Inside Out 2: Release Date, Trailer, The Cast, Story And Other Things We Know About The Pixar Sequel

Inside Out 2 is coming to theaters soon – and this is what we know about it. 

In 2015, Pixar's film of the year seemed to set out to answer the question “what if feelings had feelings?” And with that, they delivered Inside Out, arguably one of the best Pixar films in years that not only connected with kids, but adults as well. The movie was critically acclaimed, and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

As has been the case with some of the most successful Pixar films, a sequel is usually not that far behind. And now, Inside Out 2 is nearly here. 

However, who is going to star in this film? And when is it going to be released? For all of your Inside Out 2 worries and queries, we know some things that you should keep in mind while we wait for this movie to come to theaters. 

What Is The Inside Out 2 Release Date?

It’s been confirmed that Inside Out 2 is going to release on June 14, 2024, so expect to see this on our 2024 movie release schedule. 

Watch The Inside Out 2 Trailer

If you’re as curious about Inside Out 2 as I am, then you have to check out the official trailer that was released in early 2024. The first look gives Pixar lovers their first sneak peek into Riley turning into a teenager, playing hockey, and the new emotions that Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust are going to have to deal with as they take up space in Riley’s head as she grows up. 

Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, And More Will Star In The Inside Out 2 Cast

There are so many cast members to look forward to with the Inside Out 2 cast. Here is who will be starring in the upcoming film: 

Amy Poehler as Joy

Oh, Joy! This is a joyous day indeed because Amy Poehler is going to be back to play Joy, the main emotion that we followed in the first Inside Out. It was confirmed at the time of the announcement at D23 in 2022 that she’s going to be around for the sequel, which is so fun to hear. 

Poehler has done plenty of great character roles, but her voice performance as Joy has always been one of my favorites. Poehler even had the chance to talk about getting back into the role and about why she loves voicing Joy so much in The Hollywood Reporter in April 2024, saying it’s “healing work” for her:

Phyllis Smith as Sadness

We know that Phyllis Smith, known for her role in The Office cast, will return as Sadness. Her role was confirmed from the initial trailer of the movie. The actress has also appeared in Bad Teacher, The OA and more. 

Lewis Black as Anger

Comedian Lewis Black will be back as Anger in Inside Out 2, which was also confirmed from the trailer of the film. Lewis Black has also appeared in The Daily Show and hosted his own series called Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil. 

Tony Hale as Fear

While Bill Hader initially voiced Fear in the first Inside Out, Tony Hale will be taking over the character, as confirmed in the first trailer for Inside Out 2. Hale was a part of the Veep cast for many years, and has done plenty of voice-acting, including a role for Pixar in Toy Story 4, where he voiced Forky. 

Liza Lapira as Disgust

Mindy Kaling will not be back as Disgust. In an interview Kaling did with The Wrap in January 2023, she confirmed that she will not be in the upcoming sequel.

Instead, Liza Lapira will voice the green emotion, as confirmed by the trailer. Lapira has appeared in various TV shows before including Dollhouse, NCIS, Traffic Light, The Equalizer and more. She also appeared in the films 21, Marmaduke, All I Wish and Repo Man among others. 

Maya Hawke as Anxiety

Pete Docter, who is the Chief Creative Officer of Pixar, spoke with The Wrap in February 2023 about the upcoming movie, and explained that the reason they wanted to make a sequel was “explore new emotions,” and broaden the scope of Riley’s mind. 

Now, we have confirmation that one of those new emotions will be Anxiety, confirmed from the trailer, and that she will be voiced by Maya Hawke. The young actress has been making waves in the industry over the last few years, from her breakout role on Stranger Things to her starring role in Do Revenge to a supporting role in Maestro. And now, she’ll be stepping into voice-acting territory and voice one of the most typical teenage emotions. 

Yeah, I can’t think of a better fit, and I can’t wait to see this. 

Ayo Edebiri as Envy

Also confirmed by the trailer is that Ayo Edebiri will be playing Envy, another new emotion. Ayo Edebiri has blown up on the scene over the last few years with her co-starring role in The Bear cast, but she’s also held roles in Bottoms, Big Mouth, Theater Camp and more. 

Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui

Adèle Exarchopoulos will play Ennui, the third new emotion, as confirmed from the trailer for Inside Out 2. The French actress has appeared in several French films such as Blue is the Warmest Colour, Insecure, Orphan, Elemental as the French dub for Ember, Passages, and more. 

Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment

Paul Walter Hauser will star as Embarrassment, the fourth and final new emotion in Inside Out 2, as confirmed by the trailer. The actor has appeared in films like I, Tonya, BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods, Cruella, Richard Jewell, and more. 

This cast already has me so excited for these emotions and I need to know way more about them. 

Inside Out 2 Will Take Place While Riley Is A Teenager

Bring on the boy bands and “it’s not a phase, Mom!” because this is something that I am so excited to see. At the D23 Expo, Amy Poehler said that Inside Out 2 is going to take place inside Riley’s head as a teenager.

Poehler even spoke to People in September 2022 about the upcoming film, and how it’s going to explore the “madness” of a teenager’s brain during puberty in. 

Then, when the trailer was dropped, we see how the existing emotions are realizing they have to deal with new emotions that suddenly appear in Riley’s mind when she becomes a teenager.

In fact, at first, it seems like Joy is almost a fan of Anxiety, according to an interview that Poehler did People in April 2024:

But of course, not everything goes as planned. 

CinemaBlend even got to see the first half hour of the film at the Walt Disney panel at 2024’s CinemaCon, where Sean O’Connell described it as "magnificent," and that’s only the first thirty-five minutes. I have a feeling we’re all going to cry. 

Kelsey Mann Directed The Feature

Kelsey Mann directed Inside Out 2, as it was confirmed at D23 2022

While Mann has not directed a Pixar feature film previously, he has worked on the team behind many of them, including working on the story for The Good Dinosaur, as well as working as a creative consultant for the fun Disney+ original series, Monsters at Work. He also was a part of the creative team for Lightyear, and worked on the story for Onward. 

The previous film was directed by Pete Docter, who has to be considered Pixar royalty at this point. Docter directed three of my favorite Pixar films - Monsters, Inc., Up, and Soul, so he’s most certainly proved himself in the world of animation. But I’m eager to see what a fresh perspective will do for a sequel to a movie as beloved as Inside Out is. 

Meg LeFauve Penned The Script

While the director for the original movie won’t be returning, one of the original screenplay writers will be coming back for a second round. Pixar's announcement at 2022’s D23 confirmed that Meg LeFauve, who co-wrote the screenplay for Inside Out, would be returning to pen the script for the sequel. 

This is super exciting news, considering I loved the story of Riley learning to adapt in this new environment and trying to process her emotions to properly deal with it, while also watching the journey of Joy learning to accept sadness as a part of Riley’s life. It was beautiful and heartwarming -- oh, and let’s not forget about my favorite scene-stealer, Bing Bong (yup, already crying). 

To hear that LeFauve will be returning to write has me even more excited for what’s to come, and I can’t wait to see what story she creates for this wonderful world of emotions again. 

What are you the most excited for with Inside Out? I can feel the joy jumping up and down inside of me...while fear is slowly rocking back and forth in a fetal position hoping that they end up doing this sequel right. I can’t wait until June 2024.