Inside Out 2 Surpasses Lion King as Ninth Biggest Film of All Time

Inside Out 2 has soared to become one of the biggest movies in cinematic history since its release in June this year.

The Disney sequel to the 2015 original explores characters that personify emotions, and has been lauded for highlighting the importance of mental health in kids and teenagers.

The narrative features 13-year-old Riley navigating new emotions like Anxiety, Envy, Ennui, and Embarrassment, which interact with the returning emotions of Joy, Fear, and Anger. The movie stars Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, and Amy Poehler.

According to Deadline, the film has raked in over $1.6 billion (£1.27 billion) at the global box office, surpassing The Lion King (2019) to become the ninth highest-grossing film worldwide.

Among its numerous records, Inside Out 2 has also set a new milestone by earning $1 billion (£761 million) in global box office collections faster than any animated film in history. The movie has far exceeded the lifetime gross of the original Inside Out, which made $859 million (£654 million) worldwide after an opening weekend of $90 million ($68 million).

Speaking about the box office success of Inside Out 2 in June, Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners, said: “On behalf of movie theatre owners across the country and around the world, we want to congratulate Disney’s Inside Out 2 for grossing $1 billion faster than any animated movie in history.”

“The film’s stunning global success once again illustrates that audiences the world over will respond to compelling, entertaining movies, and that they want to enjoy them on the big screen,” he added.

In a four-star review for The Independent, critic Clarisse Loughrey wrote, “Inside Out 2 is more interested in expanding than in redefining its predecessor, but it’s impressive how well even the film’s more familiar elements still work.”

“What was once a lesson in the necessity of negative emotions, such as sadness, has now matured into its second stage: a bittersweet, tear-jerking reminder that we’re better, more rounded people when we embrace our flaws and insecurities,” Loughrey elaborated.

By comparison, other summer box office performances include Alien: Romulus and It Ends With Us, each grossing around $300 million (£228 million) globally, while Deadpool and Wolverine, starring Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds, brought in $1.2 billion (£951 million).

Inside Out 2 is currently available for rent on Prime Video and Apple TV, and will be streaming on Disney+ later this year.