‘Inside Out 2’ has become the first film in 2024 to surpass $1 billion in global box office earnings

“Inside Out 2” has broken records as the fastest animated film ever to surpass $1 billion globally, achieving this milestone just 19 days after its release.

“We’re thrilled to have reached this incredible milestone so quickly, demonstrating once again that audiences worldwide are eager for exceptional films,” said Tony Chambers, Disney’s executive vice president of theatrical distribution, in a statement on Sunday.

The success of “Inside Out 2” has revitalized the sluggish 2024 box office. Prior to its June 16 release, domestic sales were lagging more than 25% behind 2023 levels, according to Comscore data. “Over the past few weeks, the year-to-date deficit in domestic box office revenue has narrowed from 27% to 19%, largely due to the remarkable success of ‘Inside Out 2,’ which has swiftly changed the industry landscape,” noted Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

The film currently stands as the highest-grossing of the year, marking the first movie since “Barbie” last July to cross the $1 billion mark. It joins an elite group of eight other Disney and Pixar films that have achieved this milestone, including “The Incredibles 2,” “Finding Dory,” both “Frozen” films, and the last two “Toy Story” installments.

Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Pro, which monitors sales and showtime data from numerous U.S. theaters, projects that the total domestic box office for 2024 will likely range between $8.1 billion and $8.4 billion, down from the record $9 billion in 2023.

“Despite challenges earlier in the year, June has shown the pivotal role theaters play in a thriving film industry,” Loria commented. “With strong titles, audience attendance will continue to grow. I anticipate robust performance in the latter part of the year, setting the stage for a promising 2025 and beyond. Unexpected hits could bring us closer to matching last year’s record.”