‘Inside Out 2’ Breaks Records as First 2024 Film to Surpass $1 Billion Globally
“Inside Out 2” has become the fastest animated film ever to reach the $1 billion mark worldwide, achieving this milestone just 19 days after its release. The film’s success has reinvigorated the 2024 box office, which had been struggling before its debut on June 16.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have reached this phenomenal milestone in record time, and it once again proves that global audiences will come out for a great movie,” said Tony Chambers, Disney’s executive vice president of theatrical distribution, in a press release on Sunday. “The film’s remarkable success is a testament not only to the incredible creativity of the Pixar team but an example of moviegoing at its very best.”
“Inside Out 2” has significantly boosted the box office performance for 2024. According to Comscore data, domestic sales had been trailing 2023 figures by more than 25% before the film’s release. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, noted, “Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen the year-to-date, year-over-year domestic box office revenue deficit shrink from 27% to 19%, and that’s due in large part to the amazing and much welcome performance of ‘Inside Out 2,’ a film that has adjusted the mood of the movie industry in just a few short weeks.”
This achievement makes “Inside Out 2” the highest-grossing film of the year and the first to hit $1 billion since “Barbie” in July. It joins the ranks of other Disney and Pixar films that have grossed over $1 billion, including “The Incredibles 2,” “Finding Dory,” both “Frozen” movies, and the final two “Toy Story” installments.
Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Pro, which tracks sales and showtime data from thousands of U.S. theaters, projects that the domestic box office total for 2024 will be between $8.1 billion and $8.4 billion, down from over $9 billion in 2023. However, Loria remains optimistic, stating, “The impact of the strike on the box office is clear in the first five months of the year, but June has shown us the crucial role movie theaters play in a film industry firing on all cylinders. If the movies are there, the audience will follow. I expect to see great numbers in the second half of the year, leading into 2025 and beyond. Another surprise hit or two, and we may get a lot closer to matching that $9 billion than we all expected coming into the year.”
The rapid success of “Inside Out 2” underscores the strong demand for quality films and the enduring appeal of animated features from Pixar and Disney.