Inside Out 2 hits $US500m at worldwide box office

Inside Out 2 has surpassed $US500 million ($748m) at the worldwide box office, becoming the highest-grossing film in the United States in 2024 after just eight days in cinemas.

The sequel to the 2015 hit about the inner workings of a young girl’s mind continues Riley’s story as she enters puberty, introducing new emotions such as anxiety, envy, and shame alongside the original characters.

The story about the life of the girl who moves with her family to San Francisco became a box office hit in 2015.

In a statement, Disney said the animated film by Pixar had the largest box office opening of the year and the second-largest animated opening of all time in the US behind another Pixar film, The Incredibles 2 from 2018.

The original Inside Out opened with about $US90m in its first weekend in the summer of 2015.

Directed by Kelsey Mann, Inside Out 2 broke several box office records during its first weekend, grossing about $US295m worldwide, making it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2024 in just three days.

The success is significant for Pixar, marking a much-needed return to form for a studio that has had a string of underwhelming launches including Elemental, which did eventually become a success, and Lightyear, which didn’t.

It’s also vitally important for the greater Hollywood ecosystem.