Inside Out 2 trumps Dune 2 & Godzilla x Kong as 2024’s biggest new release so far

Inside Out 2 is officially one of the biggest films of 2024, its opening weekend surpassing Dune 2 and Godzilla x Kong to become the second-biggest animated debut of all time.

Inside Out 2 released in theatres on June 13, 2024, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2015 film dropped to near-unanimous praise both critically and amongst Disney fans.

While the sequel was always projected to be an important film for Disney and Pixar, Inside Out 2 has already smashed expectations, drawing in the biggest opening weekend box office numbers for the whole of 2024.

According to Variety, Inside Out 2 managed to bring in $155 million domestically during its opening weekend, its global total just shy of $300 million despite the film still yet to be released in major markets such as France, Italy, Spain, China, and Japan.

Dune 2, which was the biggest opening weekend of 2024 prior to Inside Out 2’s release, brought in $82.5 million, with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire sitting just under $80 million.

As well as becoming the biggest film of 2024 so far, Inside Out 2’s success is a clear return to form for Pixar, after the studio had been struggling to perform well in theatres in recent years, particularly with sequels.

The sequel now stands as the second-largest animated debut of all time, only sitting behind Incredibles 2 ($182.7 million domestic earnings).

Furthermore, Inside Out 2 is the first film to surpass $100 million in its opening weekend since Barbie’s theatrical release on July 20, 2023. 

Inside Out 2 once again centers on the character of Riley, however, the young woman now finds herself having to deal with a whole new range of emotions, including anxiety, boredom, and embarrassment.

While the sequel may explore new concepts and struggles, it does maintain the emotional intelligence and complexity of the original, and we sang the film’s praises in our Inside Out 2 review.

While it is still early days, the sequel is already well on track to overtake the initial film’s impressive $858.8 million box office numbers, particularly given it is still yet to be released in many parts of the world.