Pixar has a lot riding on its June 14th release of INSIDE OUT 2, after a series of disappointing releases over the last four years. Analysts are projecting that the upcoming Pixar release will earn $80M – $85M in its opening weekend across the U.S. and Canada. At that level, it could become the highest-grossing opening of the year, taking over from DUNE: PART TWO with its $82.5M debut in the first weekend of March.
The 2020s have been tough times for Pixar, which had been at the pinnacle of animation studios for three decades. The downturn began with the shutdown of the theatres during the pandemic. Studios shifted their focus to building an audience online, luring subscribers to sign up for their various streaming services.
Disney released several Pixar movies on Disney+ exclusively, including LUCA, SOUL, and TURNING RED. In retrospect, this move is now seen as a mistake, with only modest gains in new subscribers to Disney+ while compromising the reputation of Pixar movies by having their debut on streaming.
Later, Disney returned to releasing Pixar movies in theatres, but the results for STRANGE WORLD, LIGHTYEAR, and WISH were all disappointing. ELEMENTAL was the closest Pixar has come to a successful theatrical release over the last four years. It started slowly when it opened last year but sustained its audience throughout the summer to make a modest profit.
Pixar has not enjoyed a $500M+ run in theatres since 2019 and announced an additional round of layoffs impacting 175 employees earlier this week. The success of INSIDE OUT 2 will be instrumental in Disney’s regaining position as one of Hollywood’s top producers of animated movies.
