More good news for exhibitors, “Inside Out 2” had an earth shattering $50M Friday, and that’s not counting the $13M it grossed on Thursday. The film also garnered a predictable “A” on CinemaScore.
Projections are now hinting at a $150M 3-day weekend which would make it the 2nd highest animated opening ever at the domestic box-office. Some are now predicting, when all is said and done, a $500M domestic run for the film.
These are truly astounding numbers, especially coming off all of those doom and gloom think pieces from just a few weeks ago (“theatrical is dying!”) where journalists were mourning the death of cinema.
What happened? It’s quite simple, really: sequels to much-beloved originals will, more times than not, turn in huge numbers. Going to the movies is not about original storytelling with mainstream audiences, but rather taking in comfort food, being part of a buzzy event.