Northern Michigan University 1998 alumnus Kelsey Mann is directing Inside Out 2, the sequel to the Academy Award-winning best animated feature. The movie is slated for release in June 2024. It will follow the original human, Riley, as a teenager encountering new emotions. The returning voices of Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith and Lewis Black will introduce familiar characters Joy, Sadness and Anger.
Mann earned a BFA in illustration from NMU. While Inside Out 2 marks the first feature film directing credit, he has been involved in many projects. He served as story supervisor for Pixar's Monsters University, The Good Dinosaur and Onward, and was part of the creative team for Disney's Lightyear.
Northern Magazine published a 2017 “Double Feature” story on Mann, along with 2005 NMU alumnus Neil Helm, whose Pixar animation credits include Toy Story 4 and Up. Read it here (beginning on page 18).