Embarrassing? scarcely. Are you sad and scared? No. happy? totally. This was the mood on the morning of June 17th when Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman popped a glass of champagne to toast those who worked on making and marketing the film. Inside Out 2, the first box office blockbuster of the year. “It’s been a while since we’ve done this,” said one person attending the celebration held at Disney’s Burbank lot, referencing the difficult times for the once-invincible Pixar, for which Pete Docter also hosted a toast. “Yes,” he said.
Pixar continues the story of Riley, now 13, in a film that has captivated critics and audiences alike. Riley is Joey (Amy Poehler). And Disney organized a marketing campaign to get the message across and resonate with movie audiences around the world. “Many people have deep-rooted knowledge about 2015. inside out, so for us it was much more important to find something new and relevant to as many people as possible across as many demographics as possible. Everyone has turned 13 or will turn 13, and you are bombarded with a whole new set of emotions,” says Martha Morrison, recently promoted vice president of marketing at Walt Disney Studios. Kingdom of the Planet of the ApesThis was one of the few solid swings of the summer).
The film opened domestically with a historic $154.2 million, the second-largest animated release of all time and the largest since. Bobby Almost a year ago. And we're seeing huge business during the week, almost record sales. It grossed $29.1 million on Tuesday, the largest Tuesday ever for an animated film and the eighth-largest gross of any film. Inside Out 2 Overseas, Force of Nature also started with almost $300 million, a record figure when comparing similar markets.
Inside Out 2 It couldn't have come too soon. Cumulative revenue this year is more than 25% behind last year. Now, the one-two punch of a Pixar sequel and Sony's Bad Boys: Ride or DieAccording to Comscore, movie attendance is on the rise, with annual revenue up 2 points. During the weekend of June 7th to 9th, bad boys 4 It began a rebound with a better-than-expected domestic opening of $56.5 million. The second weekend saw a drop of less than 40%. Inside Out 2 It sucks up most of the oxygen (Barbenheimer effect).
Historically, white moviegoers have made up 40-50% of domestic audiences for Pixar films. In the case of Inside Out 2, there have been notable changes. According to PostTrak's live poll last weekend, Latinos made up 38% of the movies, followed by whites (34%), black moviegoers (13%), Asian moviegoers (10%) and Native Americans/others (5%). It was. Sources say Inside Out 2 We would never have been able to do these kinds of numbers without that level of diversity. At the same time, the film is marketed around Riley and her emotions, rather than the ethnicity of any specific character (different races and ethnicities are specifically a part of Riley's world).
After returning as CEO of Disney, he found himself in a showdown with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over same-sex kissing. light years, Bob Iger said that if a movie is about messaging and entertainment, it doesn't work, and that some Disney titles have actually ventured into the messaging arena (he never mentioned them by name). “We’re trying to reach a very diverse audience,” Iger said last fall. “And we need to be more sensitive to the interests of a broad audience.”
Latinos spend too much time watching movies, especially family photos. elementalFor example, it rebounded significantly thanks to strong Latino turnout, a detail Disney didn't miss when it began selling. Inside Out 2. elemental It ultimately earned $496.4 million worldwide, while DC headlightwhich opened with $55 million the same weekend, exploded with $271 million worldwide.
Disney always collaborates with Univision and Telemundo, but they've done more custom integrations than usual, including bringing all the emotions from the movies into Univision's new game show. And in Mexico, a place was marked in the final match between Club America and Club Azole. Inside Out 2 It's on fire across Latin America, hitting near-record numbers in numerous markets, including Mexico. In Mexico, it earned $30.2 million, making it the second-biggest start of all time. And it was Hollywood's biggest opening ever in Colombia ($5.1 million).
In the United States, Morrison organized a major press junket in Miami, one of several stops on the film's worldwide tour, attended by Amy Poehler, who voiced the character Joy. (Morrison said the star's efforts were critical to raising awareness.)
Although children under the age of 12 made up a significant portion (23%) of the opening weekend audience. Inside Out 2, there was a strong nostalgia factor among young people who grew up with the first film. In an 11-hour stunt designed to appeal to all ages, the Walk of Joy and Sorrow characters, limited to Disney theme parks for the first time ever, visited select theaters over Memorial Day weekend and again when the film opens. This is the first time ever that characters have been allowed to leave a theme park, highlighting just how much of a ride it is. Inside Out 2.
Based on reactions to early teasers, marketers knew it would attract young adults, so among other things, they organized a “college film tour” and screened the first 35 minutes of the film at 20 colleges and universities in the United States. It paid off. According to Comscore, nearly 55 of those in attendance were not members of the general audience, including nearly 40% between the ages of 18 and 34.
“When you look at animated movies and you see these numbers, it’s clear that there are a lot of people coming in without children,” says Morrison.
The nostalgia factor is gaining momentum overseas, including in Korea, where wealthy young women known as 'YAF' wield enormous spending power. Inside Out 2 It opened in Korea with $14.9 million, making it the second-highest gross ever for an animated film. Frozen II. YAF is a phenomenon that also appears in Japan. Inside Out 2 It hasn't opened yet.
A lot has changed in the nine years since then. inside out It may be the first hit theaters, but the emotions (joy, sadness, sorrow, fear, envy, embarrassment, boredom, anxiety) are universal. And joy is what Pixar and Disney feel. Inside Out 2These are the initial results. The same goes for entire industries.
“importance Inside Out 2 “This cannot be overemphasized for both Pixar and movie theaters, which are struggling to achieve consistent box office numbers in 2024,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior box office analyst at Comscore. “With enormous revenue-boosting power, this film is the perfect cure for the summer box office blues.”
A version of this story appeared in the June 18 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.