News

The Academy determined the most worthy films of last year at the 97th Oscars on Sunday. However, the number of awards for these films doesn’t necessarily give us a full picture of the films’ popularity with the audience. New data reveals the most streamed Oscar-nominated films and fans would be surprised to learn that some of the big winners at the Oscars are absent from this list.

Anora was the leading winner of the Oscars night and won five awards, including four wins for director Sean Baker. Adrien Brody’s The Brutalist won three awards, while Emilia Pérez, Dune: Part Two, and Wicked won two awards each.

Best Picture winner Anora isn’t one of the most streamed Oscar nominated movies | Credits: Neon

However, none of these top winners were the most streamed movies. In fact, some of the non-winners took the top spots on this list. Some of...

The red carpet has kicked off at the 2025 Oscars and we’ll be keeping track of all the red carpet photos right here!

Stars will be stepping out for the annual awards show on Sunday (March 2) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

We’ll be updating this post all night long to give you easy access to see the event’s full guest list and every celebrity on the red carpet.

The Oscars will be hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien for the first time and the show is airing live on ABC and Hulu. The movie Emilia Perez leads the nominations with 13 nods, followed by The Brutalist and Wicked with 10 each. Make sure to check out the full list of nominations and find out who is performing during the show!

Head inside to see all of the stars on the red carpet…

Keep scrolling to see all of the attendees at the Oscars…...

2024 was a huge year for Disney and Inside Out 2 was the year's biggest winner. The animated sequel to the 2015 hit was bigger than its predecessor, but it also followed more complex emotions.

The animated film series, which follows the work of all the emotions that run humans, added even more emotions as Riley, the protagonist, became a young adult after her 13-year-old birthday. There wasn't a big difference from the first two films, as Riley celebrated her 12th birthday at the end of the 2015 film, but the movie introduced new emotions and experiences as she went through puberty, including crushes. However, as people weighed in on her relationship with her hockey player teammate, Pixar co-writer Dave Holstein explained Riley's true feelings in an interview with Screen Rant at the Critics' Choice Awards.

RelatedDisney Adding New Disclaimer Ahead of Dumbo, Peter Pan, and More Old Titles

Disney is trying to...

IndieWire invited the directors of the five Oscar-nominated Best Animated Features to pick and analyze a pivotal scene that best represents their films: Chris Sanders (“The Wild Robot”), Gints Zilbalodis (“Flow”), Kelsey Mann (“Inside Out 2”), Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham (“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”), and Adam Elliot (“Memoir of a Snail”).

“The Wild Robot,” the Best Feature Annie winner, is the crowning achievement for writer-director Sanders. The dramatically compelling and visually arresting sci-fi adventure (adapted from Peter Brown’s illustrated book) finds robot Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) washed ashore on an uninhabited island, where she must adapt and survive among the animals. DreamWorks’ innovative handmade stylization takes Sanders back to his 2D roots with its tactile nature and watercolor backgrounds. The more time Roz spends in the wild, the more her surface changes with dents, scratches, mildew, and mold. She quickly becomes a hand-painted surface, blending in with the animals and the wilderness.

Final voting is February 11-18. The 97th Oscars telecast will be broadcast on Sunday, March 2 and air live on ABC at 7 p.m. Et/ 4 p.m. Pt. We update our picks through awards season, so keep checking IndieWire for all our 2025 Oscar predictions.

The State of the Race

The Best Animated Feature nominees are “Flow,” “Inside Out 2,” “Memoir of a Snail,” “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” and “The Wild Robot.”

“The Wild Robot” is the slight favorite after grabbing two additional Oscar nominations for score (Kris Bowers) and sound. This is a first for DreamWorks Animation. However, the sci-fi adventure from director Chris Sanders (who is very well liked and due for a win) is in a tight race with indie sensation “Flow,” which also secured a Best International Feature nomination for Latvia. The low-budget underdog is on a roll of its own, capturing prizes from the Golden Globes,...

Inside Out 2 appealed to a wider audience as a relatable, coming-of-age story. Director Kelsey Mann credited their success to the teenagers who consulted on the movie.

Director Kelsey Mann explained why Inside Out 2 resonated with audiences of all ages; the film explored the timeless theme of change through an adolescent's growing pains. "We want to make a movie that the whole family can enjoy, regardless of your age," he told Variety. "We all tried to dig into our own experiences. It started with me alone in a room looking at my own life and what it was like to be that age." However, Mann admitted that relating to the sequel's protagonist was a challenge; only teenage girls can accurately describe Riley Anderson's internal conflicts.

