The anxiety of Hollywood’s summer movie season gave way to joy this weekend with the massive premiere of Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2. The animated sequel grossed $155 million from 4,440 theaters in the United States and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Not only was it the second-highest opening weekend in Pixar’s 29 years of filmmaking, it was also the second-highest opening weekend for an animation ever (behind only 2018’s The Incredibles 2, which grossed $182.7 million). ;This is also the largest in 2024 since “Barbie.” The international box office of “Inside Out 2” is expected to be US$140 million, and the global premiere box office is as high as US$295 million, setting an astonishing record.
Tony Chambers, Disney’s head of theatrical distribution, believes the film will do “very well.” But even he was surprised that it exceeded high expectations.
“People go to movie theaters to see great movies,” Chambers said. “The reviews and word-of-mouth just helped build the momentum…It’s becoming a phenomenon.”
Importantly, the audience for “Inside Out 2” spans all age groups and all demographic groups. Post-COVID-19, he said, breakout success will depend on attracting multicultural audiences.
The success is huge for Pixar, marking a much-needed comeback for the studio that has had a string of lackluster releases, including the ultimately successful “Element” and the unsuccessful “Element”. Light Years”. It’s also critical to the health of the larger Hollywood ecosystem and theatrical exhibition, which has been operating at a 26% deficit.
“Everybody needs this because success begets success,” said Chambers, who has been fielding excited calls from exhibitors and other studios. “It’s good for the industry, good for Pixar and good for the business as a whole.”
Disney is already having a great summer, with War for the Planet of the Apes landing in third place this weekend with $5.2 million (bringing its global total to $374.5 million), its sixth weekend of results . Next up is Deadpool and Wolverine (July 26).
“Inside Out 2,” directed by Kelsey Mann, is set when Riley was 13 years old. Jealousy (played by Ayo Edebiri) and other new emotions. The film received rave reviews from critics (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) and received an A CinemaScore from audiences, suggesting it won’t be a first-weekend miracle. With kids out of school and the market opening up, Inside Out 2 was just getting started until Despicable Me 4 hit theaters on July 4th.
“This is a monumental weekend for movie theaters,” said Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
The production cost of “Inside Out 2” is estimated to be approximately $200 million, not including millions of dollars in marketing expenses. Heading into the weekend, it’s on pace to open to $90 million, which would equal the opening weekend of “Inside Out” in June 2019. box office revenue.
“2024 is a huge turning point for the entire cinema industry,” said Boxoffice Pro’s Daniel Loria. “This is the weekend we’ve been waiting for.”
As the weekend’s only major release, its theatrical footprint is equally impressive, playing on 400 IMAX screens, more than 900 “premium large format” screens and more than 2,500 3D screens.
Disney is returning to theatrical releases after sending several Pixar films directly to its streaming service Disney+ during the pandemic, including “Soul,” “Luca” and “Going Red.” Last month, The New York Times reported that Pixar decided to refocus on feature films (instead of producing shows for Disney+) and laid off 14% of its staff (about 175 employees).
“This weekend is important for the entire industry, but also for Pixar. They have been working hard to get back to normal since the pandemic,” Dergarabedian said. “They’re really back.”
Ranking second is Sony’s “Bad Boys: The Last Jedi,” which is currently entering its second weekend with box office revenue of $33 million, down only 42% from its debut. In just 12 days, the film has grossed over $112 million domestically and over $214 million worldwide. As of Friday, the four-movie box office hit the $1 billion mark.
The success of “Bad Boys” last weekend provided a higher-grossing turnaround for a lagging summer movie season. For Hollywood, the summer season (from the first weekend in May to Labor Day) typically accounts for about 40% of the annual box office. The deficit is still large, with summer ticket sales down 28% and full-year ticket sales down 24% (which is still pre-Bappenheimer), but it’s still moving in a more promising direction.
“We’re not going to get there overnight,” Dergarabedian said. “But it’s great news for theaters. We’ve got some big movies coming out.
On the ground, theater owners saw their cinemas come to life this weekend.
“It’s amazing,” said Jeff Whipple, vice president of Megaplex Theaters. “We literally saw generations of families come together for this movie.”
Megaplex Theaters operates 15 theaters and 173 screens in Utah and southern Nevada. The energy is palpable, Whipple said. After the screening, families not only gathered around to discuss the movie; They’ve also been discussing what’s coming next, with kids taking photos of “Despicable Me 4” posters and displays and dads jotting down the dates for “Deadpool and Wolverine.”
“I think word of this movie will spread and help get people into theaters over the summer,” Whipple said.
Estimated ticket sales for U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, according to Comscore. Final domestic data will be released on Monday.
1. “Inside Out 2,” $155 million.
2. “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” $33 million.
3. “War for the Planet of the Apes,” $5.2 million.
4. “The Garfield Movie,” $5 million.
5. “Watchmen,” $3.7 million.
6. “What if,” $3.5 million.
7. “Furiosa: The Legend of Mad Max,” $2.4 million.
8. “The Scapegoat,” $1.5 million.
9. “Strangers: Chapter One,” $760,000.
10. The Fellowship of the Ring, $632,910.
