Amy Poehler discusses Inside Out 2 and says more sequels should be made "every couple of years in Riley's life"

As people gear up for the upcoming sequel to Pixar's Inside Out, actress Amy Poehler, who voices the emotion Joy in the movie, hopes for many more follow-up films in the future. Speaking to Empire about the movie in an article published on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, the comedian explained that the "process of emotional evolution never really ends."

"I just think that they should make these films like Seven Up, every couple of years in Riley's life. A young adult, and a young mother, and I think a middle-aged person – everyone's having these very distinct new emotions that are showing up all the time," she added.

Amy Poehler is referring to the 1964 documentary film series called Up (Seven Up being the first one). It chronicled the lives of 14 men and women in England since they were seven.

Inside Out is an animated coming-of-age film about a young girl, Riley, who has to adapt to her family's relocation. The movie focuses on Riley's inner workings in the form of five personified emotions that control her thoughts and actions. Since its release, the movie has received critical acclaim, especially for its portrayal of the mind.

---

"It’s probably the best film I’ve ever been in" — Amy Poehler discusses being a part of the Inside Out films

According to a May 2015 New York Times article, Pete Docter directed Inside Out after observing changes in his daughter's personality as she grew up. While developing the story, he and co-director Ronnie del Carmen consulted several psychologists and neuroscientists to depict the mind.

Amy Poehler has voiced Joy in both the feature films and two short films, Mind Candy and Riley's First Date?. Talking about the sequel during its announcement at the D23 Expo in September 2022, she explained,

"At the very end if the original, Joy has that great moment where she's like, 'Finally, everything the way it's supposed to be.' Then we see that big puberty button, 'Should we press this?' We do press it in the second movie."

Elaborating on the plot, she continued,

"We're going to have what it feels like to be a teenager, the new emotions that live inside a young person's brain. In many ways, it was really exciting. We knew exactly where we were. We go to the teen brain and we see the madness that lives inside there."

The first film in the series was a huge success, winning an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Per Box Office Mojo, it grossed $858 million during its run, making it the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2015. In his January 2018 review for Medium, critic George Wang recognized the movie as one of Pixar's best films ever made.

Talking about being a part of the original film, Amy Poehler told Empire she was "super-emotional" and "proud to be in it."

"I still maintain it’s probably the best film I’ve ever been in."

Despite the pressure of a sequel, the comedian was eager to voice Joy.

"This is where Joy and I dovetail. You can’t let that fear stop you from action. You have to act," she said.

Inside Out 2 is directed by Kelsey Mann and features the voices of Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Tony Hale, and Diane Lane. It is set for a June 14, 2024, release.