Related Why Riley's Emotions Don't Look Like Her in Inside Out

Although many characters in the Inside Out franchise have emotions that look like them,...

Though they have not all been hits, Disney's 2024 box office looked pretty solid. Right now, that is most evident through Moana 2, which released in theaters during Thanksgiving week. The sequel film opened to $139.7 million and has now made over $882 million at the worldwide box office. Even during its fifth weekend in theaters this past weekend, Moana 2 managed to make it in the top 5 at the domestic box office, passing newer releases including A Complete Unknown and Babygirl.

At the same time, Disney boasted a second film in the top 5 this weekend, with Mufasa: The Lion King. A follow-up to the 2019 live-action Lion King remake, Mufasa tells the story of the titular king of the Pride Lands while interweaving tales of Simba and Nala raising their daughter. The movie tacked on another $37.1 million at the domestic box office this weekend, putting it just behind Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for the no.

As the last week of December approaches and viewers prepare for the upcoming animated movies of 2025, it's time to look back at the past year for the best animated movies of 2024. While a recent update about the release window of Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-verse, the current most-anticipated animated movie, practically confirms that there won't be a release date for another 2 years, 2024 has still been very exciting for animation, with the release of sequels to many beloved franchises.

Every animated movie released in 2024 didn't make as big a stir in the box office or among critics as they were supposed to, but there have been some noteworthy surprise hits. While Kung Fu Panda, Inside Out, Moana, and Despicable Me got anticipated sequels, the Transformers franchise branched out into animation, and The Wild Robot got critical and commercial success beyond what anyone had imagined it would.

Inside Out (2024) Directed by Kelsey Mann...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

2024 has come to an end, and while this year wasn’t the greatest year for films or Hollywood after the disastrous pandemic and the Writers’ and Actors’ strike, it did see the release of some great films. From the much-anticipated sequel of the sci-fi film Dune to the superhero buddy-comedy film no one thought would ever happen, Deadpool & Wolverine. So, lets find out which films that were released in 2024 you should not miss out on.

A Real Pain (In Select Theaters) Credit – Searchlight Pictures

A Real Pain is a buddy comedy-drama film written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg. The 2024 film follows American Jewish cousins David and Benji as they embark on a tour of Poland to honour their grandmother’s memories while exploring their family history. Still, their polar opposite personalities get in the way. A Real Pain stars Jesse Eisenberg,...

2024 might not have been the biggest year for cinema, but it offered Disney a success story. Following a disappointing 2023, a year the House of Mouse celebrated its 100th anniversary, Disney is now ruling other studios again.

Per Deadline, Disney has reached a major milestone as it became the only studio to reach $2 billion at the domestic box office. Last year, Disney had a string of celebratory films for its 100th anniversary, including Wish, The Haunted Mansion, Pixar's Elemental, and Marvel's Ant-Man and the Quantumania and The Marvels, as well as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Unfortunately, last year registered more losses for Disney, but 2024 came with a lot of magic.

Related Kraven the Hunter's Dismal Thursday Box Office Is a Rough Start for Final Ssu Movie

Kraven the Hunter didn't exactly light up the box office on Thursday, hinting at a rough road ahead for Sony's final Spider-Man spinoff movie.

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Dream Productions.Dream Productions takes several normal dream occurrences and makes them surprisingly frightening. The four-episode Disney+ series is set between Inside Out and Inside Out 2 and builds on the concept of Dream Productions that was introduced in the first movie. Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), and the other original emotions are in the series, but Dream Productions' cast of characters most prominently features dream directors Paula Persimmon (Paula Pell) and Xeni (Richard Ayoade), who are forced to work together.

Seasoned director Paula clashes with the young and ambitious daydream director Xeni, as they have polar opposite ideas about the kinds of dreams that are best for Riley (Kensington Tallman). Their conflict, and how Dream Productions' leader, Jean Dewberry (Maya Rudolph) attempts to correct course, leads to nearly disastrous results that unfold in Dream Productions' ending. While the worst-case scenario is ultimately averted,...

Pixar’s “Win or Lose,” an original series coming to Disney+, has already lost.

The animated show, which focuses on a little league’s championship game and is told from the point-of-view of various participants, deleted a storyline that involved a transgender character.

A Disney spokesperson confirmed the alteration, saying, “When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline.”

Disney declined any further details on the episode in question.

When Pixar’s “Lightyear” was released in 2022, staff at the Emeryville, California-based animation studio protested when, shortly before release, a fairly innocuous same-sex kiss was removed. Disney finally caved and reinserted the moment, as it was very much a part of the ongoing discussion that had to do with Disney’s failure to oppose Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Inside Out continues to be a huge hit on Disney+. The newest entry in the Pixar franchise, Dream Productions, has just achieved a major viewership milestone on the streaming service.

