The film is only the third film of the year to enter the so-called “billion club,” alongside “Lilo & Stitch” ($1.03 billion), also from Disney, and Chinese animation “Ne Zha 2,” the annual chart leader, with an impressive $1.9 billion. In total, only 13 animated films in the history of cinema have exceeded this milestone, ten of which were produced by Disney.
Released nine years after the success of the first film, on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, “Zootopia 2” got off to a resounding start, grossing $158 million in North America and $559 million globally in its first long weekend. The performance ensured the sequel’s second-biggest debut in the history of the holiday, in addition to the best-ever debut for an animation and the fourth-biggest debut in world cinema, behind phenomena such as “Avengers: Endgame” and “Spider-Man: No Return Home.”
One of the biggest factors in the international performance comes from China, where the film has already grossed $430 million, becoming the second-biggest foreign release in the country’s history, behind “Avengers: Endgame.” The success of the franchise increased further after the opening of the Zootopia Land themed area in Shanghai Disneyland.
Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, the film takes up the universe of the metropolis inhabited by animals and brings together the police bunny Judy Hopps and the rogue fox Nick Wilde, now involved in the investigation into a mysterious new reptilian resident. With good reviews, strong word of mouth and a recent shortage of family films, “Zootopia 2” has established itself as the biggest animated film since “Moana 2,” which grossed $1.059 billion in 2024.
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