Coveted for its prized superior animation, Pixar is all set to go back to its Inside Out franchise. The first iteration of it released way back in 2015, made a resounding connection with audiences of all ages, and struck a deep chord for its themes and characters representing the natural human mind. Revolving around the character of Riley, the film’s genius and acclaim came from its artistic choices to depict the five main characters or primary emotions that resided in her brain, aka the Headquarters.
Ahead of the incumbent release of the second flick, the makers have taken further leaps and strides in making their characters more relatable. In a quest to resonate harmoniously with its viewers, the crew decided to cast one major new emotion and drew the inspiration for it from an acclaimed 2019 Adam Sandler movie, which is surprisingly very different from its genre. However, they have a very good reason to have drawn parallels.
Inside Out 2 carries over traits from Adam Sandler’s crime thriller
Inside Out 2 will follow a now-teenage Riley, who has to deal with new emotions such as Anxiety, Ennui, Envy, and Embarrassment, along with the original four of Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust. However, it is anxiety that is their prime focus and the reason why they turned to Adam Sandler’s Uncut Gems for inspiration.
The 2019 thriller followed the character of Howard Ratner, a die-hard gambling addict. A sense of anxiety prevailed throughout the movie owing to the risky decisions taken by the lead and was captured fluently by various cinematography techniques, such as handheld camera work, to bring about a sense of uneasiness. Additionally, the directors also focused on creating an air of tension with close-up shots.
Following those steps, the Pixar film also employs heavy movement and shakiness to depict that Anxiety is in control of Riley’s mind, as per a discussion of its story supervisors with Animation Magazine. The move to draw inspiration from a R-rated movie stands very unconventional and even bold considering Pixar’s reputation of being grounded and extremely kid-friendly in its approach.
Fans predict the tense nature of the upcoming movie
The revelation that Anxiety will serve as a prominent emotional character in Inside Out 2 has fans discussing the outlook of the movie. While several of them expressed their excitement for cinematography derived from Uncut Gems, others also wondered if they would be riddled with anxiousness from start to finish.
Finally, director Kelsey Mann spoke about the decision to have Anxiety depicted as an orange-hued persona.
We thought orange was the color that made sense for anxiety. The type of orange we used has the feeling of anxiety, and you can see the kind of thoughts that are going through the character’s mind because of the expression on her face.
The character will also feature a grizzly and confused appearance, mirroring the real-life implications of the emotion in real life, signaling a peak move as per fans.
So im basically gonna be filled with anxiety through the whole movie like I did with Uncut Gems?
— Ja'Crispy (@DakotaClayy) June 2, 2024
so it’s gonna be peak
— harv (@harvv) June 2, 2024
Definitely not something I was expecting.
— Richard Heaton (@RHNintendo) June 2, 2024
ok now I’m interested
— DavidB (@CGDavidB) June 3, 2024
Peak
— Soni Raj Singh (@SoniDreams_) June 2, 2024
So the shots are going to feel really claustrophobic to really hammer down the anxiety aspects of the film
— Ya boi Kriso (@the1trukrisso) June 2, 2024
Why is this making me somewhat more excited for this film.
— Gil Ramanujan (@gil_ramanujan) June 3, 2024
Lastly, Maya Hawke will take on the role of Anxiety. Furthermore, she will arrive in Riley’s head with six full suitcases to symbolize the emotional baggage that happens when one transitions through the phases of life, such as puberty and ascent into adulthood, highlighting the committed thought process behind the film’s making once again.
Inside Out 2 releases in theaters on June 14, 2024.