Per Deadline, Disney is reporting that the first episode of Dream Productions received 5.6 million views globally in the first five days of viewing, making it the biggest animated series premiere on Disney+ since Marvel Studios' What If…? in 2021. The viewership is also higher than the series premiere of Marvel's well-received animated revival, X-Men '97, which received 4 million views in five days. However, Dream Productions's 5.6M views are nowhere close to the 30.5M views that Inside Out 2 drew on Disney+ during its first five days of availability. As a reminder, like Netflix, Disney defines "views" as total stream time divided by runtime.

Related Dream Productions: The Troubled Production Behind the Inside Out Spinoff Revealed

Pixar's Inside Out spin-off show, Dream Productions,...

Dream Productions, a miniseries spin-off from the Inside Out movies, has debuted at #1 on Disney+. The four-episode mockumentary introduces audiences to the production studio in Riley's head, responsible for processing her memories in the form of dreams. Taking place as an "interquel" before the events in Inside Out 2, Director Paula Persimmon (Paula Pell) navigates the tonal shift of Riley's dreams as she enters adolescence with her crew, including daydream specialist Xeni (Richard Ayoade) and feelings voiced by Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Ally Maki, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, and Phyllis Smith.

Inside Out 2 became the highest-grossing animated film of all time after its summer release earned $652 million domestically and $1.69 billion worldwide. It hit record streaming numbers once introduced on the platform in September (30.5 million views worldwide+ in the first five days). However, while Inside Out and Inside Out 2 received top ratings on Rotten Tomatoes,...

The Inside Out spinoff series Dream Productions has debuted with a fresh Rotten Tomatoes score, although it is the franchise's lowest score yet. The four-episode Disney+ series is set between the events of Inside Out and Inside Out 2. While Dream Productions' cast does include Joy (Amy Poehler) and the rest of the franchise's original emotions, the story primarily focuses on Paula Persimmon (Paula Pell) and Xeni (Richard Ayoade), two dream directors in the mind of Riley (Kensington Tallman).

As per Rotten Tomatoes, Dream Productions has debuted with a fresh Tomatometer score of 80%, which is lower than Inside Out's 98% and Inside Out 2's 91% critical scores. However, Dream Productions' 80% score is only based on 10 reviews, and may change if more reviews are added. The spinoff does not have a Popcornmeter score yet as there are currently fewer than 50 audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. Inside Out has an 89% audience score...

“Dream Productions” is ready to cast its spell.

The four-episode limited series is now streaming, in its entirety, on Disney+. But before you dive into your latest Pixar obsession, which is a spinoff of “Inside Out,” we are here to answer the most crucial question – when, exactly, is the new film set?

Let’s get into it!

When is “Dream Productions” set?

It is set before “Inside Out 2.” In total the series runs 82 minutes. Think of it as “Inside Out 1.5.”

But it is being released after “Inside Out 2.”

You’re right, it is being released after “Inside Out 2.” But it takes place before “Inside Out 2.” We assure you.

How do you know that it’s set before “Inside Out 2?”

Riley (once again voiced by Kensington Tallman) is still in school with her besties Grace (Grace Lu) and Bree (Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green). They are all very excited...

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Dream Productions.

The Inside Out spinoff series Dream Productions has expanded the animated franchise in compelling new ways, especially with the ending. Set between Inside Out and Inside Out 2, Dream Productions reveals how dreams are made in the mind of Riley (Kensington Tallman). While Joy (Amy Poehler) and the other original emotions from Headquarters do appear, Dream Productions' main characters inside Riley's mind are Paula Persimmon (Paula Pell) and Xeni (Richard Ayoade), two dream directors whose directing styles clash as they try to create the best dreams for her.

When the head of Dream Productions, Jean Dewberry (Maya Rudolph), insists on directing a nightmare for Riley that could have devastating consequences, Paula and Xeni must put aside their differences to help Riley. With help from Paula's former assistant dream director, Janelle (Ally Maki), Paula and Xeni are able to prevent the nightmare from unfolding.

“Dream Productions” is less of a TV series and more of a distress signal. Tasked with making an entire show out of whatever scraps were left over from the studio’s film department, the team behind Pixar’s first — and second-to-last — animated series concocted a spinoff to “Inside Out” about chipper, dedicated directors who, despite doing their best day after day, live under constant threat of demotion or outright termination if the dreams they create aren’t immediate and lasting hits. Sure, these diligent artists learn a few personal lessons along the way — “acknowledging fresh point of views” chief among them — but by the time you get there, it’s no surprise the show’s climax involves a crazed studio head producing a literal nightmare designed to ruin a little girl’s life.

