Animated film Inside Out 2 shatters Box Office records with $1 billion in sales

In a groundbreaking achievement, Pixar’s latest hit, Inside Out 2, has made history as the first animated film to exceed $1 billion (€895 million) in international box office sales.

This milestone places the film among an elite group of only 12 movies to ever reach this coveted benchmark in overseas markets.

While a total of 55 films have crossed the $1 billion threshold globally, this list primarily consists of movies with significant domestic and international earnings combined. However, only a select few, including Inside Out 2, have achieved such figures solely from international audiences.

Notably, the 2019 remake of The Lion King, which grossed $1.1 billion (€984 million) internationally, is often mistaken as an animation. Yet, Disney classifies it as live-action due to its photorealistic CGI, leaving Inside Out 2 to claim the title as the first fully animated feature in this exclusive category.

Inside Out 2’s most popular markets

The film’s universal appeal is evident, with substantial contributions from key markets such as Mexico ($102.2 million / €91.4 million), Brazil ($80 million / €71.6 million), the U.K. ($72.7 million / €65 million), France ($62.6 million / €56 million), and Korea ($60.8 million / €54.4 million).

This broad international resonance has propelled Inside Out 2 to become the highest-grossing film of the year, amassing a global total of $1.649 billion (€1.477 billion).

Weeks earlier, Inside Out 2 surpassed Frozen II to become the highest-grossing animated film in history, further cementing Disney’s dominance in the global animation market. This success contributes to a stellar year for Disney, which has seen two of its releases break the billion-dollar mark. The other being the Marvel sequel Deadpool & Wolverine, which, despite its R rating, has performed impressively with $1.21 billion (€1 billion) worldwide.

Movies struggling to make enough sales

Meanwhile, two new international releases struggled to find their footing. Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut, Blink Twice, earned a disappointing global opening of $14 million (€12.7 million). The film faces an uphill battle to recoup its $20 million (€18.2 million) budget.

Similarly, The Crow reboot, starring Bill Skarsgard, faced a tough start with a mere $8.5 million (€7.7 million) globally. Despite its $50 million (€45.5 million) production cost, the film’s reimagining of the 1994 cult classic failed to resonate with international audiences.

As Disney continues to dominate the global box office with its animated and superhero franchises, the challenges faced by other releases highlight the competitive nature of the film industry in a post-pandemic world.