Pixar’s big summer movie, Inside Out, was a huge success all the way across the board. It hit with audiences, critics, and the box office. Now we can add the Oscars to that list as the film picked up two nominations yesterday, one for Best Animated Feature and another for Best Original Screenplay. With nearly any other studio the sequel would already be in pre-production. So what does all this say about the potential of Inside Out 2? According to the movie’s director, it’s a possibility, but far from a forgone conclusion.
Pete Docter already has one Academy Award for his work on Pixar’s Up but he has the potential to add two more to the trophy case as he both directed Inside Out and is one of four people credited with the screenplay. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, it’s clear that Docter is over the moon about the Oscar nominations, but that doesn’t mean he’s chomping at the bit to make a sequel.
To me it’s not as simple as we liked it, so let’s make another one. What happens is you design these characters not so much looks wise but as they are as character and people for a story. So we’ll explore it and see what happens.
Pete Docter is echoing comments that we’ve heard before from various people from within Pixar. There is little or no pressure within the company, or the larger Walt Disney Studios, to make sequels simply because a movie did well. Instead, the filmmakers focus on what stories they have to tell, and the best way to do that. Here, Docter says that the characters of Inside Out were only designed to tell this particular story, not necessarily a potential sequel. Moving them into another movie isn’t as simple as all that.
It’s very similar to comments that John Lasseter made regarding the upcoming Toy Story 4. The plans within Pixar had been to end the film series with the third installment, but the idea for the fourth film came along and they simply couldn’t pass it up. It’s possible that some idea for a great story might come along for Inside Out as well, and it does seem clear that nobody would hesitate to make that idea if it ever came along, but nobody is necessarily looking for it either.
We certainly aren't against Inside Out 2, especially with the confidence that Pixar would only make the movie if they had the right idea for it. What did you think of Inside Out? One trick pony, or sequel worthy?