Even if the vast majority of franchise TV extensions from Disney+ didn’t already consist of third-rate...

Riding the coattails of the biggest animated film ever is no mean feat. And Dream Productions, a four-episode narrative series of 20-minute-ish episodes, feels like one of Pixar’s most ambitious small-screen efforts yet. Their TV spin-offs tend to be tiny animated snacks, often no more than 5 minutes at a time; this feels like a full meal, with a runtime that adds up to a full movie. Set between the two _Inside Out_films, you could almost think of it as Inside Out 2.5.

Happily, it’s also an absolute treat, expanding the psychologically rich and comedically fertile setting of a pre-teen’s brain in deeply satisfying ways. Dreams as a concept have already been briefly explored in the two Inside Out films, beginning with Pete Docter’s superlative 2015 smash and continued with Kelsey Mann’s solid sequel: a means of delving into unprocessed memories, the dreams themselves staged as if giant movie productions,...

Plot: Taking place in between the events of Inside Out and Inside Out 2, it follows the studio inside Riley’s mind where dreams really do come true—every night, on time and on budget. Riley is growing up and when her memories need some extra processing, Joy and the rest of the Core Emotions send them to Dream Productions.

Review: Since the premiere of Disney+, the House of Mouse has mined all of their various properties for streaming adaptations, spin-offs, or tie-ins. Pixar, who are no stranger to creating quality short films, have offered a few projects that stretch the definition of what we would consider a series. The Toy Story spin-off Forky Asks a Question, Cars On the Road, and Up series Dug Days all had episodes that ran under ten minutes each, with the Monsters Inc. sequel series Monsters At Work reaching full half-hour installments but without...

Set in the universe of Inside Out, Dream Productions is an exciting new animated show that features several of the same cast members. Dream Productions follows Paula Persimmon, a director of Riley Andersen's dreams, as she attempts to create new dreams for Riley while feeling the pressures associated with Riley's changing age and interests. Paula Persimmon is then forced to work together with Xeni, Riley's daydream director, to accomplish their mission before Riley wakes up.

While Riley's original emotions from Inside Out and Inside Out 2 make appearances, the voice cast for Dream Productions also includes some new additions. While the dream director did appear briefly in Inside Out, Dream Productions is an expansion of the role and brings back the same voice actor. Because of the acclaim of the Inside Out movies, many of the voices present in Dream Productions will certainly be recognizable for audiences.

Cast

Character

Paula Pell...

Disney animated movies have been known to cause tears and heartbreak because of their emotional scenes, like that of The Lion King when Simba tries to wake Mufasa after his fall. Fortunately, Disney is just as adept at bringing plenty of smiles and laughter to its viewers, specifically through the use of some hilarious characters.

Whether sidekicks or main characters, heroes or villains, there's an amusing character in almost every piece of Disney animation. However, several such characters stand out from the rest as the funniest, ranging from some of Disney's earlier movies to more recent projects.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on December 5, 2024: With Moana 2 finally in theaters, jump back into the wonderful world of Disney and its many colorful characters. This article has been updated to include more hilarious animated Disney characters and to adhere to Cbr's current formatting guidelines.

Related 10 Disney Villains Too Hard to...

If you managed to get through Pixar's summer blockbuster, Inside Out 2, without actually or almost crying then consider yourself lucky. The animated hit follows Riley's (Kensington Tallman) five emotions from the first film — Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Liza Lapira), and Fear (Tony Hale) — as they meet four new additions to headquarters: Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos). Joy and Anxiety clash for control of Riley's mind, and their conflict finally culminates in the film's most heartbreaking scene, when Riley has an all-out anxiety attack in the middle of hockey tryouts.

2024's biggest success story, the return of Inside Out for a tearjerking sequel was met with wide acclaim, with the movie even earning an emotional critical rating of 90% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a 95% audience score for good measure. The movie follows Riley (Kensington Tallman) as she enters puberty, with the introduction of new emotions, most crucially Anxiety (Maya Hawke), threatening to derail her friendships. Thanks to the enormous success of both outings so far, Pixar has shown enough faith in the movie to craft a spin-off, with the upcoming series Dream Productions seeing a similar emotion-led narrative as Paula Persimmon (Paula Pell) and Xeni (Richard Ayoade) look to develop Riley's dreams. The series is set to premiere on Disney+ on December 11.

Dave Holstein created the Showtime comedy “Kidding” and was a staff writer on the network’s Emmy Award-winning series “Weeds.” But nothing in Holstein’s career compared to co-writing the sequel to “Inside Out.”

