Inside Out 2 becomes USA's highest-grossing film of 2024 in first week

A still from Inside Out 2 (Image via Pixar)

After the roller-coaster that 2023 was for cinema with the Barbenheimer trend and beyond, few would have expected 2024 to shape out so differently, with Inside Out 2 becoming the biggest movie of the year, beating many juggernauts on its path. As per the latest box office records, the film earned $285.7 million in its first eight days, blowing past Denis Villeneueve's awaited sequel Dune 2, which earned $282 million in its first week.

The achievements for Pixar's Inside Out 2 may not be limited to this alone as it can still potentially become the biggest earner for any animated movie in its second week.

With the momentum behind it, this will not be an impossible task by any means. The record for second-week earnings is with last year's The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which had also defied expectations to reach the summit.

It arguably makes Inside Out 2 the biggest movie in 2024 so far, with projected earnings even surpassing that of Dune: Part Two. The movie premiered on June 14, 2024, to great critical acclaim. It sits at 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

What is Inside Out 2 all about?

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The sequel to 2015's hit Pixar movie Inside Out, this coming-of-age drama is directed by Kelsey Mann in his directorial debut.

The movie follows the concept of personified emotions that made the first film a huge success. The movie also manages to add a level of realism to these emotions, tying them perfectly with a relatable human story.

For the sequel, Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein wrote the screenplay from a story by Mann and LeFauve.

Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan reprise their roles, while Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Ayo Edebiri, Lilimar, Grace Lu, Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Paul Walter Hauser also joining the cast.

The synopsis for the movie reads:

"Teenager Riley's mind headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who've long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren't sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she's not alone."

From its debut, Inside Out 2 was praised for its treatment of teenage years and its sensitive yet fun handling of emotions.

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Apart from its brilliant haul in the United States, the movie has also grossed $512 million worldwide, giving it a chance to compete for the title of the highest-earning animated movie ever.

It also became the third-biggest opening day debut for an animated film in the United States, sitting just behind Incredibles 2 and The Lion King (2019).

The movie is the fourth highest-grossing movie of 2024 and may snowball to become the biggest of the year.

Catch Inside Out 2 in theatres near you.