Zootopia 2 once again reinforces Walt Disney Animation Studios’ dominance on the global film stage. The sequel, released on November 26, has officially made history as the fastest animated film to reach US$1 billion in global box office revenue, achieving the milestone in just 17 days of release.
As of Thursday, December 12, the film’s total worldwide gross had reached US$986.1 million and is expected to surpass the US$1 billion mark with additional daily earnings. Of this total, US$232.7 million came from the domestic U.S. box office, while international markets contributed US$753.4 million.
This achievement makes Zootopia 2 the second studio film to cross the US$1 billion threshold in 2025, following Disney’s Lilo & Stitch. The film also holds the record as the fastest Hollywood animated feature and the fastest PG-rated film to join the billion-dollar club.
A String of Records for Walt Disney Animation Studios
The success of Zootopia 2 extends the impressive track record of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Since 2013, the studio has released five films that have each surpassed US$1 billion in global box office revenue: Frozen, Frozen 2, Moana 2, Zootopia, and Zootopia 2.
This milestone also marks a back-to-back run of billion-dollar releases for the studio, following the success of Moana 2 in the previous year.
Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer Jared Bush emphasized the significance of the achievement for the entire creative team:
“This milestone means the world to us, because more than anything, it means audiences are coming to theaters for a shared experience of watching this movie on the big screen, everyone together, from all walks of life around the world—and that is a Zootopia dream come true.”
In terms of audience reception, Zootopia 2 has earned a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and received an A grade from CinemaScore.
Within its first five days of release, the film generated US$559.5 million globally, making it the biggest animated opening of all time, the highest global debut of 2025, and the largest opening ever for an animated film in Disney’s history.
International Markets Power Zootopia 2
China has emerged as the primary driver of Zootopia 2’s international success. The film delivered the biggest animated opening of all time for a non-local title in the market, earning US$272 million at launch.
Within just five days, Zootopia 2 was officially crowned the highest-grossing non-local animated film of all time in China. To date, its total box office revenue in the country is estimated at US$447.2 million, positioning it as the second-highest-grossing MPA release of all time, just behind Avengers: Endgame.
Walt Disney Studios now holds three of the five highest-grossing MPA titles ever released in the Chinese market.
Outside of China, the strongest contributions came from France, South Korea, Mexico, and Germany. Globally, Zootopia 2 currently ranks as the number one international MPA release of the year.
The box office success has also reignited interest in the Zootopia franchise. Viewership of Zootopia and Zootopia+ on Disney+ has surged significantly, with total global watch time surpassing 725 million hours.
Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, Zootopia 2 once again follows the adventures of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde as they investigate a mysterious case that shakes the city of Zootopia.
