After nearly a decade, Pixar is headed back to the world of Inside Out with the upcoming Inside Out 2.
Originally announced at D23 2022, the upcoming sequel follows up on the 2015 film, which still sits as the fourth best-reviewed (currently sitting at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes) movie in Pixar's oft-celebrated catalog.
The project, which has been described as one of Disney's biggest 2024 movies, will dive back into the head of teenage girl Riley, following her emotions as they grapple with the woes of occupying a changing adolescent brain.
While details on the project remain scarce, here is everything there is to know about Inside Out 2.
Inside Out 2 Release Date: When Is It Coming Out?
During its initial announcement at D23 2022's Animation Panel, Inside Out 2 was originally given a nebulous "Summer 2024" release window.
However, fans did not have to wait long to get a specific release date, with the announcement coming that the film would hit theater screens on June 14, 2024, almost exactly a decade after the original 2015 film.
Pixar has another big-screen animated blockbuster in Elio to come before then in March 2024, but after that, it is all Inside Out 2 all the time for the beloved animation studio.
Despite this June release date having been announced, fans should not be surprised if the sequel were to be delayed in some form.
The pre-production cycle for the animated epic was recently halted due to the ongoing writers' and actors' strikes in Hollywood. This means Inside Out 2's release could be delayed if these two labor disputes continue and the film is not able to get into full-on production in a timely manner.
Who's Cast in Inside Out 2?
Only a few names have been confirmed to return in Inside Out 2, as several of the original cast will not be appearing in the upcoming sequel.
Here's a list of every confirmed actor and character set to appear:
Amy Poehler - Joy
Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler plays the protagonist of the Inside Out franchise, Joy. Despite wanting Riley to be happy all the time, this physical embodiment of happiness in her human's brain had to grapple with allowing her to experience a variety of emotions from across the spectrum.
Phyllis Smith - Sadness
The emotional Yin to Joy's Yang in Riley's brain is Phyllis Smith's Sadness. Sadness came along with Joy on her adventure to the far reaches of Riley's mind, as the young girl had to experience true sadness for the very first time after her move to San Francisco.
Lewis Black - Anger
Lewis Black's hot-headed Anger is another of Riley's emotions who thrives on lashing out, screaming and yelling, and telling people off. As Riley enters further into her teenage years, Anger will almost surely be a key piece to the emotional puzzle that makes up Joy, Sadness, and Anger's human.
Diane Lane - Mom
Diane Lane plays Riley's Mom, Jillian. Lane, who fans know from her work as Martha Kent in the DCEU's Superman films, played a mother in that first film who was having trouble figuring out what was going on in her daughter's head as the whole family dealt with their big move across country in their own way.
Kaitlyn Dias - Riley
While Inside Out 2 is confirmed again to take place inside Riley's head, it has yet to be revealed if Kaitlyn Dias will voice the character for the sequel. After grappling with her family's move in the first movie, Inside Out 2 will follow Riley - who is now a teenager - as she goes through all the physical, mental, and emotional changes that come with growing up.
Who Isn't Coming Back in Inside Out 2?
It has been confirmed that (at least) two of Inside Out's stars will not return for the upcoming sequel.
While Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, and Lewis Black will reprise their roles as Joy, Sadness, and Anger, Mindy Kaling's Disgust and Bill Hader's Fear will be absent from Inside Out 2.
The pair not returning for the sequel is reportedly due to contractual issues. According to Puck News, Poehler was offered $5 million (plus fees and bonuses) to reprise her Insider Out role, while the rest of the main cast were allegedly only offered $100,000 (with no bonuses). While Black and Smith agreed, Kaling and Hader refused.
Hader has not commented on turning down the role, but Kaling confirmed her absence to The Wrap following the film's announcement. She noted that "[she's] not working on it:"
“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.”
The Velma actress did clarify she is not working on the film "right now," so there is a chance she came to an agreement with Disney and Pixar since her initial quotes.
Will Inside Out 2 Have New Emotions?
Given that two of the emotional pillars of Inside Out (Fear and Disgust) will not be present for the sequel, Inside Out 2 will feature new emotions.
Upon the film's announcement, it was revealed the movie will include no additional to Riley's emotional cast of characters, as she becomes a teenager.
Pixar CEO Peter Doctor previously told Variety that "a bunch more emotions get to come in" in the sequel, as the executive offered plenty of compliments for what the Inside Out 2 team is putting together:
"As for 'Inside Out,' a bunch more emotions get to come in. It’s not just the five we saw in the first film. The team on that one put together a really great story that I think also has real depth and meaning to it. So fingers crossed that people like it."
What those emotions are and who portrays them on-screen remains to be seen, but it will be good news for fans to know that they are coming.
What Will Happen in Inside Out 2?
While the events of the first film followed 11-year-old Riley (12 by the end of the movie), a little girl dealing with her family packing up and moving her life to San Francisco, the sequel will take the plunge into the world of being a teenager.
Describing the plot of Inside Out 2 to People, star Amy Poehler called back to a moment at the end of the first film where "we see [a] big puberty button" and Riley's emotions sit there going, "Should we press this?" Well, the Joy actress revealed, "We do press it in the second movie:"
"At the very end of the original, Joy has that great moment where she's like, 'Finally, everything the way it's supposed to be.' Then we see that big puberty button, 'Should we press this?' We do press it in the second movie. In some ways, 'Inside Out' set itself up for a sequel and we're going there."
Poehler added that the movie is all about going into "the teen brain and [seeing] the madness that lives inside there:"
"We're going to have what it feels like to be a teenager, the new emotions that live inside a young person's brain. 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."
It will be an exploration of that, "Where do I fit in?" question that nearly every teen experiences:
"There's a lot of very complicated feelings about who am I, where do I fit it? Sometimes your brain is not your friend. But then also, it's a time of real exploration, letting things go that don't work for you anymore, taking big swings and big chances. You're supposed to make a lot of mistakes. It's an adventurous time and it can be really treacherous."
The title has been dubbed (via the product description for the Disney/Pixar Inside Out 2 Middle Grade Novel as spotted by The Hollywood Handle) an "emotional rollercoaster." One that will take a "deep dive into Riley's mind, exploring characters, both familiar and new:"
“Get ready for another emotional rollercoaster with Riley and all her Emotions! This story takes a deep dive into Riley's mind, exploring characters, both familiar and new, along with their exciting adventures.”
So, surely no matter what happens, Inside Out 2 will be an emotional time.
Inside Out 2 Trailer: When Will It Release?
No trailer for Inside Out 2 has been public yet but is likely to debut before the end of the year.
The studio typically likes to drop its trailers alongside one of its other movies' theatrical debut; however, with Pixar's next feature Elio not coming until March 2024, that could be a bit late for a first trailer if the film sticks to its June 14, 2024 release date.
If Disney and Pixar are intent on dropping a first look at Inside Out 2 with another movie, November will be the month to watch when it comes to that debut trailer.
On November 22, Walt Disney Animation will release its hotly anticipated animated musical Wish, which could be the perfect movie use for the release of a trailer for the upcoming Pixar sequel.
