Hollywood's summer movie anxieties gave way to joy this weekend with the massive debut of Disney and Pixar's " Inside Out 2." The animated sequel earned $155 million in ticket sales from 4,440 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday.
An emotional win for theaters, Hollywood: ‘Inside Out 2’ scores massive $155 million opening
Hollywood's summer movie anxieties gave way to joy this weekend with the massive debut of Disney and Pixar's " Inside Out 2." The animated sequel earned $155 million in ticket sales from 4,440 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Not only is it the second-highest opening weekend in Pixar's nearly 29 years of making films and the second-biggest animated opening ever (behind only the $182.7 million launch of "Incredibles 2" in 2018); It's also the biggest of 2024, which had not had any films debut over $100 million. With an estimated $140 million from international showings, "Inside Out 2" had a staggering, and record-breaking, $295 million global debut.
The success is significant for Pixar, marking a much-needed return to form for a studio that has had a string of underwhelming launches including " Elemental," which did eventually become a success, and " Lightyear," which didn't. It's also vitally important for the greater Hollywood ecosystem and the health of theatrical exhibition, which had been running at a 26% deficitbefore this weekend. "Inside Out 2" marks the biggest opening since "Barbie" launched to $162 million last July.
“This is a monumental weekend for movie theaters,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.