Inside Out 3 Should Follow Riley As A Parent With New Emotions

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Pixar is known for making movies the whole family can enjoy, and the Inside Out films are especially great. They follow Ripley as she grows up, using personified emotions to tell her story. While a third movie is likely in the future, Inside Out 3 will probably focus on Ripley as a young adult. The most obvious next step would be to show her going to college, as that’s a common time for people to move into adulthood. However, the filmmakers could also jump ahead and explore what it’s like for Ripley to become a parent, showing that experience through her emotions.

The latest Inside Out movie successfully added some new emotions, and the next film could explore the existing ones like Joy, Anger, and Embarrassment in more detail. Alternatively, if Pixar wants to introduce even more new emotions, an older, parent-aged Riley would offer a lot of possibilities.

Inside Out 3 Should Follow Riley‘s Moving Journey As A Parent

A third Inside Out movie featuring an adult Riley would be really interesting. It could explore the complexities of her emotions as she’s grown up, and even focus on her own child navigating their feelings. It would be great to see Amy Poehler return as Joy, helping Riley deal with the challenges of parenthood.

Given the complex feelings that come with becoming a parent, the creators of Inside Out 3 could introduce some new emotions. UC Berkeley research identifies 27 different emotions, and several of these would fit Riley’s story well. It would be interesting to see Riley experience feelings like nostalgia, adoration, relief, boredom, or surprise. For example, she might feel nostalgic for her life before becoming a parent and try to integrate her old self with her new identity. She could also feel adoration for her baby and relief when things go right after worrying about them. The early days with a newborn can also be boring at times, so that emotion could be included too. Plus, Riley is bound to be surprised by all the changes happening in her life. Considering all the worries that come with parenthood, Anxiety should definitely be a part of Inside Out 3 as well.

A third Inside Out movie could explore a lot of interesting territory. It might start with Riley experiencing new emotions as a baby, then jump ahead in time to follow her child navigating their own life changes. It would be compelling to see both Riley and her child deal with similar feelings. Perhaps Riley could move her family and reflect on her own upbringing, learning that difficult emotions are a part of life at any age – a relatable message for everyone. The film could also realistically portray the complexities of parenthood, acknowledging that joy and exhaustion often go hand-in-hand. This continues the heartfelt storytelling of the first two Inside Out films, offering a meaningful and universal message.

Viewers have watched Riley grow up in the Inside Out films, first as a child and then as a teen, so seeing her as a parent would be a compelling next step. A third movie could explore how the lessons her father taught her influence her parenting, and continue the emotional journey started in the first two films. Ultimately, if Inside Out 3 maintains the same humor as its predecessors, it’s sure to be a rewarding experience.

What Have The Filmmakers Said About Inside Out 3?

Kelsey Mann, the director of Inside Out 2, has hinted at the possibility of a third movie, saying people seem receptive to the idea. Given the film’s huge success – it earned $652.98 million in the US and $1.698 billion globally, according to Box Office Mojo – another sequel seems likely. The original Inside Out made $356.46 million domestically and $859.08 million worldwide.

In an August 2024 interview with Fandango, Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, Pete Docter, discussed Inside Out 3, sharing that…

We’re back where we started, just after the first movie. We’re brainstorming ideas for what to do next, but we haven’t decided anything yet. It’s all up in the air.

Docter continued:

There’s plenty of potential for future stories. We had ideas in the first two movies that didn’t quite fit the overall themes, so we can revisit those and explore new options.

According to writer Dave Holstein, a third movie is probably going to happen, though they haven’t had many serious talks about it yet, as he told The Direct in mid-2025.

We’re still having a great time with the second movie, but I definitely see potential for a third film, and ideally, several more – maybe even up to a sixth or seventh. I think another ‘Inside Out’ movie should absolutely happen.

In the interview, Holstein also explained that Riley drives the story forward, and that future films could show how emotions, like Joy, evolve as the person they live within gets older.

Many people are hoping for an Inside Out 3, which would allow fans to see Riley grow up and deal with even more complex feelings.

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2025-12-23 22:07