Inside Out 2 2024

Movie · 96 min · English · June 10, 2024

Coming-of-age comedy-drama Fantasy comedy-drama Teen comedy-drama

Directed by Kelsey MannWritten by Meg LeFauve, Dave Holstein

Starring Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Lewis Black

Inside Out 2 is a 2024 American animated coming-of-age film directed by Kelsey Mann and written by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein. The sequel to Inside Out (2015), it was produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Diane Lane, and Kyle MacLachlan return in their original roles, while Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman (who replaces Kaitlyn Dias from the first film), Liza Lapira (replacing Mindy Kaling from the first film), Tony Hale (replacing Bill Hader from the first film), Ayo Edebiri, Lilimar, Grace Lu, Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green, Adèle Exarchopoulos, and Paul Walter Hauser join the voice cast. The story centers on Riley’s emotions being unexpectedly joined by new feelings that want to take over her mind.

Development of Inside Out 2 started in early 2020, with Mann inspired by his own childhood. Initially, the creative team considered many new emotions before narrowing the focus for clarity, settling on Anxiety as a key addition. Clinical experts such as Lisa Damour and Dacher Keltner helped ensure realistic depiction of adolescent emotional growth. A group of teenagers also contributed feedback to maintain authenticity in character and story. The project’s concept evolved from a talent show idea to one involving hockey. This Pixar film marked the first time a woman, Andrea Datzman, scored an entire feature. Animation work used isometric mapping for consistency in spatial design, and casting changes happened partly due to pay disagreements, leading to recasting of Fear and Disgust.

Inside Out 2 made its debut at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on June 10, 2024, followed by a U.S. release on June 14. Critics responded positively, and the film became a box office hit, earning $1.699 billion globally. It broke several records, becoming Pixar’s highest-grossing movie and the top-grossing animated film ever, although it was later surpassed by Ne Zha 2 (2025) just nine months after its release. It ranked as the highest-grossing film of 2024 and the eighth-highest at the time of its launch. The movie received nominations for Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice, BAFTAs, and Academy Awards. It also earned a nomination for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement at the Golden Globes.