NEW YORK — Inside Out 2’s second weekend was just as juicy.
Pixar’s sequel grossed $100 million in ticket sales during its second weekend, according to studio estimates on Sunday, setting a new record for a theatrically released animated sequel. The previous record for a second-weekend animated film was held by “Super Mario Bros. The Movie,” which grossed $92 million. Only six films have ever grossed more in their second weekend.
Inside Out 2 has grossed $724.4 million worldwide in just a week and a half since its release, making it the highest-grossing film of 2024 to date. This includes $355.2 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters. That’s more than Dune’s $711.8 million total worldwide. Inside Out 2 will likely surpass the $1 billion mark in about a week, which would make it the first film to do so since Barbie.
The magnitude of “Inside Out 2″‘s success has surprised Hollywood, which had grown accustomed to lower expectations before the film’s release, with ticket sales this year about 40% below pre-pandemic totals, according to data firm Comscore.
But “Inside Out 2″‘s record-breaking box-office takings are a reminder of a time when billion-dollar hauls were commonplace for Walt Disney Co. And it’s a long-awaited blockbuster for Pixar, which, after experimenting with streaming releases, is rethinking its movie pipeline and how it appeals to the masses.
Now, while “Inside Out 2” is down just 35% from its domestic debut of $154 million, it’s poised to compete with “Incredibles 2” ($1.2 billion) for the top spot at the box office for Pixar. The film could also spur the venerable animation studio into more sequels, including “Toy Story 5,” due for release in 2026.
For theater owners, “Inside Out 2” was a much-needed release. But the film also served as a reminder to theaters that the film industry has been a boom-and-bust business in recent years. Since the pandemic began, movies like “Barbie,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Top Gun: Maverick” have driven ticket sales to record highs, but there have been long periods of hiatus between box-office blockbusters. Ticket sales for last month’s Memorial Day holiday were the worst in 30 years.
Part of the 2024 downturn can be attributed to adjustments to release schedules due to last year’s writers and actors’ strike. The weekend’s biggest new release was Jeff Nichols’ biker gang drama “The Bikers,” which was originally scheduled for release in 2023 but was delayed due to the actors’ strike.
“Biker Riders,” starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy, exceeded expectations by grossing $10 million from 2,642 theaters during its opening weekend. “Biker Riders,” which cost about $35 million to make, was originally set to be released by Disney, but was sold to Focus Features by New Regency last fall.
The strong box office performance of “Inside Out 2” likely boosted ticket sales overall. Sony Pictures’ “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” continued to do well in its third weekend, grossing $18.8 million, keeping it in second place. The “Bad Boys” sequel, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, has grossed $146.9 million domestically to date.
Next week, sci-fi horror prequel “A Quiet Place: Day 1” and Kevin Costner Western blockbuster “Horizon: An American Saga 1” will be released, hoping to capitalize on the success of “Inside Out 2.”
These are estimates of ticket sales in U.S. and Canadian theaters from Friday through Sunday, according to ComScore. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.
1. Inside Out 2, $100 million.
2. Bad Boys 2, $18.8 million.
3. Biker Riders, $10 million
4. Garfield the Movie – $3.6 million
5. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, $3.6 million.
6. “If” $2.8 million
7. The Exorcism, $2.4 million
8. “Thelma” $2.2 million
9. The Watchers, $1.9 million
10. Ghost 2, $1.5 million
