Disney, Pixar Announce INSIDE OUT 2, Introduce New Emotions

Published: November 13, 2023

Disney, Pixar Announce INSIDE OUT 2, Introduce New Emotions

By Movieguide® Contributor

INSIDE OUT 2 is getting ready to hit theaters next June, and fans can expect to see some new faces — and hear some new voice actors.

“Disney and Pixar’s INSIDE OUT 2 returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions!” a press release about the movie states. “Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust — who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts — aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.”

Director Kelsey Mann said, “Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, might be new to the crew, but she’s not really the type to take a back seat. That makes a lot of sense if you think about it in terms of what goes on inside all our minds.”

INSIDE OUT 2 is the sequel to 2015’s INSIDE OUT, which was nominated for Movieguide®’s Best Movie for Families Award.

Amy Poehler, who voiced Joy, Phyllis Smith (Sadness) and Lewis Black (Anger) are returning for the sequel.

“After reported salary disputes, Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling are not returning as Fear and Disgust in the sequel,” Yahoo Entertainment reported. “They have been replaced by Tony Hale and Liza Lapira, respectively.”

The Movieguide® review for INSIDE OUT reads:

INSIDE OUT is an animated comedy about a young girl whose emotions get out of control when her family moves to San Francisco. Eleven-year-old Riley has had a joyous life in the Midwest. When Riley’s family needs to move to San Francisco, other emotions start to come out in her, like Disgust, Anger, Fear, and Sadness. As a result, Riley’s Joy is put to the test. When Joy and Sadness get whisked away from headquarters, the only emotions driving Riley are Disgust, Anger and Fear. Can Joy and Sadness find a way to save the day? Because of its themes, INSIDE OUT is a bit intellectual, so younger children may have a hard time understanding everything. However, it does a brilliant job with character dialogue and has a strong plotline. Also, the animation is excellent. INSIDE OUT has a strong moral worldview, with a beautiful emphasis on Joy. There’s also a strong redemptive message where sacrifice saves the day. That said, the movie’s unclear about whether our emotions control our thoughts or vice versa. Otherwise, however, INSIDE OUT is a delightful family movie.

Movieguide® also reported:

Associate Producer of INSIDE OUT Mark Nielsen said of the movie’s MGA nomination: “Thank you so much, Dr. Baehr and MOVIEGUIDE®. At Pixar, we really appreciate your support and your generosity in honoring our film this way.

“INSIDE OUT was a very personal film. It grew out of Pete Docter, our director’s, observations of his only daughter, Ellie, as he watched her grow up and the changes emotionally that he saw in her as she transitioned into middle school left him wondering what is going on inside her head. For five years, Pete and his producing partner, Jonas, led us on a journey as we tried to turn that observation into a story and finally into a finished film. It was a massive undertaking of creative and technical and production people working together to make a film they truly believed in,” Nielsen said at the Movieguide® Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry.