After a string of movies that did poorly at the box office, Pixar looks to a critical hit from last decade to change their fortunes. But is “Inside Out 2” up to the challenge of righting the animation studio’s ship? The 2015 film did very well with critics, but wasn’t as big a hit as “Finding Dory,” “The Incredibles 2,” or “Toy Story 4.” So will the upcoming sequel fare as well as those other franchises in theaters next summer?
Pixars thinks so, as they drop the first teaser for the movie today. In the upcoming sequel, all of the little voices inside the now-teenaged Riley’s head return with a new Emotion on the scene to shake things up: Anxiety.
Here’s an official synopsis for “Inside Out 2,” courtesy of Pixar:
Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.
Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, returns as Joy, Sadness, and Anger, respectively, while Tony Hale, and Liza Lapira join the cast as Fear and Disgust. Maya Hawke joins the voice cast as Anxiety.
Kelsey Mann directs “Inside Out 2” after being a story supervisor on Pixar films like “Monsters University, “”The Good Dinosaur,” and “Onward.” “Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, might be new to the crew, but she’s not really the type to take a back seat,” Mann said in a press statement about the film. “That makes a lot of sense if you think about it in terms of what goes on inside all our minds.” Mark Nielsen produces the film, with Meg LeFauve penning its screenplay.
“Inside Out 2” hits theaters on June 14, 2024. Will the sequel be the big hit Pixar needs it to be? Check out the teaser for the film below.
