A teenage Riley in Inside Out 2 means all sorts of new emotions
Get ready for some serious teenage angst. Disney and Pixar Studios have just dropped the trailer for Inside Out 2, and in this first look, it seems as though emotions Joy, Anger, Disgust, and Fear have things running smoothly at HQ (aka Riley’s mind) when all of a sudden—it’s demolition day. When the dust clears, we get a sneak peek at a few new emotions about to take up residence. Anxiety arrives first, and boy does she make an entrance. Voiced by Maya Hawke, she immediately starts apologizing for her very presence, as someone with anxiety is apt to do. Inside Out 2 is slated to hit theaters in 2024, and if the trailer is any indication, it’s going to be a hit.
When announcing the sequel in 2022, Poehler said that the new film will “take place inside Riley’s head, only this time she’s a teenager.” Anyone who either has been, known, has parented, or come into contact with a teenager understands this will be a tall—and important—order to get right.
Poehler announced she would return as Joy, while Meg LeFauve, who co-wrote the original with Pete Docter and Josh Cooley, will write the script. Mark Nielsen is on board to produce the film.
Directed by Pete Doctor and co-directed by Ronnie Del Carmen, Inside Out follows the young girl Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), who leaves the comfort of her Midwest life and moves with her family to San Francisco. Each of her emotions is voiced by different actors: Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith), and we watch as she tries to navigate all that comes with moving—school, home life, and meeting new friends. Docter conceived Inside Out in late 2009 after noticing how his daughter was growing and changing as she grew up as a middle schooler. The film was released in 2015.
The original Inside Out premiered at the 68th Cannes Film Festival, grossing nearly $859M worldwide upon its release. The film also received a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. It ended with Joy finally recognizing that Riley needed to experience a life with more complex emotions, and we think she’ll be on a wild ride trying to fit into Riley’s life as a full-blown teen.
