Disney Pixar Using Inside Out 2 to Support Kids in Children’s Hospitals Around the World. Inside Out 2 is a beautiful movie, and fans are turning out in droves to see this delightful movie at theaters around the world. It has made $1.2 Billion dollars at the box office already, which would put any company in a good mood! The difference with The Walt Disney Company is they will go out and spread that Joy with others! Disney is never shy about visiting Kids who may be in need.
This article initially appeared on Disney’s Social Responsibility Website.
Disney and Pixar are bringing Inside Out 2 celebrations to children’s hospitals and pediatric places of care around the world. In the U.S., Disney and Starlight Children’s Foundation are also launching a new program, Movie Party in a Box, to coincide with the film’s debut.
Movie Party in a Box expands on Disney Movie Moments, which provides children’s hospitals with access to new movie titles shortly after theatrical release. With the launch of the new program, hospital staff will now receive a curated assortment of themed products, delivered by Starlight Children’s Foundation, to create memorable cinematic experiences. For young patients who cannot visit theaters due to medical restrictions, Movie Party in a Box brings red-carpet moments to children without having to leave the hospital.
In addition to Movie Party in a Box, select hospitals and pediatric places of care received visits from Disney executives and Inside Out 2 characters, artists, and talent. Check out this segment from Good Morning America to see how these events come to life.
Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 is the follow-up to 2015’s Oscar®– and Golden Globe®-winning feature film and returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley. After a record-breaking opening weekend, Inside Out 2 is now the highest-grossing film of 2024 worldwide.
In collaboration with Disney and Pixar, child life specialists and health professionals have used the world of Inside Out to help children in hospitals. With the introduction of new characters like Anxiety, specialists now have additional ways to help children identify, understand, and express the range of emotions associated with spending time in hospitals.
Bob Iger and Inside Out 2 Characters Visit London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital
Leading up to the premiere of Inside Out 2, CEO Bob Iger and characters from the film visited Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London and announced funding for a state-of-the-art, fully accessible MediCinema theater equipped with space for beds, wheelchairs, and medical equipment. Patients also received the news that they would be among the first to see the brand-new film.
“We hope that this new state-of-the-art MediCinema will bring moments of happiness and joy to the children and families who need it most, and we look forward to continuing to find more ways to bring the magic of Disney to life in children’s hospitals around the world,” Iger said.
Tony Hale (voice of Fear in Inside Out 2) Visits Children’s of Alabama
Disney and Starlight Children’s Foundation brought an Inside Out 2 movie party to young patients at Children’s of Alabama with a special appearance from Pixar artists and Tony Hale, the actor who voices Fear in the film. Having attended university nearby, Hale was especially excited to visit patients in Birmingham, Alabama.
“Coming here and talking to the kids is such a gift. They are so special and fun, and they were asking such great questions. To spend time with them and bring the movie here to them—for them to see it, to hear their stories—that’s a moment I’ll never forget,” Hale said during his visit.
Along with Hale, patients also received a special surprise when Joy came to visit. Just like the emotion she brings to Riley, Joy delivered smiles and laughter to children and their families, bringing much-needed balance to the emotions often felt in hospitals.
“The movie is so fun, but it’s so beautiful. It talks about having a bit more compassion for our feelings, gives us permission to feel our feelings. So, to be able to share it here, in this hospital is a real gift,” Hale said.
For patients who could not come down for the event, Hale, Pixar artists, and Joy made bedside visits to patient rooms.
Pixar Artists Visit Bay Area Hospitals
In addition to Children’s of Alabama, Pixar artists visited children’s hospitals and pediatric places of care across the Bay Area to bring Inside Out 2 to young patients and their families.
Along with hosting exclusive screenings of the new film, Pixar artists took drawing requests and created keepsakes for children and their families. From beloved Pixar characters to inventive requests, artists made patients’ favorite stories and imaginations come to life through illustration.
“If I can give a distraction, however temporary, to any hospital-bound kids and their families, I’m happy to do it. Drawing is a skill that many of us who do it for a living take for granted. It’s good to be reminded that many people still consider drawing to be something nearly magical,” Kevin O’Brien, Pixar Story Artist, shared.
From movie parties this summer and beyond, the world of Inside Out continues to resonate with children and their families, whether they’re processing everyday emotions or fighting serious illnesses.
Programs like Disney Movie Moments and Movie Party in a Box are part of Disney’s $100 million global commitment to help reimagine the patient experience in children’s hospitals and deliver moments of joy when they’re needed most. To learn more, please visit joy.disney.com.
