We’re all familiar with anxiety in our own lives—which could be one reason why Pixar’s Inside Out 2 struck such a chord with audiences, setting box-office records on its way to becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, is a key new character, and she’s someone both kids and adults can relate to. But how do you bring that very distinctive emotion to the screen? A new peek into the Inside Out 2 home release bonus features offers some insight from the creative minds behind the scenes.
Check out this clip from “New Emotions,” one of two making-of documentaries included with the home release. The doc also digs into creating the other new additions for the sequel—Embarrassment, Ennui, and Envy—”from narrowing them down from a long list of possible emotions, to the design, animation, and voicing of these new, hilarious, and strangely recognizable characters,” according to a Pixar press release.
Featured in the clip are Amy Poehler (voice of Joy), Kelsey Mann (director), Keiko Murayama (character art director), Deanna Marsigliese (character designer), Amanda Wagner (directing animator), Maya Hawke (voice of Anxiety), and Dr. Dacher Keltner (consultant/professor of psychology).
Other bonus features on Inside Out 2‘s home release include “Unlocking the Vault,” described as “a kind of visual commentary” in which Pixar creatives watch one particular scene from the movie—”The Vault”—and offer details on how it all came together, from conception to completion; there are also several deleted scenes, including an alternate opening and what sounds like a few more instances of Inside Out 2‘s 13-year-old protagonist learning some life lessons that’ll make the audience cringe in sympathetic horror. Ah, adolescence!
Here’s the official synopsis for Inside Out 2: “Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone. Maya Hawke lends her voice to Anxiety, alongside Amy Poehler as Joy, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, Lewis Black as Anger, Tony Hale as Fear, and Liza Lapira as Disgust. Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen.”
Other cast members include Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui, Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment, Kensington Tallman as Riley, Diane Lane as Mom, and Kyle MacLachlan as Dad.
You can take Inside Out 2‘s emotional journey home with you August 20 when it hits digital retailers (Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home), or wait for its physical media release on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD September 10.
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