‘Inside Out 2’ continues its record-setting run in second weekend
NEW YORK — Weekend No. 2 was just as joyous for “Inside Out 2.”
The Pixar sequel collected $100 million in ticket sales in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, setting a new theatrical record for an animated movie in its follow-up frame. The previous best second weekend for an animated title was the $92 million for “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Only six movies ever have had better second weekends.
In just a week and a half, “Inside Out 2” has become 2024’s highest-grossing film to date with $724.4 million globally, including $355.2 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters. That passes the $711.8 million worldwide total of “Dune: Part Two.” “Inside Out 2” will likely blow through the $1 billion mark in about a week, which would make it the first film since “Barbie” to do so.
The extent of the “Inside Out 2” success startled Hollywood, which had grown accustomed to lower expectations as the film industry watched ticket sales this year slump about 40% below pre-pandemic totals, according to data firm Comscore, before “Inside Out 2” came along.
The domestic box office has struggled so far this year, but Disney-Pixar’s hit sequel has given theater owners a much needed chill pill.
The record haul for “Inside Out 2,” though, recalled past years when $1 billion grosses were more commonplace for the Walt Disney Co. It is also a much-needed blockbuster for Pixar, which after experimenting with direct-to-streaming releases, reconsidered its movie pipeline and approach to mass-audience appeal.
Now, “Inside Out 2,” which dipped a mere 35% from its $154 million domestic debut, is poised to challenge “The Incredibles 2” ($1.2 billion) for the all-time top grossing Pixar release. It could also steer the venerated animation factory toward more sequels. Among its upcoming films is “Toy Story 5,” due out in 2026.
For theater owners, “Inside Out 2” could hardly have been more needed. But it also reminded exhibitors of how feast-or-famine the movie business has become in recent years. Since the pandemic, movies like “Barbie,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Top Gun: Maverick” have pushed ticket sales to record heights, but fallow periods between box office sensations have grown longer. Ticket sales over Memorial Day last month were the worst in three decades.
Comedians Ron Funches and James Austin Johnson tell us how they developed their vocal performances, and Pixar explains the process of combining 2D and 3D animation.
Some of 2024’s downturn can be attributed to release-schedule juggling caused by last year’s writers’ and actors’ strikes. The biggest new release over the weekend was Jeff Nichols’ motorcycle gang drama “The Bikeriders,” a film originally slated to open in 2023 before the actors’ strike prompted its postponement.
“The Bikeriders,” starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy, came in on the high side of expectations with $10 million from 2,642 venues in its opening weekend, good for third place. The movie, which cost about $35 million to produce, was originally to be released by Disney before New Regency took it to Focus Features last fall.
The strong business for “Inside Out 2” appeared to raise ticket sales generally. Sony Pictures’ “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” held well in its third week of release, collecting $18.8 million. It remained in second place. The “Bad Boys” sequel, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, has grossed $146.9 million domestically thus far.
It was also a healthy weekend for indie films. Magnolia Pictures’ “Thelma,” starring June Squibb, grossed $2.2 million on 1,280 screens, while Searchlight Pictures’ “Kinds of Kindness,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, earned the year’s highest per screen average and best overall limited opening with a $350,000 take at five theaters in Los Angeles and New York.
Next week, the sci-fi horror prequel “A Quiet Place: Day One” and Kevin Costner’s western epic “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1” will hope some of the “Inside Out 2” success rubs off on them.
Estimated ticket sales are for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
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