Will Inside Out 3 happen?

Pixar's Inside Out 2 has made a huge splash at the global box office, becoming the top-grossing film of 2024 so far.

The excitement around the sequel – set inside the mind of a teenage girl – has sparked speculation that it could be followed by Inside Out 3.

Here's all we know about the possibility of a threequel.

Will Inside Out 3 happen?

It's still too early to know if Inside Out 3 will happen.

The second film has been a critical and financial success, earning a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes and grossing more than $720m worldwide.

This success could lead Pixar to announce a third movie, but nothing has been confirmed yet. At the moment, we only know about two upcoming films on the studio's slate, 2025's sci-fi adventure Elio and 2026's Toy Story 5.

If Inside Out 3 does go ahead, Inside Out would become only the third Pixar franchise to get a threequel, following Toy Story and Cars.

Why is Pixar making more sequels?

Inside Out 2 is notable for being Pixar's first sequel in five years.

After the release of 2019's Toy Story 4, the studio changed its strategy to focus on original films, such as Soul, Luca and Elemental. But in the wake of the COVID pandemic and falling box-office numbers, the animation giant has returned to money-spinning franchises like Toy Story.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company is "now swinging back a bit to lean on sequels" because "there's a lot of value" in existing franchises.

This could bode well for Inside Out fans who hope to see more of Riley, the protagonist, as she navigates high school and adolescence. What's more, the ending of the latest film left the door open to another instalment.

However, it's worth bearing in mind that Inside Out 2 came out nine years after the original movie, so cinema-goers could face a long wait for another outing.

What has Amy Poehler said about Inside Out 3?

Amy Poehler, who voices Joy, has said she is keen to return for further outings.

In an exclusive interview with Yahoo UK, she said: "Maybe it could be as simple as we meet Riley when she's graduating high school. Or she's having her first experience of romantic love.

"I mean anything I can think of Pixar would think of a much better, more creative version. But yes, it would be amazing to keep following her and, in a way, keep tracking us [emotions] because that's really what we're doing."

Meanwhile, she told Empire that Pixar "should make these films like Seven Up, every couple of years in Riley's life", featuring "distinct new emotions that are showing up all the time."

What has Kelsey Mann said about Inside Out 3?

Kelsey Mann, who directed the sequel, already has "a whole stockpile of ideas" which could be used for Inside Out 3.

He USA Today: "They're too good, they're too funny, they're too interesting for them not to be tapped into. So I have no idea where the future will go, [but] it should continue because I think it's something that the audience really wants."

Speaking about how fans have embraced the franchise, he added: "There's something about the Inside Out world where it's met with open arms. Everybody's like, 'What age is she? I can't wait to hear where she is in her life'."

Who could join the cast of Inside Out 3?

Inside Out 2 added a string of new stars to the cast, including Stranger Things' Maya Hawke and The Bear's Ayo Edebiri, as it tackled new emotions such as Anxiety and Envy.

It's unclear which actors would reprise their roles in a third film. However, it's likely that further emotions could be added as Riley enters the next stage of her life. Guilt, Jealousy and Shame were all cut from Inside Out 2, the latter because it would have made the film "too dark".

Will there be an Inside Out TV series?

Yes, Pixar has confirmed that an Inside Out spin-off TV series is coming soon. The show, titled Dream Productions, will arrive on streaming service Disney+ in spring 2025.

Pixar boss Pete Docter, who directed the original Inside Out, told Entertainment Weekly: "In the first film, remember we go to Dream Production to see how Riley's dreams are made? It semi-explains why they're so weird.

"We've continued the exploration of the power of dreams and how they affect us in our waking life, as well. So it's pretty cool."

The only other Pixar films to have spawned spin-off shows are Toy Story and 2001's Monsters, Inc.

Inside Out 2 is out in UK cinemas and IMAX now