Fans of Disney Pixar Inside Out are going to love Inside Out 2. With new emotions at the console, we’re back inside the mind of Riley—this time in her teenage years.
At a recent press event, I had the opportunity to learn more about the development of Disney Pixar Inside Out 2 from director Kelsey Mann and producer Mark Neilsen.
BELIEF SYSTEM – In Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” Riley’s Sense of Self is made up of all of her beliefs, each of which can be heard with the pluck of a string. Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith) and Joy (voice of Amy Poehler) deliver key memories to this formative land. “Inside Out 2” releases only in theaters June 14, 2024. © 2024 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
Disney Pixar Inside Out 2 Inside Look with Director Kelsey Mann and Producer Mark Nielsen
Were there emotions that didn’t make the cut?
Mann: Yes, there were lots of emotions that didn’t make the cut, both for this film, and the original film. In fact, I even started by rewatching every single screening of the first movie, as I just wanted to see if there’s any gems that were like in there that I could bring back in. One of them is the emotion of schadenfreude.
NEW EMOTIONS — Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as new Emotions show up. Embarrassment (voice of Paul Walter Hauser), Anxiety (voice of Maya Hawke), Envy (voice of Ayo Edebiri) and Ennui (voice of Adèle Exarchopoulos) are ready to take a turn at the console. Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen, “Inside Out 2” releases only in theaters June 14, 2024. © 2024 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
On narrowing down the emotions to use
Mann: My first pass, my first screening that we did nine emotions, nine new emotions showed up. I really want to joy to feel overwhelmed by all these new emotions that showed up. And I was like, well, let’s have a lot show up. And then you couldn’t keep track. There are so many emotions, and they all cancel each other out because you couldn’t keep up with everybody, and my first note from the first screening was simplify too many ingredients.
But yeah, there was a ton of emotions. And then we ended up like why did we end up with the ones we ended up with? First and foremost, I knew there was going to be dealing with becoming a teenager. So I’m like it’s got to be the emotions that show up and drive at the console when we’re teenagers. And I remember bringing with Decker Keltner he’s a he’s a professor over here at Berkeley and he was our emotional expert on the first film. So I brought him back in when it was just me by myself and development. …”It’s all the ones that are the self conscious, all the ones at this age you start.”
We’re hardwired at this age, to start to become really self conscious. And in part we’re doing it because when you’re a kid, you’ve got your parents and your caregivers taking care of you. And eventually, you’re going to have to take care of yourself. And that’s that’s why we’re hardwired to like push our parents and our caregivers away is that we can become independent people that can take care of ourselves.
And so that’s why you worry so much about “What you all are thinking of me. How do I fit in? Do you like me?” You know, it’s all about fitting in at that age, and it’s it’s part of our design of who we are because if you don’t like me, you’re gonna you’re gonna banish me I’m gonna go out into the woods and die alone.
And so it’s all that’s why we kind of worry so much about what others think of us at that age and kind of turns on it. It kind of never goes away. You kind of have to manage it, which is a big reason why I’m making this movie. So that’s why we ended up going towards the emotions that we have in the film now.
INSIDE OUT 2 – FOGHORN’S JOY – In Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” newly minted teenager Riley (voice of Kensington Tallman), her besties Bree (voice of Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green) and Grace (voice of Grace Lu), and their hockey team the Foghorns win the championship. Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen, “Inside Out 2” releases only in theaters June 14, 2024. © 2024 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
On the psychology of the film like getting inside the head of a young woman
Mann: One of our experts that we leaned on heavily is Dr. Lisa demore. I don’t know if you know her. She’s an author. She’s a clinical psychologist.
We also knew that we are not teenage girls and that it might be helpful to hear from people who are, so we created a trust that we call “Riley’s Crew,” and we had nine teenage girls. They’re an amazing group; greatest girls ever. They’re all in high school now, but they were in middle school, a lot of them when they started.
And every 4 months we would show the movie to them. And we would meet with them and have a note session and get their thoughts on like the characters, Riley’s relationship with her friend group, what’s going on with them emotionally, and does that resonate? Are we getting it right? Or is this true? You know, we were leaning on our [studio] crew heavily too, but a lot of them aren’t teenagers anymore. So that group was incredibly helpful. Man, did they give written notes. They gave sometimes better notes than the people who work here. They’re fantastic. But they treat it like an assignment…They really took it seriously.
On drawing from personal life
Mann: I started in January of 2020 on this movie. We went into quarantine. So I went home and we’re both at home. And we’d be in our offices at home and then right outside the door was our teenagers, and so it was like a research was right there right outside the door. Yeah, so it’s kind of nice to be right there. Because when I started my daughter was 13. And my son was 14. So I’m like this is the exact age I don’t want her to be in the movie. And so they’re immediately right there. You’re always pulling from your lives. And every movie I’ve done here we’re always talking about what it’s like to be alive and be a person of father, husband, you know, whatever it may be. So you’re always kind of putting that into the movie.
Nielsen: Yeah, you know, this really is a parental story and even though it takes place in Riley’s mind, she’s kind of the set piece and there’s something incredibly universal about this story and these emotions that we all have. And you know, even Joy, who is the protagonist of this story, has a very parental view of Riley and all the emotions do right they’re there to serve her. They’re there to do their very best to do whatever they need to protect their girl and to kind of steer her in the right way. And so even you know, the original film was based on Pete Docters’ observations of his daughter as she was growing up and going through change and becoming a young teen. And so having the parental lens on this film has been incredibly helpful.
*This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
MEET ANXIETY — Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as a new Emotion shows up unexpectedly. And Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, isn’t the type of Emotion who will take a back seat either. Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen, “Inside Out 2” releases only in theaters Summer 2024. © 2023 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
About Disney Pixar Inside Out 2
Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone. Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen with a score by Andrea Datzman, “Inside Out 2” releases only in theaters June 14, 2024.
Runtime: TBD
Rating: TBD
Director: Kelsey Mann
Producer: Mark Nielsen
Screenplay by: Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein
Score by: Andrea Datzman
Cast: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Ayo Edebiri, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Paul Walter Hauser, Kensington Tallman, Lilimar, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green, Grace Lu, Yvette Nicole Brown, Sarayu Blue, Flea, Ron Funches, Dave Goelz, James Austin Johnson, Bobby Moynihan, Frank Oz, Paula Pell, Paula Poundstone, John Ratzenberger, Kendall Coyne Schofield, June Squibb, Kirk Thatcher, Yong Yea
INSIDE OUT 2 opens exclusively in movie theatres everywhere on June 14th.
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