'Inside Out 2' posts smashing debut at box office

LOS ANGELES

The coming-of-age movie "Inside Out 2" debuted atop the North American box office, raking in a whopping $155 million with its animated tale of teen angst, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported on June 16.

"This is a sensational opening by Pixar's own exceptional standard for a follow-up sequel," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

The movie snatched first place away from the Will Smith action comedy "Bad Boys: Ride or Die," which debuted at the top of the charts last week. This time in second place, it took in another $33 million for a total of $112 million in two weeks.

Sony's fourth instalment of the series is a major step in Smith's career rehabilitation after he slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in 2022, a sign that audiences are ready to welcome him back.

Jumping up two spots from last week to third place was 20th Century's action sci-fi "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" with $5.2 million in revenue in the Friday to Sunday period.

Fourth place went to Sony's family-friendly "The Garfield Movie," starring Chris Pratt as the lazy, lasagna-loving feline, which took in $5 million in ticket sales.

The Warner Bros horror film "The Watchers" slipped one spot to fifth place as it earned $3.7 million in sales.

Rounding out the top 10 were "If" ($3.5 million), "Furiosa: a Mad Max Saga" ($2.4 million), "The Fall Guy" ($1.5 million), "The Strangers: Chapter 1" ($760,000) and "Tuesday" ($292,000).