Disney's highly anticipated animated sequel Zootopia 2 has taken the global box office by storm, setting multiple records during its spectacular opening weekend that coincided with the Thanksgiving holiday period.
Record-Breaking Opening Numbers
The animated animal adventure roared to an incredible $96 million in North America over the traditional weekend period, while the five-day Thanksgiving frame saw the film accumulate a massive $156 million domestically. According to studio estimates released on Sunday, the film's global performance has been nothing short of phenomenal, earning a staggering $556 million worldwide since its Wednesday opening.
These extraordinary numbers have cemented Zootopia 2's place in cinematic history. The film has achieved the highest international opening ever for an animated movie, marking a significant milestone for Disney. Globally, it secured the fourth highest debut of any film in history and claimed the title of top international opener of 2025. In North America specifically, it registered as the fourth biggest opening of the year.
China's Massive Contribution
The most remarkable aspect of Zootopia 2's success story unfolded in China, where the film generated a whopping $272 million in ticket sales. This astonishing figure represents nearly half of the film's global total and establishes a new benchmark for Hollywood animated films in the Chinese market. No American-made animated film has ever opened bigger in China, with Zootopia 2 securing the second best nonlocal film opening of all time in the country, trailing only behind the monumental Avengers: Endgame.
This performance marks a significant departure from recent trends in China-Hollywood relations. As geopolitical tensions have grown in recent years, box-office results for American films in China have become increasingly unpredictable. The industry had largely recalibrated its expectations for Chinese theatrical releases, with only a handful of exceptions like the Jurassic World films breaking through. Zootopia 2's massive success could signal a potential thaw in this frozen relationship or represent a temporary aberration in the prevailing pattern.
The film's strong Chinese performance was built on solid foundations. The original Zootopia, known in China as Crazy Animal City, had developed into a surprise hit, eventually grossing $236 million in the country. Additionally, Shanghai Disneyland features a dedicated theme land based on the films, maintaining audience engagement between installments.
Film Details and Industry Context
Zootopia 2 continues the buddy cop comedy format that made the original so beloved, featuring the dynamic duo of bunny cop Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and small-time hustler fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) navigating a city of comically domesticated wildlife. The sequel arrives almost a decade after the 2016 original, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and surpassed all expectations with its $75 million domestic opening in March of that year.
The Thanksgiving weekend proved exceptionally strong for Hollywood, with Zootopia 2 and Universal's Wicked: For Good combining to create a glimmer of hope in what has been a challenging year for movie theaters. The five-day holiday period generated $290 million in total revenue, with $188 million coming from the Friday through Sunday window. This strong performance could indicate that a robust finish might salvage Hollywood's box office year, with major releases like Avatar: Fire and Ash and Five Nights at Freddy's 2 still scheduled for 2025.
Wicked: For Good maintained strong momentum in its second weekend, earning another $62.8 million domestically for a North American total of $270.4 million. The second installment of the Wicked saga has brought in $393 million internationally, proving Universal's gamble of splitting the Broadway tale into two films continues to pay dividends.
Meanwhile, Hamnet, which is expected to be a major awards season contender following its celebrated festival run, delivered a strong limited opening. The Chloe Zhao-directed Shakespeare story starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal earned $1.35 million from Wednesday through Sunday across just 119 theaters, landing it in the overall top 10 with an impressive per-theater average exceeding $11,000.
The complete top 10 movies at the US box office for the weekend, according to Comscore, featured Zootopia 2 leading the pack with $96.8 million, followed by Wicked: For Good at $62.8 million, Now You See Me: Now You Don't at $7 million, Predator: Badlands at $4.8 million, and The Running Man rounding out the top five with $3.7 million.
