Summary
- Inside Out 2 was a huge success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2024.
- The potential for Inside Out 3 to explore even more complicated emotions is exciting.
- Inside Out 2 co-writer comments indicate a clear path for future installments.
Inside Out 2 surprised everyone by being not only a moving and satisfactory sequel to the 2015 Pixar film but also by smashing box office hurdles to become the highest-grossing film of 2024. While Pixar has maintained quiet on Inside Out’s sequel prospects, one of the film’s writers has shared where future sequels may go.
Inside Out is an animated film set in the mind of a teen girl named Riley. The Pixar film artfully explores the inner workings of the human brain and focuses its story on the core emotions that drive Riley, which are initially Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear. In Inside Out 2, the movie picks things up with Riley as she enters puberty, which introduces a plethora of new emotions into headquarters, such as Anxiety, Embarrassment, Ennui, and Envy. While initially, the new emotions run amok, causing problems for Riley as she enters a new school, the group eventually works out how to manage each other, leaving the door open for future installments in Riley’s story.
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Inside Out 3 Needs To Explore More Complicated Emotions
Inside Out 3 should step things up by using even more complicated emotions than the previous two films.
Inside Out 2 Writer Hints at Franchise’s Future
Following Inside Out 2’s massive success, both fans and filmmakers at Pixar seem eager for the animated franchise to continue. Speaking to Screen Rant at the 2025 Saturn Awards, Inside Out 2 co-writer David Holstein provided some hope for the future of the animated story and some potential directions he’d love to explore. “I mean, Riley’s only 13 going on 14. There’s a lot of life left to explore. I really hope that this franchise follows her through motherhood,” he said. “I really hope that there’s a big story every couple of years that we can tell. There are certainly plenty of good [emotions] I’m sure you can think of, and plenty of the ones that we haven’t thought of yet.”
Holstein’s comments somewhat align with director Kelsey Mann’s thoughts from last year, in which she shared that the community at Pixar is eager to see Riley “grow up.” She also hoped to one day explore some of the content that never made it into Inside Out 2 in a sequel. Based on these comments the path for future Inside Out installments seems clear. Audiences have enjoyed seeing Riley in different phases of her life and further sequels exploring the emotions that come with life events like graduation, entering the workforce, and even motherhood have huge potential.
Riley’s only 13 going on 14. There’s a lot of life left to explore. I really hope that this franchise follows her through motherhood.
Inside Out’s Future Isn’t Limited To Film Sequels
Pixar recently explored another element of Inside Out in the miniseries Dream Productions, which focused on the Hollywood studio esque structure within Riley’s mind that creates her dreams every night. Even if Inside Out were not to get a film sequel, the option for more Disney+ series exploring other aspects of the animated universe is not out of the question. That being said, given Inside Out 2’s huge critical and financial success, it seems likely that a sequel to the movie is inevitable.
Inside Out and Inside Out 2 are now streaming on Disney+.
Inside Out 2
- Release Date
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June 14, 2024