“It’s like writing inside of a dishwasher while it’s on,” Holstein tells Gold Derby. “It’s like, ‘Writing a screenplay is cool. But can you do it during the spin cycle?’ It’s just a very involved process where you are editing, shooting, and writing at the same time, all the time. You’re always iterating, you’re writing multiple versions of scenes. There are so many ideas flying around Pixar and they’re all great because there are brilliant people at Pixar, right? But your job is to make sure that all these great ideas are following the same path, and it’s your job to make sure the story stays in the center lane.

Deadline’s annual Read the Screenplay series, which celebrates the craft of scriptwriting by offering exclusive access to the buzziest movie scripts of awards season, kicks off its latest edition with Inside Out 2. Pixar and Disney’s sequel is the Envy of the box office in 2024, grossing $1.698 billion globally to become the year’s highest-grossing movie to date.

Meg LeFauve, one of the writers on 2015’s Inside Out, which went on to nab an Original Screenplay Oscar nomination and won for Best Animated Feature, returned to pen the sequel with Dave Holstein, based on an original story by LeFauve and Kelsey Mann. Mann directed, taking the reins from the original’s co-directors and her fellow co-writers Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen.

The sequel’s script picked up a now 13-year-old Riley (the voice of Kensington Tallman), who is experiencing a parade of new emotions that play out in her brain’s headquarters.

Pixar Animation Studios has debuted the trailer for the limited animation series ‘Dream Productions.’

The all-new series returns to Riley’s mind, where dreams really do come true—every night, on time and on budget.

Taking place in between the events of ‘Inside Out’ and ‘Inside Out 2,’ all four episodes of the limited series come to the streamer beginning Dec. 11, 2024.

Riley is growing up and when her memories need some extra processing, Joy and the rest of the Core Emotions send them to Dream Productions. Acclaimed director Paula Persimmon (voice of Paula Pell) faces a nightmare of her own: Trying to create the next hit dream after being paired up with Xeni (voice of Richard Ayoade), a smug daydream director looking to step up into the big leagues of night dreams.

Also featuring the voices of Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Ally Maki, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black and Phyllis Smith,...

Disney+’s Dream Productions catches up with Inside Out‘s Riley in the years between the original film and Inside Out 2. The trailer shows the elaborate productions taking place in Riley’s mind while she’s dreaming, with Paula Pell providing the voice of the director of Riley’s dreams.

The voice cast also includes Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Ally Maki, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, and Phyllis Smith.

A scene from ‘Dream Productions’ (Photo © 2024 Disney/Pixar)

“Dream Productions returns to Riley’s mind, where dreams really do come true — every night, on time and on budget,” reads Disney+’s synopsis. “Riley is growing up and when her memories need some extra processing, Joy and the rest of the Core Emotions send them to Dream Productions. Acclaimed director Paula Persimmon faces a nightmare of her own: Trying to create the next hit dream after being paired up...

Inside Out 2 took over the global box office earlier this year, but it's time for the successful Pixar franchise to expand on Disney+. The streaming platform has released a new trailer for Dream Productions. The upcoming television series will take place before the events of this year's sequel, and it will be centered around the team that produces the dreams Riley (Kensington Tallman) experiences when she's asleep. Since the show takes place before Inside Out 2, the new emotions that were introduced in the popular sequel won't be around to haunt Riley this time around.

"Okay crew, let's get to work!" Pixar has revealed their official trailer for Dream Productions, a spin-off series based on the Inside Out concept. The fun new mockumentary series takes place between the events of Inside Out 1 & Inside Out 2 and focuses on a series of stories created by the "dream factory" within Riley's mind. Acclaimed director Paula Persimmon teams up with an overly confident daydream director to create the next big tween-dream hit for Riley at Dream Productions.

If anyone could be trusted to run your dreams, it’s Paula Pell.

And that’s just what she’s doing for “Inside Out” teen Riley in Pixar’s new four-episode limited series, “Dream Productions,” premiering on Disney+ December 11.

That’s right, mere months after “Inside Out 2” set box office records, Riley and her Core Emotions (led by Amy Poehler as Joy) are back onscreen in another story about managing a healthy relationship with your emotions.

Per the official logline: “Riley is growing up and when her memories need some extra processing, Joy and the rest of the Core Emotions send them to Dream Productions. Acclaimed director Paula Persimmon (voice of Paula Pell) faces a nightmare of her own: Trying to create the next hit dream after being paired up with Xeni (voice of Richard Ayoade), a smug daydream director looking to step up into the big leagues of night dreams.

