What is Disney Pixar “Dream Productions”? – The Inside Out Spin-Off Series Coming to Disney+. Disney Pixar has released more details about the upcoming December 11th, 2024, release of Dream Productions, including a synopsis of the four episodes. Inside Out originally did very well at the box office and the reviews showed the film was well received, then Inside Out 2 came out and became the biggest animated box office success of all time. Which just shows there is a huge demand for Riley and her Emotions. Now we get to go even deeper inside the mind of Riley in “Dream Productions” a four part series due this month on Disney+.
Taking place in between the events of “Inside Out” and “Inside Out 2” is “Dream Productions,” an all-new series about the studio inside Riley’s mind where dreams do come true—every night, on time, and budget. Riley is growing up and when her memories need some extra processing, Joy and the rest of the Core Emotions send them to Dream Productions. Acclaimed director Paula Persimmon faces a nightmare of her own: Trying to create the next hit dream after being paired up with Xeni, a smug daydream director looking to step up into the big leagues of night dreams.
“Paula is the most successful dream director at Dream Productions,” says writer/director Mike Jones. “She’s very proud of all her dreams that are filled with joy, dancing,g and glitter. When we first meet her, she’s talking herself up, citing her many successes—though they are mostly from Riley’s toddler years—and giving credit to her crew. But deep down, she knows it’s been a while since she’s had a hit, so it’s all a bit of a front.”
The series marks Jones’ directing debut—a dream come true, perhaps. “I love dreams,” he says. “I remember my dreams almost every morning. So, when Pete [Docter] approached me with ‘Dream Productions,’ I said, ‘We can do an out-of-body dream, a sleepwalking dream, maybe a lucid dream!’”
According to producer Jaclyn Simon, the series is framed as a mockumentary—a mostly unseen crew follows the key characters, chronicling the process of making dreams and conducting impromptu interviews. “That’s leaning into my sense of humor,” she says. “I loved the idea of diving into this world in this way.
As Riley matures, her tastes are changing—her interests evolving. But Paula hasn’t changed her approach to Riley’s dreams. The idea came to Jones from a very personal place. “I’ve had to find new ways to talk to my kids as they grow up,” he says. “How does our role as parents change as our kids get older? I thought instead of always 1 trying to tell them things or teach them things, maybe we should have some faith that everything we’ve been teaching them, they’ll remember and use those lessons on their own. Having that faith in your kid was something I wanted to get into the series.”
The episodes of “Dream Productions” were created while “Inside Out 2” was in the works. While each production worked independently of the other, it did allow some coordination—voice talent with roles on both titles could pull double duty, and the group of teen girls assembled to ensure “Inside Out 2” was authentically tapping into a teen girl’s mind was also able to contribute to “Dream Productions.” “We showed them different cuts of the episodes,” says Jones. “What we learned from them is that they really loved all of the Hollywood touches. They wanted more!”
The role of dreams in the series is to help Riley process memories, feelings, and maybe some of life’s challenges—an idea that came directly from the research the filmmakers did. “We learned that when you go to sleep, you have physical paralysis—but your mind can freely explore,” says Simon. “The prefrontal cortex doesn’t allow for reasoning to come in—that’s why our dreams can be so bizarre and out of left field. There are also clues in the research for how dreams can help you process. One expert said that if you’re continuously dreaming about the same thing, it may be something that needs extra attention.”
Adds Jones, “Stuff that might be tight in your brain before you go to bed can kind of loosen up through your dreams, so you wake up feeling refreshed.” Joy and the rest of the Emotions help determine what might need extra attention, and the team at Dream Productions gets to work creating dreams that are helpful, entertaining, enlightening, and, importantly, memorable. Says Simon, “Riley’s a little older, so the issues she’s facing are different. In the series, everyone at Dream Productions is hoping to help her get through a tough decision around a middle school dance.”
What is Disney Pixar “Dream Productions”? – The Inside Out Spin-Off Series Coming to Disney+
