Pixar dropped its much-anticipated trailer for Inside Out 2 the beginning of November, reigniting our nostalgia and love for the former movie, Inside Out. In the trailer, we see huge, frantic changes being made in Riley’s brain, as she starts her tumultuous teenage years. We also get a glimpse of a new character, Anxiety. With a nervous voice, Anxiety then goes on to say to the emotions that, “We wanted to make such a good impression,” implying there are more new emotions to arrive. Anxiety is voiced by the familiar face of Maya Hawke from Stranger Things; another aspect to look forward to in this new film.

We cannot go on to talk about what to expect in the sequel without discussing the success of the first film. Inside Out scored an impressive 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, earning an admirable $856 million in the box office (Deadline). Not only that, Inside Out remains a favorite, heartfelt movie for many teenagers who saw the first movie as a kid. Inside Out became an introduction for the deep, saddening emotions we couldn’t yet dissect. With Riley as the main protagonist, Inside Out pictured genuine, difficult moments, like a traumatic event, falling into a depression, suppressing emotion, embarrassment, hurt, and everything in between. And the key to why this was so deeply felt is relatability. Even if those overwhelming, intense moments had not happened to us at the time watching the film, when it did (and it did for everyone), we were reminded of Riley and her journey through difficult emotions. 

Now onto the sequel. Riley turns thirteen, marking the pivotal start of seven years going through chaotic change: social, physical, and mental. Grappling with emotional change turns up a notch for Riley, as Pete Doctor, the chief creative officer of Pixar, revealed that there will be up to 27 new emotions introduced to her brain (Movie Web). Some of these new emotions are envy, ennui (boredom; essentially), and embarrassment; significant and dominant emotions felt in our teenage years. A sequel for Inside Out makes complete sense for this particular movie, because naturally, as you get older, you make new experiences, feelings, and connections. Pixar did not have to force an artificial storyline, as it is naturally depicted in the central focus of the film: Riley. 

What is so special, especially to teenagers, about this film is that what Riley is going through directly represents their life. Abby Phan(11) shares this sentiment, saying, “I’m excited to see a movie I remember seeing as a kid, except now I’m all grown up. It’s cool seeing the franchise grow up with our generation and introduce new emotions we’re familiar with as teens.” The trailer for Inside Out 2 leaves many possibilities for what this movie will explore. Stay tuned this summer to see what Riley and her 27 new emotions will venture through!