Disney and Pixar’s sequel Inside Out 2 made a massive $155 million in its opening weekend, surpassing Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire to become the year’s biggest debut. It’s also the first film since last July’s Barbie to open above $100 million. Before its release, projections estimated an $80 million to $90 million debut, so it did about double the expected box office.

Internationally, “Inside Out 2” earned $140 million, topping Frozen 2 as the largest overseas animated opening ever. It performed particularly well in Latin America, achieving the second-largest opening after Avengers: Endgame. Globally, the movie grossed $295 million, claiming the title for the biggest animated debut in like-for-like markets at current exchange rates, with a $200 million production budget.

This success is significant for theaters after a lackluster summer season and a win for Pixar, which struggled with box office releases during the pandemic as Disney sent films like Turning Red, Soul, and Luca directly to Disney+. Pixar chief Pete Docter noted that this strategy trained audiences to watch at home, impacting the theatrical performance of recent releases like Lightyear and Elemental.

All this makes it the second biggest debut in Pixar history, trailing only Incredibles 2. The film’s debut also marked the first 2024 weekend to surpass $200 million across all titles. It’s a good indicator that the post-COVID, post-strike era is finally upon us, and Hollywood is getting healthy again.

Arriving nearly a decade after the original, the sequel follows a teenaged Riley encountering new emotions like Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Nostalgia as she goes to summer camp. The film received an “A” CinemaScore and a 92% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.