Pixar's 'Inside Out 2' is poised to become first film of 2024 with more than $1 billion in ticket sales

By Ciara Linnane

Sequel has already chalked up more than $700 million in box office receipts

Pixar's "Inside Out 2" is poised to become the first film to achieve ticket sales of more than $1 billion this weekend, and will be the first film since "Barbie" to achieve that threshold.

In its first week and a half, the film chalked up $724.4 million in global ticket sales, making it 2024's highest-grossing film, and surpassing "Dune: Part Two," the previous leader with $711.8 million of worldwide box office, as the Associated Press reported.

The extent of the "Inside Out 2" success startled Hollywood, which had grown accustomed to lower expectations as the film industry watched ticket sales this year slump about 40% below pre-pandemic totals, according to data firm Comscore, before "Inside Out 2" came along.

The sequel also set a record for an animated film in its second weekend, chalking up $100 million of ticket sales. The previous best second weekend for an animated title was the $92 million for "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." Only six movies ever have had better second weekends.

"Inside Out 2,' following Riley's emotional journey at age 13, has revitalized moviegoing," said Benchmark analyst Mike Hickey.

The movie is expected to outperform "A Quiet Place: Day One" and Kevin Costner's 'Horizon: An American Saga Chapter One," Hickey wrote in a note to clients.

The news is welcome for Disney-owned Pixar, which after experimenting with direct-to-streaming releases, reconsidered its movie pipeline and approach to mass-audience appeal.

The film may now even challenge "The Incredibles 2" for the all-time top grossing Pixar release. That film achieved $1.2 billion in ticket sales.

Filmgoers are now looking to the release of Lee Isaac Chung's natural disaster film 'Twisters," which is set to hit theaters on July 19 to 21. The film starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos, is expected to generate $40 million to $55 million in North America, said Hickey.

Disney's stock (DIS) was down 2.2% Friday but has gained 11% in the year to date, while the S&P 500 SPX has gained 15%.

-Ciara Linnane

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06-28-24 1159ET

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