David Bridges
Key Highlights
- Box Office Success: Zootopia 2 has generated $556 million globally within its first five days of release.
- Record-Breaking Opening: The film achieved the highest worldwide debut for an animated feature and ranks fourth for any Hollywood movie.
- Critical Acclaim: Audiences and critics consider the sequel on par with the original 2016 film, which earned over $1 billion.
- Upcoming Competitors: Wicked: For Good is also performing well, having reached $393.3 million in earnings.
Disney put Zootopia 2 out in theaters before Thanksgiving weekend and shocker, it conquered the holiday in less than a week.
Per the Hollywood Reporter, the animated sequel has made $556 million worldwide in the five-day period. Already, it’s broken some records like being the biggest-ever worldwide start for an animated film and the fourth-best start for any Hollywood flick ever made. Of that take, $400 million came from overseas, largely thanks to China. There, the $272 million haul made it the biggest animated opening ever in the territory and China’s second-biggest launch since Avengers: Endgame in 2019.
We’ve all seen a Zootopia 2 ad or trailer over the last couple months, which’ve all highlighted returning duo Judy and Nick, and the big new character, Ke Huy Quan’s Gary, the first reptile in town. The film’s also raked in plenty of acclaim from critics and audiences, who think it’s close or equal to the original 2016 film. That was a hit when it came out, going on to make $1.025 billion and racking up plenty of awards, including Best Animated Feature at the 2017 Oscars. On the financial front, the sequel’s more than halfway there to meeting its predecessor, and time will tell how it does come awards season.
As for the other big holiday crowdpleaser, Wicked: For Good has now made $393.3 million. During its second weekend, it crossed $200 million domestically and added another $29.4 million to its overseas numbers. The sequel’s said to be on par with tracking for the first Wicked. Over the next few weeks, the two films will be joined by Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and 100 Nights of Hero on December 5, then Dust Bunny and Silent Night, Deadly Night on December 12. Then, on December 19, it’s time for Avatar: Fire & Ash.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Daniel Mercer
