Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” brought the docile summer box office roaring back to life last weekend when it raked in more than $150 million domestically.The biggest opening since last summer’s “Barbie,” “Inside Out 2’s” instant success might seem spontaneous to some.However, the comeback for animated family cinema had already been set in motion by “Kung Fu Panda 4” in March — with some big help from Roblox.“Kung Fu Panda 4 Obby” debuted on Roblox three weeks ahead of the film’s March 8 release, which closed its run at nearly $200 million stateside and close to $550 million globally, making it one of 2024’s best films. Another March release, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” saw nearly identical turnout and was also preceded by a promotional event on Roblox, as was “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.”I joined Roblox head of entertainment partnerships Todd Lichten, Universal Pictures VP of global digital marketing Nicole Schlegel and Sawhorse Productions co-founder and head of interactiv...
