Summary
-
Inside Out 2
‘s record-breaking success proves audiences still love animated stories, setting the stage for upcoming sequels from top studios. -
Moana 2
,
Zootopia 2
, and
Toy Story 5
are expected to challenge
Inside Out 2
‘s box office dominance with their established fan base and strong franchises. - With exciting releases like
Shrek 5
and
Frozen III
on the horizon, the animated film industry is poised for more blockbuster hits and nostalgic returns.
Inside Out 2 has dominated the 2024 box office as it quickly became the highest-grossing film of the year and one of the best-performing films of all time as it earned over $1 billion domestically and globally. After several theatrical disappointments in recent years for Disney and Pixar, Inside Out 2‘s box office performance is a major victory for the studios, and a promising sign for their future projects. It is also a victory for animation, with the Pixar sequel’s success proving the widespread interest in animated stories.
While Inside Out 2 continues its impressive theatrical run, making its total box office gross even more difficult to surpass, there are several upcoming animated films that could challenge its record. The majority of these potential challengers are also Disney or Pixar films, but other studios do have contenders, including DreamWorks and Illumination. Similar to Inside Out 2, all of these upcoming animated projects are sequels, with the familiarity and investment in their respective franchises proving to be beneficial.
Related Every Box Office Record Broken By Inside Out 2
Pixar’s Inside Out 2 is making waves at the box office following its premiere on June 14, 2024, and has since broken several impressive records.
2
7 Moana 2
Release Date: November 27, 2024
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Moana made a significant splash at the 2016 box office with its $687.2 million gross. The film’s popularity continued to endure years later via streaming, as, according to Disney CEO Bob Iger, Moana has been streamed for more than 1 billion hours on Disney+ and was streamed more than any other film on any streaming service in the U.S. in 2023. These factors contributed to the Disney+ Moana series becoming the feature-length Moana 2.
Moana is just as relevant in 2024 as it was in 2016 and is a proven success in theaters and via streaming. Inside Out 2‘s extensive theatrical run showed the importance of seeing new Disney animated releases in theaters instead of waiting for them to arrive on Disney+, a mindset that will help bring audiences to see Moana 2. With Wicked: Part One‘s release being pushed to the previous weekend, the family-friendly Moana 2 will easily lead the box office during its Thanksgiving opening weekend, and can carry its success through December and into 2025.
Moana 2 Not Yet RatedAnimationAdventure
Moana embarks on a thrilling new quest to safeguard her island from an emerging ancient threat. With the demigod Maui by her side, along with her trusted companions, she navigates treacherous waters and explores mysterious new lands. Along the way, Moana uncovers hidden truths about her ancestors and deepens her understanding of the ocean’s magic.
Director Dave Derrick Jr. Release Date November 27, 2024 Runtime 107 Minutes Studio(s) Walt Disney Pictures , Walt Disney Animation Studios Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
6 Zootopia 2
Release Date: November 26, 2025
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With a $1.025 billion box office gross, Zootopia became a commercial hit in 2016 and was the fourth highest grossing film of the year. The only films ahead of it were Captain America: Civil War, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Finding Dory, all of which were part of established franchises. As a sequel, Zootopia 2 is poised to perform even better, once again exceeding $1 billion and potentially moving past Inside Out 2‘s $1.5 billion run as well.
Zootopia+
, a spinoff series of short episodes revolving around various supporting characters from the film, is also available to stream on Disney+.
Inside Out earned $858.8 million and its sequel far surpassed those numbers. If the same trajectory holds true for Zootopia and Zootopia 2, the sequel will make far more than its predecessor. After Inside Out 2‘s box office success, and with Moana 2 likely to thrive as well, Zootopia 2 will be well-positioned to continue the supremacy of Disney’s animated sequels at the box office when it debuts during Thanksgiving weekend in 2025.
Zootopia 2 Not Yet RatedAnimationComedyFamily Release Date November 26, 2025 Main Genre Comedy
5 The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2
Release Date: April 3, 2026
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The Super Mario Bros. Movie broke numerous records during its 2023 theatrical run. At $375.6 million worldwide, it still holds the best opening weekend debut for any animated film, a record that even Inside Out 2 was unable to overcome with its $294.2 million worldwide opening. The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s final worldwide gross of $1.36 billion made it by far the highest-grossing film based on a video game, with the closest contender being Pokémon Detective Pikachu at $450 million.
Except for Barbie,The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the highest-grossing movie of 2023, managing to outperform competition that included Oppenheimer, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. A sequel will likely be able to break many records as well, given its connection to the beloved video games and the mainstream appeal of its familiar characters. Since it did better than Inside Out 2 during opening weekend, it could beat the film’s overall box office numbers as well.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 ActionAdventureAnimationComedy
Announced during Nintendo’s 2024 MAR10 day celebration, The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 is the follow-up to the 2023 animated adventure film starring Nintendo’s famous plumber mascot. The movie is expected to continue the adventures of the Mario brothers in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Main Genre Adventure
Related Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 Sets Up An Epic Universal vs. Disney/Pixar Clash For The Ages After $1.36 Billion Success
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 has an official release date, putting it up against major Disney/Pixar animated releases for exciting competition.
