Although “Inside Out 2” is now the most financially successful animated film of all time, many elements were left out that could have given rise to another sequel.
In The Art of Inside Out 2, director Kelsey Mann features characters that didn’t make it into the second film, concepts that were cut, and background on some of the characters that were added.
Film review: “Inside Out 2” is a relaxed journey into familiar territory
Obviously, Fear became a central theme for many of the film’s animators. The wild character appears throughout and becomes a key player in the story. Fear, according to story supervisor John Hoffman, is an “overzealous intern who sees a problem and tries to solve it.”
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From left: Embarrassment, voiced by Paul Walter Hauser, Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, Envy, voiced by Ayo Edebiri, and Ennui, voiced by Adèle Exarchopoulos, in a scene from “Inside Out 2”.
Disney / Pixar
This helps set the tone of the film and shows how Riley, the person in whom all emotions find expression, struggles through these difficult years of adolescence.
Puberty – which plays an important role in the story – is an “intense, uncomfortable project that overwhelms the emotions”, according to John West, the set designer.
The concept arrives at a place called “Puberty Park,” where an emotional roller coaster shares space with the Bone Stretcher ride and the Growing Pains taffy and candy shop.
Other theme park-style ideas include Procrastination Land near Sar-Chasm and Spinney’s Pizza, the latter (which features in the film) named after Caroll Spinney, the Muppet who played Big Bird.
Joy, voiced by Amy Poehler, left, and Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, in a scene from “Inside Out 2.”
Pixar
The insights in Art of Inside Out 2 are much more comprehensive than other “making of” books. Artists who worked on various aspects of the film (including characters who were not in the film) have their say and explain what could have been. Captain Gail, one of the characters who did not make it into the film, offers a lot of visual possibilities and could be a starting point for Inside Out 3.
While we get plenty of details about the new emotions, we don’t hear much about Pouchy, a two-dimensional character who became a fan favorite. He’s here, but not on as many pages as Ennui, Embarrassment, and Envy.
From left: Sadness, voiced by Phyllis Smith, Joy, voiced by Amy Poehler, Disgust, voiced by Liza Lapira, Fear, voiced by Tony Hale, and Anger, voiced by Lewis Black, in a scene from Inside Out 2.
Disney / Pixar
There is a bedroom in Anxiety that provides insights not seen in the film. There we see inspirational posters, fidget spinners, a television and a cup of tea.
Twins – which symbolize jealousy – did not appear in the final film, but they convey feelings that “Envy” perhaps could not convey.
While Art of Inside Out 2 is a great tribute to the animators and artists working in the Pixar shop, its best contributions are the near-misses that didn’t make it into the film. A possible theme park ride? The basics are here.
Bruce Miller is editor of the Sioux City Journal.
