Inside Out 2co-writerDavid Holstein has teased how far Riley’s story could go, and hints at further installments. The smash-hit sequel to the hugely successful 2015 coming-of-age Pixar animation,Inside Out, was released in June 2024 in the United States and follows Riley Anderson’s emotions as she enters high school at the age of 13.Inside Out 2grossed over $1.69 billionagainst a production budget of $200 million, becoming a box-office sensation, and led even Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger to claim that he’d love to see a third installment.
In an interview withScreen Rantat the Saturn Awards, Holstein spoke about the potential future direction the franchise could take, and that Riley’s story has so much more to tell. He talked about his hopes for the direction future movies could take, andeven suggested a new movie could be made every couple of years, before revealing that he hoped the franchise would follow Riley through motherhood. Check out his comments below:
ScreenRant:A billion dollars later, are you working on Inside Out 3? Where can you take Riley next?
Dave Holstein:1.7 billion! That’s a great question. I mean, Riley’s only 13 going on 14. There’s a lot of life left to explore. I really hope that this franchise follows her through motherhood.
I really hope that there’s a big story every couple of years that we can tell. There are certainly plenty of good [emotions] I’m sure you can think of, and plenty of the ones that we haven’t thought of yet. Whatever it is we go, it’s going to be great.
What These Comments Mean For The Future Of Inside Out
There Are A Wealth Of Great Ideas To Choose From
Holstein’s comments suggest that the likelihood ofInside Out 3coming soonis pretty much a guarantee. The success of the second film, coupled with the established universe, and thebroad range of emotions that could be explored means that this is likely to be a franchise that will continue to prove a success. There are bound to be some cool and inventive ideas that the writers have not yet thought up that could enhance and advance Riley’s story.
Things like the first day of work, college, the death of a loved one, falling in love, heartbreak, parenthood, and more are all experiences that could provide ideas and storylines for Riley’s journey…
The first two movies follow her as a young girl and then entering her teenage years, but there are plenty of otheremotionally heavy pointsInside Out 3could explorethat occur throughout life that could be explored.Things like the first day of work, college, the death of a loved one, falling in love, heartbreak, parenthood, and more are all experiences that could provide ideas and storylinesfor Riley’s journey, and it will be interesting to see what the franchise produces for the next installment.
Our Verdict On Whether Inside Out 3 Will Happen
It Seems A Question Of When Not If
There was a nine-year gap betweenInside OutandInside Out 2, but there is unlikely to be a similar gap betweenInside Out 2and3. The success ofInside Out 2is sure to lead to the development of a third movie at some point soon, and the high school experience is defining enough for a teenager that I wouldn’t be surprised if a third film has Riley in her senior year, trying to decide what to do with her life. One thing is sure,Inside Outlooks set to be one of Disney’s most successful long-term franchises.
Inside Out
TheInside Outfranchise explores the inner workings of a young girl named Riley Anderson, focusing on her five primary emotions—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust—that personify her thoughts and actions. Created by Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen, the franchise is praised for its innovative portrayal of emotions and mental processes. It began with the 2015 filmInside Out, which became a critical and commercial success, leading to sequels, a short film, video games, and theme park attractions.
