Lead: Zootopia 2 has crossed $1.46 billion worldwide as of December 2025, making it the highest-grossing release ever under the Walt Disney Animation label. The sequel earned $333 million in North America and $1.13 billion internationally, pushing Frozen 2 into second place among the studio’s titles with $1.45 billion. While Zootopia 2 sets a new record for Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar’s Inside Out 2 remains Disney’s highest-grossing animated feature overall at $1.698 billion, and China’s Ne Zha 2 still leads global animated grosses with $2.15 billion.
Key Takeaways
- Zootopia 2 global gross: $1.46 billion, surpassing Frozen 2’s $1.45 billion to become the top-grossing Walt Disney Animation label film.
- Domestic vs. international split: $333 million domestic and $1.13 billion from overseas markets, highlighting strong foreign demand.
- China performance: $563.1 million in China makes it the single largest market for the film by far.
- Studio milestones: It is the fifth Walt Disney Animation Studios film to exceed $1 billion worldwide.
- MPA context: Zootopia 2 is the eighth Motion Picture Association (MPA) title to surpass $1 billion globally and the No. 1 animated MPA release at the foreign box office year-to-date in 2025.
- Regional breakdown: Significant markets include France $60.2M, Japan $58.3M, Korea $49.9M, Germany $36.5M, and Mexico $33.4M.
- Comparative ranks: Pixar’s Inside Out 2 remains the top Disney animated title overall ($1.698B); Ne Zha 2 is the all-time global animated leader ($2.15B).
Background
Walt Disney Animation Studios has a long history of blockbuster animated releases, dating from early hand-drawn classics to the contemporary CGI era. Beginning in the 1990s renaissance and continuing through the 2010s, the studio built franchises and standalone hits that translated into strong global box office returns. In recent years the theatrical market for family animation has become more internationalized, with China, Europe and Latin America accounting for growing shares of total receipts.
The commercial logic for sequels has strengthened as global distribution and merchandising pipelines matured. Films like Frozen 2 and The Lion King (2019) demonstrated how franchise properties can generate billion-dollar grosses across combined theatrical, ancillary and licensing channels. At the same time, competition from Pixar, independent studios and major non-U.S. animated productions — notably China’s Ne Zha 2 — has reshaped the benchmark for “record” grosses.
Main Event
Zootopia 2 opened and scaled strongly in multiple territories, accumulating $333 million domestically alongside a $1.13 billion international haul. China led all overseas markets at $563.1 million, more than doubling its next-largest market. The film’s overseas strength is consistent with the franchise’s global appeal and calibrated local marketing strategies in major territories.
The sequel was directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard and benefited from wide release patterns and sustained theatrical legs in key markets. The production and release strategy emphasized localization — dubbing and marketing tailored to regional tastes — which industry trackers say helped maintain momentum after opening weekends. Distribution windows and promotional tie-ins with local partners amplified box office returns abroad.
Within Disney’s slate, Zootopia 2 joins a select group of billion-dollar earners for the studio, becoming the fifth Walt Disney Animation Studios title to clear the $1 billion mark globally. Industry reporting also notes the film sits atop the Motion Picture Association’s animated box-office list for foreign receipts year-to-date in 2025, and ranks as the top global MPA release of the year so far.
Analysis & Implications
Zootopia 2’s performance underscores the continued importance of franchise strength combined with tailored international campaigns. The $1.13 billion international gross — and particularly the $563.1 million from China — highlights how reliant modern blockbusters are on non-U.S. markets to reach record figures. For studios, this reinforces the commercial value of IP that translates across cultures and the need for local-market partnerships.
The distinction between labels inside Disney is increasingly meaningful. While the Walt Disney Animation label now has a new leader in Zootopia 2, Pixar remains Disney’s top animated revenue generator with Inside Out 2 at $1.698 billion. That split affects internal resource allocation, sequel prioritization and marketing budgets across Disney’s animation divisions, as executives weigh where to invest for the largest returns.
For the broader animated market, Zootopia 2 raises the floor for what constitutes a “global hit.” It also pressures competitors to deliver worldwide resonant storytelling and to consider release timing to avoid head-to-head clashes in major territories. The result may be greater emphasis on franchise development, co-productions, and hybrid distribution strategies that balance theatrical, streaming and licensing windows.
Comparison & Data
| Rank | Title | Global Gross | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ne Zha 2 | $2.15B | China-produced, all-time animated leader |
| 2 | Inside Out 2 (Pixar) | $1.698B | Top Disney animated title overall |
| 3 | Zootopia 2 | $1.46B | New Walt Disney Animation label record |
| 4 | Frozen 2 | $1.45B | Previously the studio’s top title |
| 5 | The Lion King (2019) | $1.118B | MPA billion-dollar reference point |
The table places Zootopia 2 within global animated box-office rankings. While it tops the Walt Disney Animation label list, it remains behind the highest-grossing animated film overall (Ne Zha 2) and behind Disney’s broader list leader, Pixar’s Inside Out 2. The figures show how geographic concentration — notably China — can swing totals and alter rank positions.
Reactions & Quotes
Industry observers and audiences reacted to the milestone with a mix of commercial analysis and fan celebration. The following brief paraphrased reactions summarize commonly reported perspectives.
Paraphrase: This milestone highlights the franchise’s global resonance and the centrality of China and other overseas markets to modern blockbuster economics.
Box-office analyst (paraphrase)
Paraphrase: The film’s overseas performance and its sustained theatrical legs reflect targeted localization and release strategy aimed at long-term box office growth.
Distribution strategist (paraphrase)
Paraphrase: Fans credited strong word-of-mouth and franchise loyalty for keeping Zootopia 2 in theaters well beyond its opening window.
Social media sentiment summary (paraphrase)
Unconfirmed
- Future ancillary and streaming revenue tied specifically to Zootopia 2’s theatrical lift has not been publicly disclosed and remains unconfirmed.
- Any internal Disney decision to reallocate animation budgets or greenlight additional sequels in direct response to this gross has not been officially announced.
- Exact profit margins after distribution fees, marketing costs and exhibitor splits for each territory have not been released publicly.
Bottom Line
Zootopia 2’s climb to $1.46 billion global marks a notable achievement for the Walt Disney Animation label and underlines how international markets — and China in particular — drive modern blockbuster records. While it displaces Frozen 2 within the studio’s catalog, the film still falls short of the highest global animated grosses, led by Ne Zha 2 and Pixar’s Inside Out 2.
For Disney and the wider industry, the result reinforces the commercial payoff of franchise IP, thoughtful localization and global marketing. The milestone will likely influence release strategies, sequel development and resource allocation across animation labels as studios aim to replicate cross-border success.