Pixar’s Inside Out 2 surpassed box office records over the weekend, grossing an estimated $295 million (£232.6 million) globally.
According to parent corporation Disney, this is the strongest global opening for an animated picture in history.
In North America, ticket sales were around $155 million, dethroning Dune: Part Two as the year’s highest box office opening weekend.
It is a significant victory for theaters, which have witnessed low box office returns for some new films this year.
Inside Out 2’s opening weekend was substantially stronger than the original, which grossed $90 million in its first weekend before going on to collect $858 million globally.
It was the company’s second-best opening in the North American market, trailing only The Incredibles 2 (2018).
Pixar’s blockbuster opening weekend comes after several of its recent films had relatively poor opening weekends.
Inside Out 2 is the first sequel to the Oscar-winning 2015 film, which focuses on the emotions of a little girl named Riley.
While the original focused on emotions such as joy, fear, and rage, the current installment addresses concerns such as jealousy and worry.
Inside Out 2’s spectacular debut is a bright light in what has otherwise been a poor start to the summer for film studios.
The first weekend in May and the beginning of September typically account for the majority of annual ticket sales.
However, strikes by actors and writers last year resulted in fewer films being ready for distribution this year.
The business has also had to compete with streaming services for content and customers.
According to Comscore, the number of movie tickets sold in North America this year is about a quarter lower than the same period in 2023.
