When I saw Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera again in San Francisco during the Good Dino Event, I felt like we were old pals (even though they don’t remember me, LOL).  Not only because I am a big fan of their work but also because I had previously interviewed them about Inside Out before its release (You can check that out here).  Getting to chat with them once again in honor of its release on Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere now and on Blu-ray was pretty cool considering its success.

Leanette Fernandez with Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera REV

Here are 10 key things I learned from our chat with Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera…

  • Inside Out is told from a parent’s point of view about their struggle to let go of their kids because we want them to stay little. I can definitely relate to this!
  • When it came to thinking about the geography of the mind, they basically thought of it as Disneyland in the sense that there are different regions and a train. They even used it as a form of measurement for sing.  I am not surprised by this because they are both big Disneyland Fans.
  • There were some characters that didn’t end up being the film, like Miss Scribbles who was a drawing that Riley did a lot when she was three.
  • The initial layout of Riley’s mind had headquarters on top and they had to descend into kind of a spiral like layers of a cake or something down to the subconscious to get a memory, but then that didn’t really work. So they tried these pillars rising up out of the fog and tried things hanging from biosphere domes and other things until they realized what was really at stake in the film, Riley’s personality. That’s the thing that we as parents value…we don’t want our kids to change because we love who they are. So, they needed some way to physicalize that and that’s how the islands came to be.
  • Jonas Rivera’s favorite Inside Out character is Joy because she is someone that is always positive but also a nostalgist and he is a little bit that way, too.
  • When doing a film, Pete says that them liking it is really their only kind of measurement for whether or not it will be well received. They asked themselves if the film feels like something that’s intriguing to them and then hope it is for everyone else watching the film.
  • Both Pete and Jonas agreed that the more challenging part of the film was the story, specifically Joy on this film. She was really hard to crack because she kind of came off annoying because her whole job is to be happy 100% of the time.
  • As for the success of Inside Out, Jonas always believed in it and always loved it and thought it would be really fun but he never dreamed it would be received so warmly everywhere.
  • When asked about whether or not there would be a sequel, Jonas Rivera said “we never say never but we kind of lean towards we want to do something totally different.” While I understand, I’d love for there to be an Inside Out Sequel.
  • Pete Docter mentioned that they’re in very, very early development doing some research on some ideas for their next project together. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

Get Inside Out on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere now and on Blu-ray Combo Pack on November 3rd!