''Barbie' since 2015, 'Inside Out 2' reaches $1 billion at the global box office.'

• The latest addition to the billion-dollar club is Disney and Pixar's "Inside Out 2".
• The highest-grossing film of 2024 is an animated feature, surpassing $1 billion at the global box office, making it the first film since "Barbie" to achieve this feat.
• No Disney animated feature from Pixar or its Walt Disney Animation studio had generated more than $480 million at the global box office since 2019 before "Inside Out 2."

The latest addition to the billion-dollar club is Disney and Pixar's "Inside Out 2".

As of Sunday, the animated feature has grossed $1.014 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2024 and the first film since "Barbie" to reach $1 billion at the global box office.

"The National Association of Theatre Owners, on behalf of movie theatre owners worldwide, congratulated Disney's 'Inside Out 2' for grossing $1 billion faster than any animated movie in history. Michael O'Leary, president and CEO of the association, stated that the film's global success demonstrated that audiences worldwide will respond to compelling, entertaining movies and that they want to enjoy them on the big screen."

Disney's Pixar animation studio needs a billion-dollar benchmark to recover from its box office struggles caused by the pandemic. Despite being once successful, Pixar has suffered due to Disney's decision to release some animated features directly on Disney+ during theatrical closures and even after cinemas reopened.

No Disney animated feature from Pixar or its Walt Disney Animation studio had generated more than $480 million at the global box office since 2019 before "Inside Out 2."

The success of "Inside Out 2" can be attributed to the importance of the family audience, as they accounted for over 70% of the film's domestic debut, according to EntTelligence data.

Despite the success of Universal's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," which grossed over $1.36 billion worldwide, there were few options for the audience to enjoy until the recent releases of "The Garfield Movie" and "IF."

The younger generation, which has been largely absent from the market in recent years, was attracted to "Inside Out 2," with 14% of foot traffic coming from those aged 13 to 17.

The industry views this group as crucial to the future of moviegoing, and studios and theater operators are prioritizing their return to the big screen.

During the July Fourth holiday weekend, Universal and Illumination's "Despicable Me 4" will be released for family and teen audiences.

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.