Joy Meets Anxiety In The Inside Out 2 Teaser Trailer

How fitting is it that on the morning after the official end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, one of the first new trailers we get is from a movie about unleashing all sorts of heightened emotions? This moment of perfectly-timed collective catharsis comes courtesy of Pixar, as the animation studio has released our initial look at one of their most highly-anticipated sequels ever: "Inside Out 2." The 2015 original left nary a dry eye in the room after introducing the world to young Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) and the torrent of preadolescent feelings swirling around her head. And just when we thought we could start to recover from what happened to the lovable Bing Bong (Richard Kind), they've gone ahead with a sequel that's sure to be another emotional roller coaster.

The twist this time around, of course, will be the introduction of a whole new set of emotions to coincide with Riley turning into a teenager — because, as we all remember, that period of time definitely didn't come fraught with all sorts of frightening, anxiety-ridden emotions and hormones just waiting to burst out of us! That takes centerstage in this new footage, as our old group of friends come face-to-face with a newcomer known as Anxiety ... along with several more yet to be revealed. That's certainly a teaser for you. Check it out above!

Inside Out 2 brings the emotions -- and a few new ones, too

It's been eight years since the original "Inside Out" first debuted, which means my fellow Millennials have aged just enough for the sequel to hit us while we're grappling with the existential dread of our 30s and dealing with becoming parents of our own for the very first time. Scary thought. (Not me, though. I'll be pulling up to "Inside Out 2" with a tub of popcorn and pockets full of cash that I didn't have to spend on daycare. Suckers!) All of that to say that, assuming this approaches the heights of the first film and reminds us of Pixar in its prime, "Inside Out 2" is almost certainly guaranteed to hit extra hard for audiences of all ages.

Whereas Pete Docter directed "Inside Out" (along with co-director Ronnie Del Carmen), the sequel comes from longtime Pixar veteran Kelsey Mann from a script by Meg LeFauve (who wrote the screenplay for the first "Inside Out" along with "The Good Dinosaur" and 2019's "Captain Marvel"). Anxiety couldn't be a more appropriate new character for this production, in fact. Voiced by Maya Hawke, she joins a cast that includes returning stars Amy Poehler as Joy, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, with Tony Hale and Liza Lapira replacing Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling as Fear and Disgust, respectively. "Inside Out 2" is set to reach theaters in summer 2024.

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.