Following Inside Out 2's dominant run in theaters, the director shared ideas he's already formulating for a potential release of Inside Out 3.
Behind an expanded group of emotions, Inside Out 2 became one of 2024's biggest hit movies thus far.
To date, it is the only movie of the year to cross the $1 billion threshold at the box office ($1.2 billion, per Box Office Mojo), and it stands over $500 million ahead of the runner-up, Dune: Part 2.
Becoming Pixar and Disney's first billion-dollar hit since 2019's Toy Story 4, the question now turns to whether Inside Out 3 is a possibility.
Inside Out 3 Ideas From Inside Out 2 Director
Speaking with ComicBook's Brandon Davis, Inside Out 2 director Kelsey Mann teased ideas he has in mind for a potential Inside Out 3.
Looking at plot points teased in Inside Out 2, Mann saw ideas from both Inside Out movies that made him say, "That's a really fun clever idea:"
"I love this world. It's such a great world to play in. And ideas just kind of come from playing in this world, both for locations and characters. There's so many ideas, not only from the first film, but especially in this one where I'm like, 'That's a really fun clever idea... I don't know how it fits into this particular story, but it should be used at some point.'"
One of his most notable ideas is something called "Procrastination Land," described as a land with a big sign with that title along with the phrase, "Coming Soon." He explained how difficult it was to bring that concept into this movie but teased other funny ideas that "[have] to be used somehow in the future:"
"One of my favorites is a location that we came up with called Procrastination Land. This is the land I definitely have, especially at this age, where it was a land which had a big sign that said ‘Procrastination Land’ and then it said 'Coming Soon.' And Anger was like, ‘When are they gonna start building that place?! It just keeps sitting there! They haven’t made any movement on it.' It’s such a funny idea. We had trouble figuring out why in this particular story, but it's such a funny idea that I'm like– And I won’t tell you everything about it. There’s some other stuff about it that’s really funny. So I’m like, ‘This has to be used somehow in the future.'"
[ Inside Out 2 New Emotions Explained: Riley's 5 New Emotions ]
What Could Happen in Inside Out 3?
With Inside Out showing Riley at 11 years old and Inside Out 2 bumping her up to the start of her teenage years, fans are expecting another jump ahead of a possible Inside Out 3.
Should the teases Kelsey Mann mentioned happen, which included "Procrastination Land," Riley will have more than enough new material in her head to explore young adulthood.
An Inside Out 3 would most likely focus on Riley at some point in her high school years, whether she is a freshman or later on before she gets ready for college.
This could also be an opportunity to introduce another set of new emotions, possibly going along the lines of romance. Nostalgia could play a further role as Riley gets older after only being used momentarily in Inside Out 2.
Also on the table is the reveal from the post-credits scene, where Riley's mind first reveals the presence of Deep Dark Secret before he lurks back into the shadows.
Considering the length of time between the first two movies, Inside Out 3 will likely be a few years away. However, considering this latest film's box office success, that timetable could be moved up.
Inside Out 2 is playing in theaters.
Read more about Inside Out 2 below:
Inside Out 2 Popcorn Buckets from AMC & Regal: Where to Buy Core Memory & Angry Buckets
Inside Out 2: Pixar Reveals 3 More Cut Emotions (Photos)
Here's When Inside Out 2's Disney Plus Streaming Release Is Expected to Happen
