All the reasons why Inside Out 2 hit $1 billion at the box office
After a somewhat lacklustre May, the box office was booming in June following the huge success of Inside Out 2.
The Pixar sequel has already grossed $1 billion at the worldwide box office after only 19 days, marking the fastest time ever for an animated movie to hit the coveted milestone – and it shows no signs of slowing down.
It's not just Disney who are celebrating, as Bad Boys: Ride or Die has also been a hit for Sony, while A Quiet Place: Day One has landed a better-than-expected start for Paramount, setting a series record.
But there is only one place to start as, in our regular monthly column, Digital Spy takes a look back at the past month's biggest releases, as well as what the highest-grossing movies of the year are so far.
Inside Out 2 box office
US: $469,306,043
International: $545,500,000
Worldwide: $1,014,806,043
As well as being the fastest animated movie to hit $1 billion, Inside Out 2 has also collected multiple other records in its superb box-office run to date.
Among them are the biggest US box office debut of 2024, the biggest global animated opening of all time, the highest-grossing second weekend ever for an animated movie and the best (ie smallest) second weekend drop for any movie to open above $150 million.
It is, in short, a massive hit. If it keeps up this momentum, Inside Out 2 has a shot at becoming the biggest animated movie ever, a record currently held by Frozen II's $1.45 billion result, but how has the sequel been such a hit?
First and foremost, it may sound obvious but Inside Out 2 is a genuinely great movie. It has a 90% critics rating, but more importantly, a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore rating in the US.
Not every great movie delivers $1 billion, of course, but it suggests that it's been liked by the majority of people who see it, resulting in strong word-0f-mouth and likely return visits to the cinema.
What's more, by exclusively releasing it in cinemas and not on Disney+ (a mistake Pixar has admitted to with the likes of Soul and Turning Red), it has made Inside Out 2 into a must-see cinema event rather than just another animated movie.
Another element is that there just hasn't been that much competition around in the family-movie arena. May saw the release of The Garfield Movie and IF, but neither of them troubled the critics much, so weren't as big a draw.
Arguably the last must-see family movie was Kung Fu Panda 4, released back in March, and by the time Despicable Me 4 arrives on July 12, Inside Out 2 would have had nearly a month with barely any direct competition.
There's also the possibility that Inside Out as a franchise has a more emotional connection with its audience.
As pointed out by box-office analyst Scott Mendelson, the first movie was the defining animation for a certain generation, in much the same way that The Lion King was for a different generation.
By waiting nine years and not rushing through a sequel, those who loved Inside Out as children had a personal reason to go and see the sequel. It's a similar situation to why, after 11 years, Toy Story 3 became a mega-hit and why, after 14 years, Incredibles 2 became a massive hit.
It can be seen as a franchise for 'them' in a way that other animated offerings aren't and perhaps they're now old enough to take their own family to it. Other Pixar fans are just as keen to see a sequel to one of the studio's best movies, of course, but this potential group could be an added element of its success.
Disney will certainly look for the same success when it comes to Moana 2 in November, arriving eight years after the first movie, but we've got a while to wait to see if that can become as big a hit.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die box office
US: $165,250,016
International: $166,700,000
Worldwide: $331,950,016
Bad Boys: Ride or Die might not be doing Inside Out 2 numbers, but there's still a lot for the action sequel to celebrate.
It opened ahead of expectations in the US with a $56.5 million debut when it was only projected $40 million. With $104.6 million worldwide in its opening weekend, it took the franchise past the $1 billion mark at the global box office too.
After four weekends in play, Bad Boys: Ride or Die stands at the second highest-grossing movie of the series with $332 million. It's not guaranteed to top the $424.5 million result of Bad Boys for Life, but will run it closer than most people expected even if it doesn't.
Will that be enough for there to be a Bad Boys 5? Don't bet against it.
A Quiet Place: Day One box office
US: $53,000,000
International: $45,500,000
Worldwide: $98,500,000
It might have only been out for a weekend, but A Quiet Place: Day One made enough noise for it to be the third-biggest release of June at the US box office.
More impressively, the prequel movie landed the biggest debut of the series at both the US box office and the international box office, and is already on the cusp of $100 million after its first weekend.
It showcases the power of the franchise, given that it doesn't feature Emily Blunt or any of the existing characters beyond Djimon Hounsou's Henri from the sequel.
The current highest-grossing movie of the series is A Quiet Place with $334.9 million, so we'll have to see whether A Quiet Place: Day One can sustain its run to challenge that.
Biggest movies of 2024 so far
Inside Out 2 has finally ended Dune: Part Two's reign as the highest-grossing movie of 2024 to date.
The only other June release to crack the top ten of the year is Bad Boys: Ride or Die, but it could well be joined by A Quiet Place: Day One in the coming weeks.
(The totals below are accurate as of July 1, 2024 and from The Numbers and Box Office Mojo.)
1. Inside Out 2 – $1,014,806,043
2. Dune: Part Two– $711,844,358
3. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – $569,907,104
4. Kung Fu Panda 4 – $545,529,552
5. YOLO – $479,597,304
6. Pegasus 2 – $469,847,217
7. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – $389,090,232
8. Article 20 – $339,663,274
9. Bad Boys: Ride or Die – $331,950,016
10. Boonie Bears: Time Twist – $276,135,284
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