Inside Out 2 Director On Pixar’s Sequels And Originals: ‘We’re Always Trying To Find A Balance’

It’s fair to say that Inside Out 2 was a colossal hit. Arriving when Pixar arguably needed a big commercial smash, it didn’t just bring in a studio-best box office number – it became the biggest animated film of all time, earning a cool $1.69 billion in cinemas. How that level of success impacts the studio going forward remains to be seen – fans are always cautious that Pixar’s ratio of sequels doesn’t outweigh the original projects with which the studio made its name.

The announcement of Incredibles 3 at D23 – along with updates on Toy Story 5 – might have Pixar fans wary of what comes next. But there are plenty of original works, too, in the upcoming Elio, Hoppers, and serialised streaming show Win Or Lose. “We’re always trying to find a balance,” Inside Out 2 director Kelsey Mann tells Empire in a major new interview – noting that several projects currently underway at Pixar aren’t yet public knowledge. “I have to think about what you know about... Your number of originals and sequels is different than the number in my head! Because I know everything that we’re doing,” he teases. “But we’re always trying to find the right balance.”