Inside Out 2 becomes highest-grossing animation of all time

Inside Out 2 has overtaken Frozen II to become the highest-grossing animation of all time. Pixar’s sequel to its 2015 smash about emotions battling for primacy inside the head of a preteen girl has taken $1.46bn (£1.13bn) over its first six weeks of release; Disney’s follow-up to its wintry hit took $1.45bn (£1.12bn) over its entire theatrical run in 2019.

A third Disney film, the 2019 remake of The Lion King, made $1.65bn (£1.28bn) but was categorised by Disney as live-action, despite being computer-generated. Nonetheless, even if that film were on the list, the odds of Inside Out 2 bumping it down in coming weeks look high.

The film, which follows the first film’s heroine as she hits puberty, has just overtaken Barbie in terms of global ticket sales, as well as becoming the fastest animated film to make $1bn (in 19 days) and is now the 13th biggest film of all time.

It has been the key factor in lifting the year’s box office, and as well as being the the highest-grossing movie of 2024 to date, is the only one this year to make over $1bn.

The first superhero film of the year, Deadpool & Wolverine, is set to open on Thursday and pundits forecast healthy takings. It is currently predicted to make around $165m over its opening weekend in the US alone, which would be the biggest opening for an R-rated movie ever.