THE RADIANT SUCCESS OF "INSIDE OUT 2": A RED-HOT OPENING THAT MARKS HISTORY

Moving on to the world of animated pictures, with Inside Out 2’s record-breaking opening weekend, it was literally a red letter day at the box office. As the lights went down across North America, there was a blaze of brilliance as the sequel’s opening streamers flew, ‘Changing the rules bit by bit’ and making animation history. So, let’s peel back the layers and reveal the flaming red story behind why Inside Out 2 isn’t just a film, it is an explosion of resilience, re-imagination and, ultimately, story.

REDEFINING BOX OFFICE RECORDS: A SPECTACULAR START

The sequel to Pixar’s most successful original film to date turned expectations on its head: in North America, Inside Out 2 earned $155 million in its first weekend of release, which not only set records for the second-biggest debut for an animated film (behind Disney-Pixar’s own Incredibles 2, which opened to a record-smashing $182 million in 2018) but also the biggest domestic opening of 2023. Overseas, the film added another $140 million, which translated to a global opening of $295 million. This sizzling start not only set a new record for a movie with a female lead, but also represented a phoenix rising for Pixar.

A RESILIENT JOURNEY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC

That sensational launch was preceded by an arduous road that included COVID-19, which hit Pixar hard as it forced the company’s releases to go digital, giving us Onward (2020), Soul (2020), Luca (2021) and Turning Red (2022) all debuting on Disney+. The tragic fate of Lightyear’s box office returns in 2022 (it made a paltry $226 million at the global box office) did manage to propel Elemental back to the theatrical stage, while Inside Out 2 can now finally shine for us in cinemas once again.

REINVIGORATING PIXAR'S LEGACY

This was more than a greenlight; it was a harbinger of returning creative juices at Pixar, which would boost its movie pipeline with sequels to its blockbuster franchises (Toy Story 4, Incredibles 2) and promising new entries (Monsters University, Inside Out 2). Inside Out 2 would, in other words, give Pixar the part two it long deserved. But part two of something else is reflected in the subtitle of the first movie: Inside Out is also a child’s story about growing up, something closely tied to the intricate emotions we experience in life. Pixar went ahead and entrusted those complex emotions to the same five in-head characters responsible for making us laugh, cry and endure unwanted playground experiences: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger.

"INSIDE OUT 2": A MIXED PALETTE OF EMOTIONS

Even though the film started off with smashing success at the box office, Inside Out squirms with dissonance in the ways that critics and viewers have responded to it. The sequel may have turned the action inside out, but it also turned up the emotional temperature: every new guest in the brain-walk alludes to the turmoil of puberty. Narrative challenges notwithstanding, Inside Out 2 has started a useful dialogue about adolescence, the self and entanglements of emotion. Pixar’s foray into the private guts of its characters has retained its power to engage.

BEYOND THE BOX OFFICE: A FUTURE PAINTED IN VIBRANT HUES

As Inside Out 2 continues to wow audiences and critics alike, the studio is poised for another successful decade of storytelling. With exciting and smart new projects in the pipeline, and a renewed enthusiasm for both new stories and classic franchises, Pixar’s future is brighter than ever. And with the trail being blazed by Inside Out 2, the story of Pixar still seems to be just beginning.

UNDERSTANDING THE ALLURE OF RED

Red evokes energy, warmth and action. In the context of Inside Out 2, it’s not just a colour: it contains the intensity and vitality that have brought the film to new heights. It encapsulates the film’s emotional life, the warmth of its characters, and the force of Pixar’s storytelling. Red is the beating heart, the pulsing soul, of Inside Out 2. It’s the fire of the passion that drives the people at Pixar and the light through which they capture the imaginations of audiences around the world.

Inside Out 2 may be an overheated demonstration of grit, imagination, and the enduring – if inevitably old-fashioned – wonder of narrative. Pixar’s future non sequels will be full of the colours of success, originality and the moving image.