Summary
Pixar must be thrilled to seeInside Out 2dominate the box office and continuously break records, but the studio must not forget about its $496 million success from the previous year. After the COVID-19 pandemic and Disney’s habits made audiences more used to seeingPixar’s animated moviesat home, questions about their future at the box office became much larger. Disappointing results forOnwardandLightyear, coupled withTurning Red, Soul, andLucagoing straight to Disney+, had alarm bells sounding whenElemental’s opening weekend disappointed in 2023. It put pressure onInside Out 2to turn everything around.
Faith thatInside Out 2’s box office could be a gigantic win for Pixar was strong, but even the most optimistic of outlooks would not have predicted what happened. Breaking the record for thehighest-grossing animated movieever made after previously beatingIncredibles 2to becomePixar’s highest-grossing movieis the perfect capstone to an incredible performance. The studio’s continued success with sequels has led to some concerns that this is all that the heralded animation powerhouse will do now. But Pixar would be wise not to forget about its surprise hit beforeInside Out 2.
How Inside Out 2 Became The Highest Grossing Animated Movie Of All-Time
Inside Out 2 has officially surpassed Frozen II as the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, and this is how the Disney sequel did it.
Inside Out 2is easily Pixar’s most successful film of all-time, but it is not solely responsible for saving the studio from the gloomier days during and post-pandemic. The reality is that Pixar already had a hit beforeInside Out 2’s record-breaking box officethanks to howElementalperformed in theaters. The original film centered around element-themed characters did not get off to a great start, though. It had one of Pixar’s worst opening weekends ever and understandably brought concerns that the studio’s difficulties would continue.
Inside Out 2 made much more, but they are both hits nonetheless.
However, audiences responded to the film throughout the summer, turning a movie seemingly destined to be one of 2023’s biggest flops into one of the pleasant, surprise stories.Elementalhad incredible legs throughout the summer monthsas families kept going to theaters to see Pixar’s heartwarming original story. It legged out to making $154 million domestically after the lackluster $29 million opening, with international markets contributing another $342 million. The grand total of $496 million madeElementala successful theatrical releaseby the end.Inside Out 2made much more, but they are both hits nonetheless.
$29.6 million
$496.4 million
$154.2 million
$1.462 billion
Elemental Helped Pave The Way For Inside Out 2’s Record Run
Pixar Copied & Improved The Playbook For Success
There was always a strong likelihood thatInside Out 2would have found success financially regardless of howElementalperformed last year, but there is still a link to the former giving Pixar back-to-back hits.Much of theElementalplaybook was reused forInside Out’s sequelto turn it into a runaway success. The 2023 original movie overcame marketing issues to re-establish Pixar movies as events for families. Furthermore, Pixar’s decision to giveElementalan extended exclusive theatrical run of 89 days certainly played a factor in audiences going to theaters instead of waiting for streaming.
Elemental also became a massive hit on Disney+, beating The Little Mermaid and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in its first five days
Pixar learned the right lessons fromElemental’s comebackand fixed any issues when it came to makingInside Out 2the biggest movie of 2024.The sequel’s trailers were stronger thanks to a more understandable core concept, while the familiarity audiences have with Joy and Riley’s other emotions also helped. It was then able to have incredible legs following a record opening weekend. Disney even confirmed ahead of time thatInside Out 2would not be released on Disney+ for over 100 days after debuting in theaters. Some of these decisions might not have happened ifElementalunderperformed.
Elemental’s Box Office Success Proves Pixar Still Needs Original Movies
With Pixar building on the success ofElementaland delivering its biggest hit yet withInside Out 2, there could be a temptation to explore more sequels and franchises. After all, ifInside Out 2can become the highest-grossing movie of all time, the odds ofInside Out 3,Toy Story 5,Incredibles 3, and other sequels becoming major hits are high.More sequels are inevitableto some degree, butElemental’s success proves that the studio still needs to make original movies too.
Pixar clearly does not need to rely solely on sequels
Sequels and franchises might hold bigger upside at the box office, but exploiting them time and time again risks Pixar losing what made it so special.Elementalwas a great original story that uniquely explored heavy themes. The final box office numbers show how audiences responded favorably to the movie. Pixar clearly does not need to rely solely on sequels to find success.More original movies likeElementalare the key to the studio’s future, even if performances likeInside Out 2’s box office gain more attention.
