Inside Out 2s eye-watering box office numbers set a record for animation and gave Pixar a much needed win.
They also raise the question if audiences protest too much when they say they want more original movies… Shes certainly bringing a much needed win toPixar Animation Studios.
This debut is also above last years animated juggernaut,The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Its in fact the best opening of any movie sinceBarbielast July.
It likewise reinforces several components of conventional thinking, whether accurate or not, percolating throughout the industry.
Pixar, for one, has already signaled theyre pivoting in a more creatively conservative and risk-averse direction.
Luckily,Toy Story 5is already in the pipeline for 2026.
The takeaway from studios will likely be to continue leaning on audience familiarity with intellectual property and familiar characters/performances.
Still, wed caution putting too much confidence in the business as usual strategy as defined by the 2010s.
For starters, audiences didnt mind seeing a belated Mad Max movie back then with a recast lead actor.
All of them moneymakers.
