Inside Out 2 spin-off series Dream Productions has an official Disney Plus release date – and its arrival is a nightmare scenario for another Pixar project: Win or Lose.
After its box office dominating performance earlier this year, Inside Out 2 is not only one of 2024's biggest new movies but, with its more than $1.6 billion worldwide haul, also the highest-grossing animated film of all-time. Understandably, then, Disney and Pixar want to take full advantage of the emotions-led franchise's undisputed popularity.
To that end, Dream Productions, a four-part Disney Plus series set between 2016's Inside Out and its 2024 sequel, has landed a launch date out of the blue. Pixar's chief creative officer Pete Doctor reportedly said in June that the new series wouldn't arrive until "next spring" (i.e early 2025), but, yesterday (September 24), Disney and Pixar announced it would do so on Wednesday, December 11. Dream Productions' release date was confirmed in a first-look teaser, which was unveiled alongside said launch date.
Dream Productions will reunite us with Riley and her core emotions, including Joy, Anger, and Jealousy, as they continue to navigate the weird, wonderful, and occasionally worry-laden experience that is life itself.
However, Riley and her core emotions won't be the stars of this mockumentary-style series. Instead, we'll be introduced to two new individuals who live inside Riley's mind – Paula Persimmon (voiced by Paula Pell), who's responsible for directing Riley's dreams when she sleeps, and Xeni (Richard Ayoade), an overconfident daydream director. Together, the pair must *ahem* dream up new fantasies for Inside Out's tween human protagonist when Paula's usual dream-based blueprint of unicorns and glitter no longer seems to be working.
Will Dream Productions continue the Inside Out franchise's hot streak and secure a spot on our best Disney Plus shows guide? Only time will tell – but one thing is for sure, it won't be joined by Pixar's first-ever TV Original on one of the world's best streaming services just yet.
The winners and losers of Disney Plus' release schedule shake-up
Dream Productions' mid-December release date is good news for Inside Out fans looking for more content to consume after Inside Out 2 – one of September's new Disney Plus movies – landed on the service today (September 25). For viewers who were eagerly awaiting the launch of Win or Lose, though, Dream Productions' festive season arrival is something of a bad dream.
You see, as the first original series created by Pixar, Win or Lose was supposed to debut on Disney Plus before the end of the year. Indeed, the eight-episode animated show about an anxiety-riddled middle school softball team, had previously stepped up to the batting plate to secure a December 6 release – a launch date that helped it squeak onto my list of 14 exciting shows I couldn't wait to see in late 2024.
Unfortunately, Win or Lose has been run out by Dream Productions, with Pixar's inaugural TV Original being delayed until February 19, 2025. Admittedly, a two-month wait for the long-form show isn't a lengthy one, but it's still disappointing that I (and many other Pixar fans) won't be able to catch it for – at the time of writing – another four and a half months.
Of course, Win or Lose's revised launch date means Pixar has more time to spruce up its animation and iron out any other kinks. I just hope that, in light of the allegations made by former Pixar staffers about crunching on Inside Out 2, that the Win or Lose team won't be subjected to similarly demanding working conditions.
