Inside Out 2's Director Kelsey Mann Explains Why There Aren't More Positive Emotions

When the first Inside Out came out, we were introduced to a whole new world inside of our own brains. Emotions became personified and controlled us through a console while there were different corners of our consciousness for things like imagination and imaginary friends. But with a new movie comes a new era of life. Inside Out 2 takes a look at Riley (Kensington Tallman) right when she hits puberty, ushering in things like body odor, pimples, and a hurricane of new emotions.

While the first film was directed by Pete Docter, the sequel stands as director Kelsey Mann's feature directorial debut. While the first Inside Out focused on the five core emotions Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale), and Disgust (Liza Lapira). Inside Out 2 brings in four new emotions: Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edibiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). And when the emotions arrive, it's very much out with the old and in with the new, forcing the original core emotions to fight back for control of Riley during a vital weekend in her life.

We spoke director Kelsey Mann and producer Mark Nielsen about the film. We discussed the nuanes and inspiration for Anxiety, especially during one of the tensest scenes of the movie, and Mann explained the transition that Anxiety took from villain to more of an antagonist. The two also discussed the decision to choose an emotion like Ennui. Mann also explained why there aren't more positive emotions, calling the emotions besides Joy more "complicated" than negative.

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