We know why she’s smiling. (It’s money).
Photo: Pixar/YouTube
Huge news for fans of sexy animated daddies: Pixar is officially making Inside Out 2. After a heads-up in Matthew Belloni’s Puck newsletter, the sequel to the critically acclaimed 2015 Oscar winner was announced on September 9 at D23 Expo, the biennial convention for all things Disney. Per Belloni’s sources, Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader will not be returning to voice Disgust and Fear, respectively, because they were offered just 2 percent the salary of Amy Poehler, who is returning as lead character Joy. Apparently, Poehler was offered $5 million “plus additional fees and bonuses,” while the rest of the main cast was offered just $100,000, no bonuses. While the D23 presentation obviously did not going into details of salary negotiations, they did confirm that the film will focus on Riley’s new emotions as she is now a teenager, according to Deadline.
“Going cheap on voice talent is becoming more common at Disney,” writes Belloni. “I’ve heard Pixar people complain about the tightening purse-strings, and talent fees on recent Emmy winner Chip N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers were laughably low.” Puck reports that the Rescue Rangers voice cast, which included John Mulaney and Andy Samberg, participated as a favor to director Akiva Schaffer. Disney reportedly upped its offers to Hader and Kaling, but the actors are still out. Sounds as though they’ll be replacing Fear and Disgust with a new cartoon emotion: drama.
This post has been updated throughout.