Inside Out‘s cheery Joy (again voiced by Amy Poehler) is here to introduce you to the Dream Productions crew at the heart of a Pixar TV series between the events of Inside Out and Inside Out 2.

Premiering Wednesday, Dec. 11, on Disney+, the four-episode Dream Productions series returns to Riley’s mind, “where dreams really do come true — every night, on time and on budget,” says the official synopsis.

More from TVLineTVLine Items: Dope Thief Release Date, Pop Culture Jeopardy! Trailer and MoreSkeleton Crew: Jude Law Previews His 'Chaotic' Mystery Man, Says Star Wars Experience Is 'Everything Times 10'The...

Pixar Animation Studios has revealed the official trailer, key art, and images for the new series Dream Productions, which returns to Riley’s mind, where dreams really do come true – every night, on time, and on budget.

Taking place in between the events of Inside Out and Inside Out 2, all four episodes of the limited series come to Disney+ beginning December 11, 2024.

Riley is growing up, and when her memories need some extra processing, Joy and the rest of the Core Emotions send them to Dream Productions.

Acclaimed director Paula Persimmon (voice of Paula Pell) faces a nightmare of her own: Trying to create the next hit dream after being paired up with Xeni (voice of Richard Ayoade), a smug daydream director looking to step up into the big leagues of night dreams.

Also featuring the voices of Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Ally Maki, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale,...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

2024 has been a great year so far, with brilliant animated films released this year. While the year started out slow, but after Inside Out 2 came out in theaters and broke every conceivable record, it was off to the races. We compiled a list of the best animated films we could find that came out this year. So, rest up gather your family for most of these films, and enjoy these best-animated films of 2024.

Transformers One (Paramount+ & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Paramount Pictures

Transformers One is an animated sci-fi action film directed by Josh Cooley from a screenplay co-written by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari. Based on the Transformers action figures by Hasbro, the 2024 film follows the origin stories of Optimus Prime and Megatron who were once friends before turning into each others’ arch nemesis.

Inside Out 2 has become one of 2024s biggest successes, and its now proving why Pixar is reversing its stance on sequels. As its now a tradition for the studio, Pixar keeps releasing at least one movie per year, and 2024 saw the long-awaited release of Inside Out 2. Directed by Kelsey Mann, Inside Out 2 reunited the audience with Riley Andersen (voiced by Kensington Tallman), now a 13-year-old, and the emotions in charge of everything at the Headquarters in her head: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Disgust (Liza Lapira), Fear (Tony Hale), and Anger (Lewis Black).

Inside Out 2 follows Riley as she enters puberty and attends a weekend hockey camp with her best friends, who tell her they wont be attending the same high school. To make it more complicated for Riley, a group of new emotions arrive at the Headquarters: Anxiety, Envy, Ennui, and Embarrassment. Anxiety takes over,...

Tony Hale has mined great depths of humor from neuroses in the past, from his role as Buster in Arrested Development to his wonderful 'bag man,' Gary, in Veep. He did this in the most literal way imaginable this year, when he took on the voice of Fear in the animated sequel, Inside Out 2. That film would go on to become the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, and it appears it will be the highest-grossing film of 2024, as well. The year of Inside Out isn't over yet, though, with a special limited series spin-off of the films coming to Disney+ before 2025, titled Dream Productions. Hale shared his excitement with us:

"I haven't seen it yet, so I'm really eager. I think it comes out in December, I think that's when it comes out. I mean, here's the thing, Pixar is just a creative machine to me, and...

After the immense success of Inside Out 2, a fan-made concept trailer imagines how the story of the franchise would play out in a live-action film. It's the latest video to utilize AI to picture what a live-action adaptation of an animated movie may look like.

The video was posted on YouTube by Multiverse of Movies. It's the same channel that has previously shared live-action movie concept trailers for animated shows like The Simpsons, South Park, and Futurama, as well as video games such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Other Pixar films have also gotten the treatment, including Toy Story and The Incredibles. Similarly, Inside Out has now gotten a concept trailer of its own, which was made with the assistance of AI-generated imagery.

Related 'He Was Really Fun': Inside Out 2 Writer Reveals Another Deleted Villain

Inside Out 2 almost featured another emotion to stir Riley's internal conflict alongside Anxiety and Shame.

Inside Out 2 is an excellent sequel that builds on the original films premise, as Riley (Kensington Tallman) hits puberty. An array of more complex emotions are added to the mix, with Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) joining original characters Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale), Disgust (Liza Lapira), and Anger (Lewis Black). Though the emotions are brought to life impeccably, the film is missing something that elevated the originals emotional impact Bing Bong (Richard Kind).

