WhileInside Out 2’s box office success and critical performance were already great news, 2024’s top trending movies are what prove thatPixaris truly back on top. Whilealmost all of Pixar’s movieshave fared well with critics, the studio has not been so fortunate at the box office. 2015’sThe Good Dinosaurunder-performed with both critics and audiences upon its release, proving that it was not onlyPixar’s spinoffs and sequelsthat had a hard time equaling the critical success of their earliest original offerings.
Every Upcoming Pixar Movie & TV Show
Here is every upcoming Pixar movie and TV show slated for release over the next few years, from new originals like Elio to sequels like Toy Story 5.
Meanwhile, the 2020s were outright brutal for the previously reliable studio. 2020’s fantasy adventureOnwardbrought together two of the most profitable movie stars of the year, Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, for a comedic fantasy adventure that seemed certain to be a hit. However,Onwardmade only $142 million on a budget of over $175 million when it arrived in theaters in March 2020. Admittedly, the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the industry was a factor inOnward’s failure, but Pixar’s fortunes didn’t improve when 2022’sTurning Redgrossed a disastrous $21 million on a budget of $175 million.
Inside Out 2 As 2024’s Top Trending Movie Prove The Pixar Comeback Is Real
Inside Out 2 Managed To Top 2024’s Google Trends For Movies
Luckily, 2024 has seen Pixar’s fortunes improve immeasurably. Thephenomenally successfulInside Out 2earned over $1.69 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing animated movie of all time in the process. To make matters even better for the studio,Inside Outwas 2024’s top trending movie according to Google. The rest of the search engine giant’s top ten list includes blockbusters likeDune: Part Two,Twisters, andDeadpool & Wolverine, as well as a few unexpected indie hits likeTerrifier 3andSaltburn. However,Inside Out 2took the top spot.
This is great news for Pixar, whose losing streak couldn’t be attributed entirely to COVID-19. AlthoughTurning Red’s financial failure was certainly caused in part by the pandemic’s continuing impact on the industry, 2022’sLightyearproved that even the studio’s most reliable franchises weren’t always guaranteed to spawn hits. Although it fared fine with critics,Lightyearwas a financial failure thatcouldn’t match Pixar’s first TV showwhen it came to recapturing the humor and knockabout fun of theToy Storyfranchise. Meanwhile, the comparatively underwhelmingRotten Tomatoesrating of 2023’sElementalfurther evidenced the studio’s problems.
Onward’s Failure Preceded Some Major Financial Flops For Pixar
AlthoughTurning Redsucceeded with critics,Elemental’s reviews consistently compared the movie unfavorably to earlier Pixar hits. Similarly, althoughElementalwas a sleeper hit at the box office and eventually earned almost $500 million,Lightyear’s good reviews couldn’t save it from financial catastrophe. Ever since 2020’sOnward,Pixar has struggled to make movies that succeed with critics and audiences alike, even though this was once the studio’s forte. A glance at the most successful animated movies of all time proves Pixar’s great reviews rarely stood in the way of mainstream financial success before 2020.
$1.699 billion
$451 million
$350 million
$21.1 million
Dune: Part Two
$714.4 million
Incredibles 2,Toy Story 3,Toy Story 4,Finding Dory,Inside Out,Coco,Monsters University, andUpare all among the 30 most financially successful animated movies of all time, and this highlights a fascinating trend in the studio’s offerings. Not only were Pixar’s sequels seeming immune to the law of diminishing returns faced by most franchises, but the studio’s sequels often did better than their predecessors with both critics and viewers. This is part of what madeLightyear’s failure as a spinoffso concerning, particularly whenToy Story 5’s pre-production is already underway.
Pixar’s Next Movie Can Complete The Studio’s Return To Greatness
Pixar’s Upcoming Original Movie Will Be An Even Bigger Test
Since then, the incredible success ofInside Out 2has reshaped the studio’s fortunes.Inside Out 2’s mammoth success means Pixar is back on topand its reliance on sequels is as safe as ever. While theCarssequels didn’t live up to the original movie, they did earn Pixar a lot of money, andCarswas never considered a standout in the studio’s canon in the first place. However, it is important to note thatInside Out 2’s success alone isn’t the ultimate test of the studio’s future potential.
2025’s upcoming Pixar movieEliowill be the biggest test of the studio’s future, as the original movie does not have an existing franchise to rely on.
After all,Inside Out 2is a sequel to an already successful movie.2025’s upcoming Pixar movieEliowill be the biggest test of the studio’s future, as the original movie does not have an existing franchise to rely on. Set to be released in June 2025,Eliofocuses on Elio Solis, a young boy who must act as Earth’s Ambassador when aliens abduct him and introduce him to the Communiverse of assorted alien species. The success or failure of this upcoming original movie will test whetherPixar’sInside Out 2success was a fluke.
