“Inside Out 2” has achieved a significant milestone, surpassing $1 billion at the international box office, becoming one of only 12 releases — and the sole animated film — to ever reach that prestigious figure.
While 55 films have grossed $1 billion globally (including both domestic and international ticket sales), only a dozen have hit this mark solely from overseas markets — and 11 of those were live-action films.
Although Disney’s 2019 “The Lion King” earned an impressive $1.1 billion internationally, the studio classified the remake as live-action rather than animated, making “Inside Out 2” technically the first animated release to join this exclusive club.
Reaching $1 billion indicates that “Inside Out 2” has found widespread appeal, with its top foreign markets being Mexico ($102.2 million), Brazil ($80 million), the U.K. ($72.7 million), France ($62.6 million), and Korea ($60.8 million).
The Pixar sequel is already the highest-grossing movie of the year, with $1.649 billion globally, including $1.002 billion from international markets and $646.3 million domestically. A few weeks ago, “Inside Out 2” surpassed “Frozen II” to become the highest-grossing animated film in history.
Disney has had a strong summer, with two billion-dollar releases, the other being the Marvel superhero sequel “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
To illustrate the international success of “Inside Out 2,” “Deadpool & Wolverine” has earned just over half that amount — a still-impressive $634.1 million — in the same markets. Of course, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is rated R, theoretically limiting its audience to those 18 and older.
With $1.21 billion worldwide to date, “Deadpool & Wolverine” now ranks as the eighth-biggest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having surpassed “Captain America: Civil War” ($1.155 billion). It is expected to soon overtake “Iron Man 3” ($1.215 billion) for the No. 7 spot.
Inside Out 2 Animated Film (Photo: Pixar)
Another Disney tentpole, “Alien: Romulus,” added $41.6 million internationally and $57.8 million globally over the weekend, pushing its worldwide total to $225.4 million.
The latest installment in the decades-old sci-fi horror saga is one of the few post-pandemic Hollywood films to resonate in China, where it has grossed $73.3 million so far.
Elsewhere at the international box office, two new releases — “Blink Twice” and “The Crow” reboot — struggled to make an impact.
Zoe Kravitz’s psychological thriller “Blink Twice” disappointed with $6.7 million from 73 overseas territories. It also underperformed domestically with $7.2 million, bringing its global opening to $14 million.
“Blink Twice,” Kravitz’s directorial debut, reportedly has a $20 million budget before reshoots, so it is somewhat well-positioned in its theatrical run.
The film stars Channing Tatum, Kravitz’s fiancé, as a tech billionaire who invites a cocktail waitress (Naomi Ackie) to his private island for a luxurious party that takes a sinister turn.
Amazon MGM is distributing the movie in the U.S., while Warner Bros. is handling the theatrical release worldwide.
Lionsgate’s “The Crow” performed even worse, earning $3.8 million from 44 international markets and a disappointing $4.6 million domestically, for a global total of $8.5 million in its debut.
Bill Skarsgård leads the film, a dark reimagining of the graphic novel-turned-1994 movie, as a murdered musician resurrected to avenge his own death and that of his fiancée. The film cost $50 million to produce.
