Hollywood含羞草研究社檚 summer movie anxieties gave way to joy this weekend with the massive debut of Disney and Pixar含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社� Inside Out 2.含羞草研究社� The animated sequel earned $155 million in ticket sales from 4,440 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Not only is it the second-highest opening weekend in Pixar含羞草研究社檚 29 years of making films and the second-biggest animated opening ever (behind only the $182.7 million launch of 含羞草研究社淚ncredibles 2含羞草研究社� in 2018); It含羞草研究社檚 also the biggest of 2024, and since 含羞草研究社淏arbie.含羞草研究社� With an estimated $140 million from international showings, 含羞草研究社淚nside Out 2含羞草研究社� had a staggering, and record-breaking, $295 million global start.
Tony Chambers, who heads theatrical distribution for Disney, was confident that the film would do 含羞草研究社渆xtremely well.含羞草研究社� But even he was surprised at how much it exceeded already high expectations.
含羞草研究社淧eople go to the theaters for great movies,含羞草研究社� Chambers said. 含羞草研究社淭he reviews, the word of mouth just helped build this momentum 含羞草研究社� It含羞草研究社檚 becoming a bit of a phenomenon.含羞草研究社�
Importantly, 含羞草研究社淚nside Out 2含羞草研究社� audiences spanned ages and all demographics. Post-COVID, he said, breakout successes depend on attracting multicultural audiences.
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 含羞草研究社� Elemental,含羞草研究社� which did eventually become a success, and 含羞草研究社� Lightyear,含羞草研究社� which didn含羞草研究社檛. It含羞草研究社檚 also vitally important for the greater Hollywood ecosystem and the health of theatrical exhibition, which had been running at a 26% deficit.
含羞草研究社淓verybody needed this because success begets success,含羞草研究社� said Chambers, who has been getting excited calls from exhibitors and fellow studios alike. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 great for the industry, great for Pixar and great for the business overall.含羞草研究社�
Disney was already having a good summer, with 含羞草研究社淜ingdom of the Planet of the Apes,含羞草研究社� which this weekend was in third place in its sixth weekend with $5.2 million (bringing its global total to $374.5 million). And next up is 含羞草研究社� Deadpool & Wolverine 含羞草研究社� (July 26).
Kelsey Mann directed 含羞草研究社淚nside Out 2,含羞草研究社� which picks up with Riley as she turns 13. That means the arrival of new emotions like Anxiety (Maya Hawke) and Envy ( Ayo Edebiri ) to Joy含羞草研究社檚 (Amy Poehler) party. It got glowing reviews from critics (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) and polled audiences who gave it an A CinemaScore, suggesting that this won含羞草研究社檛 be a first-weekend wonder. With kids out of school and an open market until 含羞草研究社淒espicable Me 4含羞草研究社� enters the ring over the Fourth of July, 含羞草研究社淚nside Out 2含羞草研究社� is just getting started.
含羞草研究社淭his is a monumental weekend for movie theaters,含羞草研究社� said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.
含羞草研究社淚nside Out 2含羞草研究社� is estimated to have cost around $200 million to produce, which does not account for the millions spent on marketing. Going into the weekend, it was tracking for a debut in the $90 million range, which would have been in line with 含羞草研究社淚nside Out含羞草研究社檚含羞草研究社� first weekend in June 2015. Even that would have been considered a terrific achievement, and enough to claim the biggest opening of the year 含羞草研究社� finally unseating March releases like 含羞草研究社� Dune: Part Two 含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社� Godzilla x Kong.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淔or the entire industry that works for theatrical, this is a huge turning point for 2024,含羞草研究社� said Daniel Loria of Boxoffice Pro. 含羞草研究社淭his is the sort of weekend we含羞草研究社檝e been waiting for.含羞草研究社�
As the only major release of the weekend, its theatrical footprint was equally impressive playing on 400 IMAX screens, over 900 含羞草研究社減remium large format含羞草研究社� screens and over 2,500 3D screens.
This recommitment to theatrical comes after Disney sent several Pixar films straight to its streaming service, Disney+, over the pandemic including 含羞草研究社淪oul,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淟uca含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淭urning Red.含羞草研究社� Last month, the New York Times reported that Pixar had decided to return its focus to feature films (and not producing shows for Disney+) and that it had laid off 14% of its workforce (about 175 employees).
含羞草研究社淎s important as this weekend is for the industry at large, for Pixar this is huge. They含羞草研究社檝e been trying to get their groove back since the pandemic,含羞草研究社� Dergarabedian said. 含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檝e really come back big.含羞草研究社�
Second place went to Sony含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社� Bad Boys: Ride or Die, 含羞草研究社� now in its second weekend with $33 million, down only 42% from its opening. In just 12 days, it含羞草研究社檚 already earned over $112 million domestically and $214 million globally. As of Friday, the four-film franchise had crossed the $1 billion mark.
含羞草研究社淏ad Boys含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 success last weekend was the start of a higher-earning turnaround for the lagging summer movie season. For Hollywood, the summer season, which runs from the first weekend in May through Labor Day, usually represents about 40% of the yearly box office. The deficit is still significant, with ticket sales down 28% for the summer and 24% for the year (and this is still before 含羞草研究社淏arbenheimer含羞草研究社�) but it含羞草研究社檚 progress in a more promising direction nonetheless.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e not going to get there overnight,含羞草研究社� Dergarabedian said. 含羞草研究社淏ut it含羞草研究社檚 good news for theaters. And we have some big movies on the way.含羞草研究社�
On the ground, theater owners saw their cineplexes come to life this weekend.
含羞草研究社淚t has been magical,含羞草研究社� said Jeff Whipple, a vice president for Megaplex Theaters. 含羞草研究社淲e have seen literally generations of families brought together for this movie.含羞草研究社�
Megaplex Theaters operates 15 locations and 173 screens in Utah and Southern Nevada. And the energy was palpable, Whipple said. Not only have families been hanging around after the showtimes to discuss the film; They含羞草研究社檝e also been scoping out what含羞草研究社檚 coming next with kids taking pictures of the 含羞草研究社淒espicable Me 4含羞草研究社� posters and displays and dads taking note of the 含羞草研究社淒eadpool & Wolverine含羞草研究社� date.
含羞草研究社淚 think word is going to spread on this film and help draw people into theaters throughout the summer,含羞草研究社� Whipple said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 含羞草研究社淚nside Out 2,含羞草研究社� $155 million.
2. 含羞草研究社淏ad Boys: Ride or Die,含羞草研究社� $33 million.
3. 含羞草研究社淜ingdom of the Planet of the Apes,含羞草研究社� $5.2 million.
4. 含羞草研究社淭he Garfield Movie,含羞草研究社� $5 million.
5. 含羞草研究社淭he Watchers,含羞草研究社� $3.7 million.
6. 含羞草研究社淚F,含羞草研究社� $3.5 million.
7. 含羞草研究社淔uriosa: A Mad Max Saga,含羞草研究社� $2.4 million.
8. 含羞草研究社淭he Fall Guy,含羞草研究社� $1.5 million.
9. 含羞草研究社淭he Strangers: Chapter 1,含羞草研究社� $760,000.
10. 含羞草研究社淟ord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,含羞草研究社� $632,910.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