Inside Out 2's lineup of deleted emotions gets longer with new reveals from the head creatives. Writer Meg LeFauve dropped another candidate that didn't make the cut, and it's an emotion that would've paired well with Shame.

Writer Meg LeFauve revealed Inside Out 2 almost featured another villain: Schadenfreude, and he's unique because he causes other people to feel anxiety or shame. "Schadenfreude came in and out pretty quick," she told The Direct. "He was really fun. It's a German word for an emotion where you laugh at people's pain. Which is very teenager-y because you don't have a frontal lobe, and it's why we all laugh at pratfalls. Because somebody falls, we laugh; it's funny, right? But why does our brain do that? That's Schadenfreude. But he didn't make it."

Related Inside Out 2 Director Reveals New Emotion in Deleted Scene

A new emotion jumps in to stoke...

Inside Out 2 ventures further into the depths of Riley's mind and uncovers her Deep Dark Secret. The 2024 animated coming-of-age film, directed by Kelsey Mann and written by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein, is a sequel to Pixar's hit 2015 movie and picks up one year after Inside Out's ending. Riley becomes a teenager in Inside Out 2, meaning that she hits puberty and experiences several new emotions, including Anxiety, Envy, and Embarrassment. However, when the new emotions move into headquarters, their ideas about what's best for Riley contradict Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger's plans for their girl.

Although Pixar hasn't confirmed it, Inside Out 2's success indicates that the animation studio will produce more sequels (which will hopefully introduce more new emotions).

Soon after its premiere in June 2024, Inside Out 2 broke multiple box office records. Many anticipated that the Pixar sequel would perform well in theaters,...

Pixar's Inside Out 2 cast brings back plenty of iconic voice actors to reprise their familiar roles, recasting main characters, and introducing new emotions. After the first Inside Out movie charted the fluctuating emotions of 11-year-old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) as she struggled to adapt to her parents moving her to a new city, Inside Out 2's story picks up with a teenage Riley contending with a whole bunch of new emotions. The sequel introduces new personified feelings, such as Anxiety and Envy, as well as brings back fan favorites from the first film.

The two prominent emotions whose dichotomy formed the first movie's backbone Joy and Sadness are back in the spotlight in Inside Out 2 as they deal with the new emotions taking over headquarters and kicking them out. Meanwhile, other characters see a radical shake-up from the original film's ensemble. Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader didn't...

Quick Links Inside Out 2 and Eighth Grade Tackle Teen Pressure and Expectations Inside Out 2 and Eighth Grade Explore the Images We Present to the World Both Films Understand Fundamental Truths About Growing Up

Four months after its release, its clear that Inside Out 2 was the blockbuster hit that Disney and Pixar desperately needed. The once unstoppable animation studio had a rough couple of years, thanks to a mix of poor marketing, middling audience reception, and a struggle to recapture viewers conditioned to watch a new release on Disney+ rather than going out to the theater. But Inside Out 2 surpassed all expectations; not only did it please both critics and fans of the masterful original, but its now Pixars highest-grossing release ever.

And while it might not attain the utter perfection of the first installment, whats refreshing about Inside Out 2 is its subtle genre shift. As...

Inside Out 2 was not only a box office smash hit, but also a streaming sensation, bringing in record numbers on Disney+. It debuted on the streamer on September 25 after an incredible theatrical run, where it was number one at the domestic box office for three weeks. The film grossed $652 million domestically, and $1.69 billion worldwide, to become the highest-grossing movie of 2024. It was known Inside Out 2's arrival on Disney+ would be a big deal, but the Pixar sequel continues to blow past expectations.

According to Deadline, Inside Out 2 generated 30.5 million views worldwide on Disney+ in its first five days. Inside Out 2 is easily the biggest movie premiere on Disney+ in 2024, but also the largest debut since Encanto dropped on Disney+ on Christmas Eve of 2021. It is also the biggest premiere on Disney+ in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and in Latin America, continuing the film's strong...

The animated sequel Inside Out 2 continues to find great success after its recent debut on Disney+. After dominating the box office as one of the highest-earning movies ever released, the film has become an instant hit on streaming.

Per ComicBook.com, Inside Out 2 pulled in 30.5 million views on Disney+ within its first five days of availability. This is the second-biggest opening for a theatrical film on Disney+ in the streaming platform's history, behind only 2021's Encanto. Notably, Inside Out 2 still set the record for the most-watched Disney+ title in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

Related Inside Out 2 Knocks Down Disney Remake to Become 9th Biggest Movie Ever

After its astounding box office success, Inside Out 2 has dethroned a Disney remake as one of the biggest movies worldwide.

