"Inside Out 2" Overtakes "Frozen 2" as Highest-Grossing Animated Film in History

“Inside Out 2” has overtaken “Frozen II” to become the highest-grossing animated film in history.

After six weeks of release, “Inside Out 2” has grossed $601 million domestically and $861 million internationally, bringing its global tally to a staggering $1.46 billion.

“Frozen II” was bigger than the very successful original 2013 film and generated a mighty $1.45 billion during its theatrical run in 2019.

In terms of global ticket sales, “Inside Out 2” also overtook “Barbie” ($1.446 billion) as the 13th-biggest movie of all time. Among its many records, the Pixar sequel is the fastest animated film to cross the $1 billion benchmark, having done so in 19 days.

The emotion-laden sequel is also the highest-grossing movie of 2024 to date, and the only one this year to join the billion-dollar club.

“Inside Out 2” has succeeded due to several factors, including goodwill for the original 2015 film, stellar word-of-mouth and four-quadrant appeal. 

The first “Inside Out”  allocated $858 million globally, but the sequel managed to clear those ticket sales in a matter of weeks.

The PG-rated “Inside Out 2,” which cost $200 million to produce, also jolted Pixar out of its box office slump. 

Critics and audiences were charmed by the sequel, so positive word of mouth was a boon for ticket sales. 

Nearly a decade after the original, “Inside Out 2” revisits the mind of the now-teenaged Riley, whose familiar emotions of Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith) and Anger (Lewis Black) were running the show. As she heads to summer camp, though, a whole bunch of new ones, such as Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and Nostalgia (June Squibb), show up and bring some chaotic energy.