Credit: Pixar Animation StudiosFans of Inside Out (2015) are in luck – another project inspired by the film is on the way.
Pixar’s most financially successful non-sequel of all time, Inside Out follows the inner workings inside the mind of a young girl named Riley. Having recently moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her father’s new job, her five personified emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger – are put through the wringer as she tries to adapt to her new life.
As with most successful Disney or Pixar projects, Inside Out is set to get the sequel treatment soon. In September 2022, Pixar revealed that Inside Out 2 will be released on June 14, 2024, and follow Riley as a teenager experiencing a “new set of personified emotions.”
Amy Poehler is set to return as Joy. However, Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader are out as Disgust and Fear after a reported contract dispute.
But it seems like this isn’t the only Inside Out sequel coming our way. In a recent deep-dive into Pixar, Puck journalist and entertainment lawyer Matthew Belloni revealed that he’s heard a big-budget TV series in the works at Pixar is also inspired by the film.
Reportedly created by Soul (2020) writer Mike Jones, this series is as-yet-unannounced. It comes as part of a huge wave of new projects from Pixar, with Disney said to be asking for higher output from the studio – despite recently laying off 75 members of its staff.
There’s been a lot of backlash against Disney and Pixar for their reliance on remakes and sequels. While some – such as Frozen 2 (2019) and The Little Mermaid (2023) – have met great acclaim from fans, others – such as Peter Pan and Wendy (2023) – have been far less successful. With both basing their legacy on creativity and innovation, this seems like a misstep in terms of preserving their reputations as the pinnacle of animation. However, as long as original features such as Strange World (2022) and Elemental (2023) continue to underwhelm at the box office, it’s safe to say we’re stuck with the sequel life.