During its run in theaters, Inside Out 2 became the highest-grossing animated film of all time.

“Inside Out 2” is continuing to break records even after leaving theaters.

The Pixar film — which became the highest-grossing animated movie of all time this year — also debuted as the top streaming premiere for 2024 on Disney+. It hit the streamer on Sept. 25 and has amassed 30.5 million views worldwide in its first five days.

The sequel is the No. 1 theatrical premiere on Disney+ since 2021’s “Encanto” and the biggest film premiere of all time for the streamer in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Back in July, “Inside Out 2” passed 2019’s “Frozen II” and its previous record-holding $1.45 billion global run. It also managed to beat out last year’s highest-grossing film “Barbie,” which pulled in $1.44 billion. The film blew by high expectations when it earned $154 million in its opening weekend and crossed the billion-dollar threshold in a mere 19 days.

“Inside Out 2” also marks a return to form...

The highest grossing animated movie of all time, Disney’s Inside Out 2, drew 30.5 million views worldwide on Disney+ in its first five days, not only becoming the No. 1 film premiere Ytd, but even more.

The sequel dropped on Disney+ on Sept. 25, repping a 104 theatrical window for the movie between cinemas and the streaming service.

Inside Out 2‘s viewership is the best film premiere on Disney+ since Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Encanto (2021), and the No. 1 film premiere of all time in Emea and Latam (Latin America).

Since the first Inside Out 2 teaser trailer premiered to record numbers, there have been more than 121 million views of Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out (2015) globally on Disney+.

The movie opened on June 14 in theaters to $295M WW, the third debut for an animated movie ever, returning Disney to its pre-Covid box office glory. That sequel directed...

Inside Out 2 has a hidden connection to a Pixar hit from the previous year. The 2024 Pixar movie is a direct sequel to their 2015 movie Inside Out, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature the following year. The new installment features the return of many original emotions populating the world inside the head of young girl Riley including Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear, and Disgust.

The Inside Out 2 cast also introduces new emotions including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adle Exarchopoulos). Like all Pixar movies, both Inside Out and its sequel contain references to previous entries in the company's canon, including blink-and-miss-it glimpses of the Pizza Planet truck from the Toy Story universe. However, one particular element that connects the new movie to a previous movie is much more subtle.

Related All 28 Pixar Movies Ranked...

A beloved animated franchise is turning Disney+s rankings inside out. At the time of this writing, and coming on the heels of Inside Out 2s streaming release on Wednesday, September 25, Disneys emotionally charged film series is dominating the streamers Top 5 movies. As confirmed by Flix Patrol, the long-awaited sequel Inside Out 2, the original Inside Out and the 2015 short flick Rileys First Date? rank No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 respectively. And if not for the Dwayne The Rock Johnson-led Moana (2016), the Inside Out saga would have laid claim to gold, silver and bronze medals.

Inside Out 2 3.5/5 PGAdventureComedyAnimationDramaFamily

Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the 2015 original film, which starred a young girl named Riley with a head full of emotions. - literally. With Amy Pohler as Joy, Bill Hader as fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, the all-star cast brought...

Animated sequels rarely live up to the standards of the original, especially since many animated classics are left as standalone movies. It's only in the 21st century that animated sequels have become more popular. Before this shift, animated movies were either left untouched or given direct-to-video sequels with little fanfare, as was the case with many Disney classics. The landscape of animated movies is much different now.

The 21st century has seen the rise of long-running animated franchises such as Shrek, Toy Story and Kung Fu Panda. Still, sequels can be tricky business, with studios struggling to come up with storylines as vibrant as those in the original movies. However, there are some exceptions where a sequel can strike upon a brilliant idea. In these cases, some sequels can even improve upon the animated classics which inspired them.

Related Why Walt Disney Didn't Make Sequels To His Animated Movies

None...

Inside Out 2 saw Riley dealing with new emotions while Joy and the rest tried to regain control of the Headquarters, and the movie left a big question at the end regarding Riley and the hockey team. Pixar continues to be a powerhouse in the world of animation, and though the studio doesnt make many sequels, the success of Inside Out in 2015 granted it a sequel. Almost ten years later, Inside Out 2 finally arrived to reunite viewers with Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman) and her emotions Joy (Amy Poehler), Disgust (Liza Lapira), Fear (Tony Hale), Sadness (Phyliis Smith), and Anger (Lewis Black).

Inside Out 2 takes place two years after the events of the first movie, following a now 13-year-old Riley as she prepares to go to ice hockey camp for the weekend. Unable to cope with the news that her best friends will go to a different high school,...