Zootopia 2 Roars to Record-Setting Global Box Office With $556M Opening
“Zootopia 2” had a huge, record-breaking opening at the box office.
The Walt Disney Company’s animated Animal City sequel grossed a staggering $96 million in North America over the weekend, $156 million over the five-day Thanksgiving period and $556 million worldwide since its Wednesday opening, according to studio estimates Sunday.
This made it the highest international opening ever for an animated film, the fourth-highest international opening of any genre, and the best international opening of 2025.
“Wicked: For Good” remained at the top in its second weekend for Universal Pictures, earning another $62.8 million domestically over the weekend for a total of $270.4 million in North America. The second half of the “Wicked” saga grossed $393 million internationally.
The pair of PG-rated sequels have teamed up to make Thanksgiving weekend a sparkling exception to a dark year in movie theaters. The five-day holiday period brought in a total of $290 million; 188 million dollars of this comes from Friday to Sunday.
This could be a sign, or sign, that a strong finale could save Hollywood’s box office year, as “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” are among the movies set to be released in 2025.
“This is a great result and a huge momentum builder for the box office as we head into the final four weeks of the year,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore senior media analyst.
“Zootopia 2” came out almost a decade after the original; It was a hit that exceeded expectations, reaching a domestic opening of $75 million in March.
Like the first, this film stars bunny cop Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and small-time crook fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) in a city full of hilariously domesticated wildlife.
Dergarabedian said the sequel represents “a beloved franchise that delivers what audiences around the world are looking for.”
This was the fourth major opening of 2025 in North America. But its biggest market was China, which accounted for nearly half of the film’s global total with $272 million in ticket sales. No American animated film has ever had such a big release. This was the second-best non-local movie opening of all time in China, after “Avengers: Endgame.”
Such an outcome in China was once almost commonplace for Hollywood. But as geopolitical relations have become tense in recent years, box office results have become unpredictable at best. With a handful of exceptions, such as the “Jurassic World” movies, Hollywood has come to the point of effectively writing off Chinese theaters and readjusting blockbuster budgets accordingly.
The grand prize for “Zootopia 2” in China could be an aberration or a signal that the freezing temperatures will thaw. China, which has censored films released in cinemas in recent years, has turned more towards local tastes. Earlier this year, locally produced blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” grossed $1.8 billion in China.
“Zootopia 2” had a clear path to a grand opening in China. The first “Zootopia,” known there as “Crazy Animal City,” became a surprise hit, grossing $236 million. Shanghai Disneyland has a theme area dedicated to movies.
While Universal’s gamble on Broadway to split the tale of Oz into two films continues to pay off, “Wicked: For Good” appeared to be unscathed by the terrible competition. It earned a total of $92.2 million worldwide over the weekend.
Certain to be a major player of the awards season after a celebrated festival run, “Hamnet” had a strong opening with a limited opening, breaking into the top 10 overall. It earned $1.35 million from Wednesday through Sunday and $880,000 over the weekend in just 119 theaters; it averaged over $11,000 per theater. Director Chloe Zhao’s Shakespeare tale, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, expands next weekend.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic numbers released Monday, this list takes into account estimated ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters from Friday through Sunday, according to Comscore:
1. “Zootopia 2,” $96.8 million.
2. “Bad: For Good,” $62.8 million.
3. “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” $7 million.
4. “Predator: The Wasteland,” $4.8 million.
5. “Running Man” $3.7 million.
6. “Infinity,” $3.2 million.
7. “Family for Rent,” $2.1 million.
8. “Hamnet,” $880,000.
9. “Sisu: Road of Vengeance” $810,000.
10. “Nuremberg,” $749,325.
