Zootopia 2 surges to a Record $556 million global opening, becomes biggest animated debut ever
Disney’s sequel is breaking box office records worldwide, setting the stage for a massive finish to 2025.
Disney is having a massive week with Zootopia 2, which roared into cinemas with a staggering $556 million global opening, the fourth-biggest debut in history. The only films ahead of it are Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
In the U.S., the film pulled in $156 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday window. The real muscle came from overseas, where it earned $400 million, with China alone generating more than half that total. Even across the traditional three-day weekend, Zootopia 2 was already nearing the half-billion mark.
The film’s debut set several records. It’s now the highest global animated opening ever, the biggest global launch of 2025, the largest animated non-local opening in China, and Disney’s strongest animated debut of all time. It also notched the top opening for any animated sequel and the biggest global sequel debut since 2021. Unsurprisingly, it dominated the box office in every major region.
Early reviews are positive, too. IGN scored the sequel 8 out of 10, noting that it sends Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde back into a case tied to “some of the weightiest issues we face as a society,” wrapped, of course, in an avalanche of animal puns.
Disney isn’t slowing down. Avatar: Fire & Ash lands on December 19, and expectations are intense. The franchise has a record-breaking history: the first Avatar earned $2.9 billion, briefly lost the top spot to Avengers: Endgame, then reclaimed it after a re-release. The Way of Water followed with $2.3 billion, securing its place as the third-highest-grossing film ever. Still, James Cameron has hinted he may step back if Fire & Ash doesn't perform well enough to justify future sequels.
Elsewhere at the box office, Universal’s Wicked: For Good has climbed to $393 million, mirroring early performances of musicals like Wicked, Wonka, and The Little Mermaid. Now You See Me, Now You Don’t sits at $187 million, and Predator: Badlands has reached $174 million, becoming the top-grossing Predator title without inflation adjustments. Edgar Wright’s The Running Man is still struggling, with just $61 million worldwide.
With Zootopia 2 leading a huge finish to the year, Disney is positioned for a strong close to 2025.
Emmanuel Umahi
