Zootopia 2 Breaks Records at the Box Office

Zootopia 2 stormed back into theaters, smashing multiple box office records and keeping the high-quality storytelling that fans crave. The film pulled in $556 million worldwide over its opening weekend—the biggest global animated opening ever.

Disney’s grip on animation just got tighter, and honestly, the sequel’s outdone itself. Critics are raving about the fresh, engaging story and those positive messages, all while keeping the original Zootopia’s vibe alive.

Social media’s lit up with excitement over the diverse cast and clever plot twists. There’s a lot of “perfect mix of fun and thought-provoking” chatter online.

Zootopia 2’s Record-Breaking Box Office Performance

Zootopia 2 absolutely crushed it at the Thanksgiving box office, setting records across the globe. The numbers for animated films just got a new high score, especially in the U.S. and China.

Its impact shot the film into Hollywood’s top ranks for biggest openings. Disney’s flexing here, no question.

All-Time and Animated Film Records Set

With about $559.5 million at current exchange rates, Zootopia 2 now holds the record for the highest global animated opening. That’s way past Moana 2, which opened at $389.3 million.

It also snagged the highest animated sequel opening ever and the biggest Thanksgiving weekend debut in the U.S. for a Disney Animation film. Disney basically owns the top five spots for global animated openings now—talk about a dynasty.

Domestically, Zootopia 2 raked in $158 million over five days, making it the second-biggest Thanksgiving opening ever after Moana 2. Eight out of the top ten Thanksgiving openings? All Disney.

Unprecedented Global Opening Numbers

The movie topped the worldwide box office with a global debut near $556 million. Internationally, it brought in $401.5 million outside North America—highest ever for a Disney Animation Studios release.

Zootopia 2 also snagged the highest global opening of 2025, beating out the Minecraft Movie and Wicked: For Good. It hit number one in nearly every major market except the UK and the Philippines. That’s some serious international love.

China’s Impact on International Box Office

China came through big, contributing about $272 million—making it the 6th highest opening ever in China, local or international.

It set the record for highest animated opening in China for a non-local film. In just five days, Zootopia 2 passed the original’s total lifetime gross in China (RMB 1,530M).

It even scored the highest opening day for a Motion Picture Association (MPA) title in China, beating Avengers: Endgame on its fourth day. That’s wild.

Ranking Among Hollywood’s Biggest Openings

Zootopia 2 landed as the fourth biggest global opening ever, trailing only three Marvel heavyweights: Avengers: Endgame ($1.2B), Avengers: Infinity War ($640.5M), and Spider-Man: No Way Home ($600.5M).

It outpaced plenty of recent blockbusters from other studios, too. The opening weekend saw a 239% jump in global gross compared to the original—biggest leap for any animated franchise.

Directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush, along with stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, all notched their highest openings ever. That’s got to feel good.

Box Office Highlights:

Fans blew up social media, celebrating the movie’s animation and story. Analysts pointed out that Disney’s holiday release timing definitely helped the film break through a pretty sluggish summer box office.

Critical and Audience Reception of Zootopia 2

Zootopia 2 wowed critics and audiences alike, keeping strong ratings across the big review sites. People loved the clever storytelling, the animation, and seeing those fan-favorite characters back in action.

The performances and direction got plenty of shout-outs, too. That’s a big part of why it’s reaching such a wide crowd.

CinemaScore and Rotten Tomatoes Ratings

Zootopia 2 scored a solid CinemaScore “A” from opening night audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, it’s sitting at a 92% critics’ score—not quite perfect, but honestly, that’s elite territory.

Audiences are loving the humor and the message. One person tweeted, “Zootopia 2 is smart and heartwarming — a true Disney classic.”

Highlights From Film Reviews

Reviewers keep calling out Zootopia 2’s sharp mix of entertainment and real-world themes. The storyline digs into some heavy stuff, but does it in a way that’s easy for kids and adults to get.

The animation and world-building? “Vivid” and “impressive,” according to more than a few critics. Directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush managed to keep the original’s tone while tossing in some fresh ideas.

Some reviews said the movie feels “timely and relevant,” which helps it pop in a crowded animated field. The writing, especially the way it balances humor and emotion, got a lot of love from critics.

Cast Performances and Returning Characters

The returning cast—Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps and Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde—really brought it this time. Fans and critics both loved how they kept the heart and quirks of the characters alive.

Their voices? Still have that familiar spark, but you can hear they’ve grown a bit. It gives the characters a little more weight, like they’ve actually lived between films.

Ke Huy Quan, fresh off his Oscar win, jumped in and shook things up. He brought a different vibe, and honestly, it worked—he fit right in with the crew.

The main cast bounced off each other in a way that made the emotional moments hit harder. I mean, that’s what makes a sequel stick, right?

Jared Bush, as Chief Creative Officer, had a steady hand guiding all these performances. The result? A cast that feels like they actually enjoy working together.

Biggest competition “Avatar 3”

One movie is a big contender to Gross a lot, but it looks like it will not be able to match with Zooptopia. Avatar 3 will be a big hit, but can it keep up with the police bunny and his friends.