Summary
Inside Out 2just keeps surpassing milestones at the box office, but Disney’s history indicates thatFrozen 3will see even more impressive results. The 2024 Pixar sequel joined the billion-dollar club only a few weeks into its stint at theaters, surpassing 2015’sInside Outboth domestically and globally. This is especially impressive considering movies' difficulty getting audiences to turn up at theaters since the COVID-19 pandemic. Given its recent failures, Disney desperately needed this win, and we can expect to see even better results with the comingFrozensequel.
Disney had a rough year in 2023, with bothWishandElementalsuffering during their respective opening weekends in theaters. The company really needed a hard hitter in 2024, andInside Out 2was basically a shoo-in. The movie has brought in $552 million domestically since mid-July,making it the fourth highest-grossing animated movie of all time. It has even surpassedFrozen 2, though the 2019 Disney sequel still outdoesInside Out 2with its global numbers. These results are pretty impressive, and we can likely expect future Disney sequels to perform even better.
Inside Out vs. Inside Out 2: Which Pixar Movie Is Better
Inside Out and Inside Out 2 are both excellent movies, but when comparing their story, animation, cast, and big emotional ending, one stands out.
Disney’s Animated Sequels Continue To Out Perform Their Predecessors
Trends Hint That Frozen 3 Will Top Frozen 2 (& Therefore Inside Out 2)
Inside Out 2has only just surpassedFrozen 2on a domestic level, but it still has a ways to go globally. The 2024 film sits at $1.3 billion worldwide, whileFrozen 2holds the top spot at $1.5 billion. It’s difficult to say whetherInside Out 2will end up coming close, but we can safely assume thatFrozen 3, which has a planned release date of June 06, 2025, will outperform both Disney sequels. After all,the House of Mouse’s history shows sequels consistently outperforming their predecessors.
$1,067,316,101
$1,073,841,394
$941,637,960
$1,029,266,989
$631,688,498
$1,243,225,667
$1,285,048,126
$1,453,683,476
$858,852,998
Inside Out 2
$1,287,244,077 (ongoing)
No matter how much an animated Disney movie makes at the global box office, its sequel always seems to outdo it. Therefore, evenifInside Out 2manages to climb aboveFrozen 2’s global gross (as it did the domestic gross),Frozen 3is sure to top even this number. Of course, this assumes that audiences haven’t become burned out on theFrozenfranchise (a pretty safe assumption) or that the theater industry doesn’t take any further hits like it did in 2020. However, based on current trends, theatrical turnout should only increase by 2026.
Though Disney’s old direct-to-video sequels were often negligible, the studio’s high-budget sequels have consistently performed well.
Theatrical Turnout Is Likely To Improve By Frozen 3’s 2026 Release
There Are A Lot Of Big Releases To Draw Audiences To Theaters In 2026
2019 was an excellent year for movies, with nine films joining the billion-dollar club, includingFrozen 2. Unfortunately, the theater industry basically collapsed in 2019, with COVID-related closures keeping audiences from buying tickets. Not a single movie came even close to $1 billion in 2020. 2021 saw a slight improvement, withSpider-Man: No Way Homemaking $1.9 billion. Three total films made over $1 billion in 2022, while two managed this milestone in 2023. So far, OnlyInside Out 2has surpassed $1 billion in 2024, but there is indeed hope for future years.
Disney seems to be trying to duplicate its 2019 success in 2026 with a similar lineup that includes newAvengersandStar Warsmovies,Frozen 3, andToy Story 5.
The end of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes in 2023 means that a great many exciting projects are underway in 2024, with the expectation of several significant releases for 2025 and 2026.Disney seems to be trying to duplicate its 2019 success in 2026with a similar lineup that includes newAvengersandStar Warsmovies,Frozen 3, andToy Story 5. With a success story likeInside Out 2under its belt, trust in Disney is beginning to be restored. Hopefully, this means that,by 2026, audiences will be far more ready to get back into theaters to buy tickets.
Disney Still Has A Lot To Prove, But Its Sequels' Success Keep It On The Map
Sequels Will Keep Disney Animation Studios Afloat
Of course,Inside Out 2doing so well at the box officedoesn’t necessarily mean Disney’s woes are over. It’s difficult to forget the abysmal performance of the studio’s 2023 movies, and there is a lot of concern that the House of Mouse has run out of fresh ideas. This is only supported by the fact that the first movie to perform as well as Disney’s past classics is another sequel.The company desperately needs a new, original movie to perform well in theaters. However, this can only happen if Disney uses existing characters and worlds too.
Movies likeInside Out 2andFrozen 3keep Disney on the map and allow it to bring in enough money to invest in great new stories. It’s through these existing franchises that new ideas will be funded, therefore allowing more franchises to evolve as they have for decades. Overall, Disney still has a lot to prove, but its new sequels continuing to set records and overcome milestones prove that the company isn’t going anywhere.
Cast
Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the 2015 original film, which starred a young girl named Riley with a head full of emotions. - literally. With Amy Pohler as Joy, Bill Hader as fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, the all-star cast brought to life the emotions that adolescents face as they grow, change, and adapt to new situations. This sequel, currently in development, will bring Amy Pohler back as Joy, with Riley, now a teenager.
