Inside Out 2 Opens Huge

Animated sequel posts biggest debut since Barbie
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 16, 2024 12:15 PM CDT
Inside Out 2 Opens Huge
This image released by Disney/Pixar shows Joy, voiced by Amy Poehler, left, and Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, in a scene from "Inside Out 2."   (Disney/Pixar via AP)

Hollywood's summer movie anxieties gave way to industry joy this weekend with the massive debut of Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2. The animated sequel totaled $155 million in ticket sales from 4,440 theaters in the US and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. Not only is it the second-highest opening weekend in Pixar's nearly 29 years of making films and the second-biggest animated opening ever (behind only the $182.7 million launch of Incredibles 2 in 2018), it's the biggest of 2024. No film had debuted at over $100 million this year, the AP reports. With an estimated $140 million from international showings, Inside Out 2 had a staggering, and record-breaking, $295 million global start.

The success is significant for Pixar, marking a return to form for a studio that has had a string of underwhelming launches. It's also vitally important for the greater Hollywood ecosystem and the health of theatrical exhibition, which had been running at a 26% deficit before this weekend. Inside Out 2 is the biggest opening since Barbie launched to $162 million last July. The new release received glowing reviews from critics (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) and polled audiences that gave it an A CinemaScore, suggesting that this won't be a first-weekend wonder. It got off to a huge start with $13 million from Thursday preview showings, which started at 3pm. As the only major release of the weekend, its theatrical footprint was equally impressive playing on 400 IMAX screens, over 900 "premium large format" screens and over 2,500 3D screens.

Below are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

  1. Inside Out 2, $155 million.
  2. Bad Boys: Ride or Die, $33 million.
  3. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, $5.2 million.
  4. The Garfield Movie, $5 million.
  5. The Watchers, $3.7 million.
  6. IF, $3.5 million.
  7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, $2.4 million.
  8. The Fall Guy, $1.5 million.
  9. The Strangers: Chapter 1, $760,000.
  10. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, $632,910.
(More box office stories.)

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