4 Toy Story 5
Release Date: June 19, 2026
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Toy Story 5 is the next Pixar film that could challenge Inside Out 2‘s dominant box office run. The most recent entry in the franchise, Toy Story 4, earned $1.073 billion worldwide, and all four films together have grossed more than $3 billion since the original’s theatrical release in 1995. Toy Story is Pixar’s longest-running and most lucrative franchise, which is partly why more sequels continue to be made despite the perfect endings in Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4.
|
Movie |
Worldwide Box Office |
|---|---|
|
Toy Story (1995) |
$394.4 million |
|
Toy Story 2 (1999) |
$511.4 million |
|
Toy Story 3 (2010) |
$1.067 billion |
|
Toy Story 4 (2019) |
$1.073 billion |
While plot details are still being kept under wraps, the return of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the other beloved toys will be enough to drive significant interest in the sequel. As a franchise that will have existed for more than three decades by the time Toy Story 5 is released, the film has a multigenerational appeal that will help to further amplify its box office numbers. The quality of the previous films and the longtime investment in these stories bode well for its theatrical performance.
Toy Story 5 Not Yet RatedAnimationComedyAdventure
Toy Story 5 is the fifth entry in the Toy Story movie franchise by Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios. The film was announced on February 8 2023, along with several other major Disney animation sequels. For the film, Tim Allen reprises his role as the space-faring toy, Buzz Lightyear, once again.
Cast Tom Hanks , Tim Allen Main Genre Animation
3 Shrek 5
Release Date: July 1, 2026
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After years of speculation, Shrek 5 is finally happening, with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz reprising their respective roles as Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona. Shrek 5 coming to fruition is partly due to the critical acclaim and box office success of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. If a spinoff sequel about Puss in Boots was able to do so well, a film reuniting Shrek‘s original characters for the first time since 2010 will undoubtedly perform even better at the box office.
With the first Shrek releasing in 2001, it is the only film franchise with an upcoming animated sequel whose successful longevity rivals Toy Story. DreamWorks is already playing on the nostalgia that will bring theatrical success by having “All Star” by Smash Mouth playing in the studio’s official announcement video for the sequel. Outside of Disney’s upcoming projects, Shrek 5 is the most likely animated film to challenge Inside Out 2‘s box office records.
Shrek 5 AnimationAdventureComedy Director Walt Dohrn , Brad Ableson Release Date July 1, 2026 Writers Michael McCullers , Christopher Meledandri , William Steig Cast Eddie Murphy , Cameron Diaz , Mike Myers Main Genre Animation
2 Frozen III
Release Date: November 25, 2026
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Before Inside Out 2, Frozen II held the record for the all-time highest grossing animated film (the 2019 Lion King still surpasses both Pixar sequels, although there is debate about whether it qualifies as an animated film). Frozen II made $1.45 billion worldwide, while the original Frozen grossed $1.3 billion. The story of sisters Elsa and Anna became a phenomenon when it was released in 2013, and the sequel in 2019 proved that the phenomenon had only grown stronger.
Frozen does not have the same longevity as the Toy Story franchise, but it is similar to Inside Out as a popular animated film that debuted in the 2010s, only to become even bigger when its sequel was released in later years. Having begun more than a decade ago, there is already nostalgia attached to the first Frozen, and that nostalgia will help generate further interest in the sequel. Frozen III will also have the advantage of its songs, a feature that Inside Out 2 does not have.
Frozen III Not Yet RatedAnimationFantasyMusicalAdventureComedy
Frozen 3 is the follow-up to the highly successful Frozen 2, released back in 2019 by Walt Disney Pictures and Animation Studios. The film was announced on February 8 2023, The film is a direct sequel to the second film’s events and also cast Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell to reprise their roles as Elsa and Anna.
Cast Jonathan Groff , Kristen Bell , Idina Menzel , Josh Gad Main Genre Animation
1 Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse
Release Date: Not Yet Determined
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Despite the popularity of the various live-action Spider-Man films, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse have become their own critical and commercial hits. In addition to the critical acclaim they have received, the first installment made $384.3 million, and the sequel went even bigger with a $690.9 million worldwide gross. Both films proved that an animated superhero story could be just as successful as live-action.
As the final chapter in its trilogy, Beyond the Spider-Verse will likely eclipse its predecessorsat the box office. Across the Spider-Verse ended on a major cliffhanger and was only the first part of a much larger story, making the trilogy capper a must-see in theaters. Beyond the Spider-Verse may also benefit from the uncertainty surrounding the future of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the Sony film featuring Miles Morales and numerous versions of Spider-Man, and potentially being even more successful than Inside Out 2.
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse Not Yet RatedAnimationActionAdventure
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is the direct continuation of 2023’s Across the Spider-Verse, and is the third film in the Miles Morales animated Spider-Man franchise. Miles continues his interdimensional journey to change the fates of those he loves while finding his own path to become a Spider-Man.
Director Joaquim Dos Santos , Kemp Powers , Justin K. Thompson Writers Dave Callaham , Phil Lord , Christopher Miller Cast Shameik Moore Studio(s) Sony Pictures Animation , Arad Productions , Lord Miller , Pascal Pictures
Inside Out 2 PGAdventureComedyAnimation
Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the 2015 original film, which starred a young girl named Riley with a head full of emotions. – literally. With Amy Pohler as Joy, Bill Hader as fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, the all-star cast brought to life the emotions that adolescents face as they grow, change, and adapt to new situations. This sequel, currently in development, will bring Amy Pohler back as Joy, with Riley, now a teenager.
Director Kelsey Mann Release Date June 14, 2024 Writers Meg LeFauve , Dave Holstein , Kelsey Mann Cast Amy Poehler , Tony Hale , Maya Hawke , Liza Lapira , Lewis Black , Phyllis Smith , Diane Lane Runtime 96 Minutes Distributor(s) Disney Main Genre Animation Expand