer box office, and has eased concerns about Pixar’s viability following its slump during the COVID-19 pandemic. After “Onward” was released in early March 2020 and grossed just $141.9 million at the global box office, Pixar sent its next three movies—“Soul,” “Luca,” and “Turning Red”—straight to streaming on Disney+, leading to concerns about the ability of Pixar films to draw crowds to theaters, according to the Los Angeles Times. The film is a sequel that follows new teenager Riley as she enters puberty and her emotions as they grapple with the presence of new emotions like anxiety, embarrassment and ennui. The film received positive reviews, receiving a 91% score from critics and a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

What To Watch For

Whether “Inside Out 2” continues its climb and becomes the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Its global box office sales would need to pass “Frozen” ($1.29 billion), “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($1.36 billion) and “Frozen II” ($1.45 billion) to become the top animated film, according to Variety.