Inside Out 2

Pixar’s Inside Out seems like it would be a perfect film to warrant a sequel. It was the story of an 11-year-old girl whose Midwest life (and emotions) get turned “inside out” when her family moves to San Francisco. Following this story up with the young girl facing new emotions as a budding teenager is a no-brainer and something an Inside Out 2 could easily tackle.

Well, after 8 long years, Pixar and Disney have announced that, yes, Inside Out 2 is on the way. Although the plot and much of the cast remain under wraps, we now know it is coming and we also know when it will premiere. So, here is everything we know about Inside Out 2.

THE INSIDE OUT 2 SHOULD FOLLOW RILEY IN HER TEENS

So far, Pixar and Disney have not given away anything concerning the plot of Inside Out 2. With that said, we can speculate where they may take the sequel, which could involve Riley in her early teenage years.

The first film ended with young Riley and her emotions discovering puberty, so the sequel could easily focus on her adolescence, even though Pixar has tackled that subject recently with their animated film, 2022’s Turning Red.

The film could even go beyond Riley. Since Inside Out showed these emotions exist in all people, Inside Out 2 could introduce the audience to another child or even an adult. We even see these in animals, and since Disney loves movies about animals, they could even go that route with the five emotions. Since everyone has emotions, there are plenty of opportunities for a sequel.

AMY POEHLER IS SET TO RETURN

Amy Poehler, who voiced the emotion Joy and is returning for the sequel, spoke to PEOPLE about the sequel, pretty much laying out for fans what the sequel will entail. “In some ways, Inside Out set itself up for a sequel and we’re going there,” she explained to the magazine before telling them the sequel will go even “deeper” than the original.

“We’re going to have what it feels like to be a teenager, the new emotions that live inside a young person’s brain,” Poehler said. “In many ways, it was really exciting. We knew exactly where we were. We go to the teen brain, and we see the madness that lives inside there.”

So, we now know the sequel is coming and we also know that Amy Poehler is set to reprise her role as Joy. Who else from the original film will return for Inside Out 2? Let’s find out.

INSIDE OUT 2’S RETURNING CAST

Besides Amy Poehler as Joy, the other four Inside Out original voices were Bill Hader as Fear, Phyllis Smith (The Office) as Sadness, Lewis Black as Anger, and Mindy Kaling as Disgust. Of those four, only Black and Smith have been confirmed to return to their respective voice roles. In fact, both Hader and Kaling have already come out to say they won’t be back for the sequel.

Rumor has it that both Hader and Kaling were asked to return, but the offer financially was not enough to entice them. Poehler is getting $5 million for her voice role while Hader and Kaling were initially offered $100,000. When Hader and Kaling balked, Disney increased their offer, but to no avail.

Kaling did not discuss the contract offer when she made the announcement that she would not be returning for the highly anticipated sequel. “I had a great time working on ‘Inside Out’ and am sure ‘Inside Out 2’ will be great. But I’m not working on it,” she told The Wrap.

Also returning to the voice cast will be Diane Lane, who will return as Mom. There is no word yet if Kyle MacLaughlin will be returning as Dad. As the story is about Riley, there is no word on who may be voicing her. Kaitlyn Das voiced Riley eight years ago, but it has not been determined if she will be back to voice Riley for the sequel.

With both Hader and Kaling not returning, it is unclear if those two emotions, Fear and Disgust, will be recast or left out entirely. With the story following Riley as she becomes a teenager, there are numerous possibilities for new emotions to take over, so expect the voice cast to increase.

INSIDE OUT 2 DOES NOT HAVE A RELEASE DATE

The wait for Inside Out 2 is going to be a little bit longer for fans of the first film. Inside Out 2 will premiere next summer in UK cinemas on June 14, 2024. The film will then come to the States to stream on Disney+, though Disney has not officially set that date.

When it is announced, we will be sure to update you on this. Don’t be surprised, though, if Disney changes tactics and instead decides to release Inside Out 2 in U.S. theaters instead of streaming it on Disney+.

