‘Zootopia 2’ has roared to a staggering $556 million global debut, smashing records and delivering Disney one of the biggest animated openings of all time. The highly anticipated sequel dominated theaters worldwide since its Wednesday release, including a $96 million haul in North America and a robust $156 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame.
The film’s international performance proved even more impressive, setting the highest international opening ever for an animated feature. It now ranks as the fourth highest global debut of any film — animated or otherwise — and secured the top international opening of 2025, according to box office analysts.
China emerged as the sequel’s most lucrative market by far, contributing a massive $272 million — nearly half of its worldwide total. This performance makes “Zootopia 2” the second-best opening for a non-local film in China, trailing only “Avengers: Endgame” in the record books, industry figures show.
“This is a great result and a big momentum builder for the box office as we head into the final four weeks of the year,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. He added that the sequel represented “a beloved franchise delivering what audiences were looking for around the world.”
Thanksgiving Bounty for Box Office
The Thanksgiving weekend proved exceptionally lucrative for theaters overall, generating $290 million domestically, with $188 million coming between Friday and Sunday. It’s a bright spot in what has otherwise been a challenging year for exhibitors trying to lure audiences back to the big screen.
Not to be overshadowed, “Wicked: For Good” continued its strong run with $62.8 million domestically over the weekend. The musical adaptation has now accumulated $270.4 million in North America and $393 million globally, adding $92.2 million worldwide just this weekend.
What’s driving these impressive numbers? Industry analysts point to pent-up demand for family-friendly fare and the continued drawing power of established franchises with multi-generational appeal.
In limited release, “Hamnet” demonstrated considerable strength, earning $1.35 million from Wednesday through Sunday. The film averaged more than $11,000 per theater over the weekend alone, signaling potential for a successful wider rollout, box office trackers note.
The domestic top 10 was dominated by “Zootopia 2” ($96.8 million) and “Wicked: For Good” ($62.8 million), with other titles trailing significantly behind. This concentrated performance underscores the increasingly winner-take-all nature of theatrical releases, where a handful of blockbusters account for an outsized portion of total receipts.
For Disney and theater owners alike, “Zootopia 2” represents a welcome year-end boost — and perhaps a reminder that despite streaming’s continued growth, audiences will still flock to theaters for the right property with sufficient buzz. The question now becomes whether this momentum can carry forward into 2026 or if it’s merely a holiday-season anomaly.
