Summary
Nothing is confirmed about the future of theInside Outfranchise, but considering the success of the previous two movies, there is a good chance it could become a trilogy. However, if that does end up being the case, then it will be important forPixarto shake things up to prevent it from becoming stale.
One way to achieve that is by making a more adult movie due to the emotions at play, which could create Pixar’s most grown-up film yet. Pixar is notorious for appealing to young audiences and adults who remain young at heart, and another installment of theInside Outfranchise should lean into that even more.
Should Inside Out 3 Happen?
When it comes to creating Pixar’s newest movies, audiences are often divided on what they want to see. People always clamor for new stories to be told with fresh characters that are completely different from what has been done before. They become frustratedwhen Pixar announces sequelsbecause they feel it lacks creativity, but sequels have led to some of the greatest movies Pixar has ever made.
Plenty of people also want to see sequels and have the worlds and characters they love developed further. There’s a reason why Pixar tends to do plenty of sequels and that’s because there is an audience demanding it, and that’s certainly the case with a potentialInside Out 3movie. The original did well, butInside Out 2ended up becoming a smash hit for Pixar and remains the animation studios’highest-grossing film of all time.
Not only that, but it became the highest-grossing animation of all time and the 13th highest-grossing film of all time. Considering those results came in a post-pandemic era of cinema, it is even more impressive. When a film is able to generate that kind of financial success, it tends to be inevitable that sequels will follow. It wasn’t just commercially successful as the film won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and became a critical hit too. The fact that Pixar was able to tick both boxes withInside Out 2leads people to believe thatthis story will become a trilogy.
Why Riley Should Be Much Older?
Pixar made Riley two years older inInside Out 2when she was entering high school and stepping into another stage of her life. It was wise to make that change because it ensured the story was slightly fresher and that not only Riley matured, but emotions all matured with her. Seeing Riley become older also exposed her to newer emotions, injecting fresh characters into the movie, which helped the story feel unique.
Should a third movie be created, then it will be important for Riley to jump up in age once again to ensure that there can be a complete change in the story. Given that she’s already 13inInside Out 2, having her be much older would make the most sense so that there can be a significant change in her life. While a lot can happen during someone’s early teen years,Inside Out 2did a great job covering that time, which is why so many people are connected to the story.
If Pixar is willing to take the gamble of making Riley much older, they would open themselves up to another big change once again. Having Riley come toward the end of her teenage years, possibly heading to University, would put enough years between the past movie and the new one to open up as many storyline possibilities and new characters as possible. Pixar could even push it further to Riley being a mother herself, which could lead to her character’s relationship with her parents being explored more whilehighlighting the adult emotions.
Adult Emotions Could Be Used To Make Pixar’s Most Grown-Up Movie
The emotions are essentially the main characters of theInside Outfranchise, even though their actions ultimately impact Riley’s life. People loved the new characters introduced in the sequel, and it helped the movie connect with older viewers because emotions like Anxiety were easier to understand and associate with. That’s why Pixar should go down that path again forInside Out 3,adding more emotions that cantackle even deeper adult feelings.
Younger viewers will have grown up with Riley and the emotions and will, therefore, be close to being in the position of dealing with those feelings anyway. The bright world that has been created means that younger fans are sure to still have fun with the story. Pixar has given glimpses of how adult emotions can react whenRiley’s parents' emotions have been highlighted, and they often create some of the funniest scenes in the franchise.
Pixar movies might be primarily targeted toward a younger audience. Still, they have always touched on adult emotions, which means they can be appreciated by everyone, which is what makes Pixar so special. However,Inside Out 3dives the deepest into the emotional aspect of people’s lives because that is what this franchise is all about. Therefore, a potential third film has the chance to be the most adult-orientated film the studios have created yet.