CREATIVE TEAM

The first Inside Out was directed by Pete Doctor from a script written by Doctor, Meg LeFauve, and Josh Cooley. Now that Doctor holds the position of Chief Creative Officer, he has stepped away from both directing and writing the sequel and instead has handed off the directing chores to Kelsey Mann.

Mann has much experience within Disney as he served as the story supervisor for The Good Dinosaur and Onward. Returning to pen the story is Meg LeFauve.

THE MOVIE INSPIRED A RIDE

Inside Out is still prominent within Disney, which bodes well for Inside Out 2. In 2018, Disney’s California Adventure updated its section formerly known as Paradise Pier to Pixar Pier. In this retheme, Disney introduced several Pixar properties into the park for new rides.

California Adventure debuted a new ride based on Inside Out in 2019 called The Emotional Whirlwind. The attraction takes riders in circles aboard one of Riley’s emotions. Think Dumbo, but with feelings instead of elephants.

INSIDE OUT WAS A MAJOR HIT

When Pixar’s Inside Out premiered in June 2015, it brought in over $91 million on its first weekend. Inside Out set the record for the largest opening for an original property (non-sequel, non-adaptation), surpassing the previous record of $77 million, set by James Cameron’s 2009 Avatar. This record was also a pleasant surprise for Disney and Pixar as it was estimated to “only” bring in around $60 million for its opening weekend. Inside Out would eventually make $858 million worldwide, a box office total that begs for an Inside Out 2.

Critics and fans both loved Inside Out – another reason why it’s surprising we have waited so long for Inside Out 2. Inside Out told a story that resonated with audiences using gorgeous, state-of-the-art animation. It was also a film that was filled with, well, emotion.

The record-breaking Inside Out told the story of Riley, a happy, hockey-playing 11-year-old who lives in the Midwest with her parents. But a new job for her father sees Riley and her family make the move across the country to San Francisco, a city completely unlike what Riley is used to. Her new experiences only get worse on her first day of school, when Riley ends up crying in front of her class, creating a sad core memory.

Inside Out also takes us literally inside Riley’s head, as we’re introduced to Riley’s five emotions: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) tries to remove the sad memory, but only causes issues by knocking all of Riley’s core memories loose during a struggle with Sadness (voiced by The Office‘s Phyllis Smith).

Joy and Sadness embark on a journey through Riley’s mind to retrieve these emotions. With Riley’s other emotions, Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Anger (Lewis Black) now in charge of Riley, things go from bad to worse. It’s a wonderfully told story, putting a spotlight on lonely children who try to deal with the major changes in their lives.

OTHER PIXAR SEQUELS ARE PLANNED

Pixar isn’t averse to sequels, since the animation studio has already made plenty. Toy Story, The Incredibles, Monsters, Inc., Cars, and Finding Nemo have all found success with their sequels. With Riley still growing up and the film setting up Riley’s newfound interest in boys, there are plenty of opportunities for an Inside Out 2.

Back in 2016, Pixar President Jim Morris told Entertainment Weekly that “Everything after Toy Story [4] and The Incredibles [2] is an original right now,” and it has been. Morris further explained, “Most studios jump on doing a sequel as soon as they have a successful film, but our business model is a filmmaker model, and we don’t make a sequel unless the director of the original film has an idea that they like and are willing to go forward on.”

Morris said. “A sequel in some regards is even harder [than the original] because you’ve got this defined world which, on the one hand, is a leg up, and on the other hand has expectations that you can’t disappoint on.”

So far, Morris and Pixar have held true to their word. The studio released Toy Story 4 in 2019 and then saw Onward in March 2020. Soul hit Disney+ on December 25, 2020. After that, Pixar had Luca (2021), Turning Red (2022), and the underwhelming Lightyear (2022).

Before Inside Out 2 hits the big screen and possibly Disney+ in 2024, Elemental will be arriving. This film tells the story of a city where fire, water, land, and air live together, and the two elementals, fire and water, find out they have more in common than meets the eye. It will be released in theaters on June 16, 2023.

So far, we have waited eight long years for a sequel to Inside Out. What’s one more year? Who is looking forward to Inside Out 2 in 2024? Let us know.