The animated animal metropolis of Zootopia has roared back to life, delivering a monumental and record-setting performance at the global box office. Disney's long-awaited sequel, "Zootopia 2," dominated the Thanksgiving holiday frame, earning a staggering $556 million worldwide since its opening last Wednesday and injecting a dose of much-needed optimism into the cinematic landscape.
A Record-Shattering Animated Debut
According to studio estimates released Sunday, the film brought in $96 million in North America over the traditional Friday-to-Sunday weekend. Its five-day Thanksgiving haul in the region reached $156 million. These figures propelled the sequel to a historic milestone: it is now the highest international opening ever for an animated movie and the fourth-highest global debut for any film. It also stands as the top international opener of 2025 so far.
The film's success was particularly pronounced in China, where it generated a colossal $272 million—nearly half of its global total. This marks the biggest opening for an American-made animated film in the market and is the second-best non-local debut of all time there, trailing only "Avengers: Endgame." This result is a significant and welcome surprise for Hollywood, which has seen its fortunes in China become unpredictable in recent years.
A Glimmer of Hope for a Struggling Industry
Together with Universal Pictures' "Wicked: For Good," which earned a robust $62.8 million domestically in its second weekend, the pair of family-friendly sequels powered a lucrative holiday. The total five-day Thanksgiving box office reached $290 million, with $188 million coming from the Friday-to-Sunday period. This performance shines as a bright exception in what has been a challenging year for movie theaters.
"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 noted the sequel represented "a beloved franchise delivering what audiences were looking for around the world." The strong finish raises questions about whether upcoming releases like "Avatar: Fire and Ash" can help salvage Hollywood's annual totals.
Notable Performances and the Top 10
"Wicked: For Good" held strong despite the fierce competition, bringing its North American total to $270.4 million and its international tally to $393 million. In limited release, the awards-season contender "Hamnet" posted a powerful opening. Playing in just 119 theaters, it earned $1.35 million from Wednesday through Sunday, with a per-theater average exceeding $11,000.
With final figures due Monday, the estimated top 10 movies at the domestic (U.S. and Canada) box office for the weekend are:
- "Zootopia 2," $96.8 million.
- "Wicked: For Good," $62.8 million.
- "Now You See Me: Now You Don't," $7 million.
- "Predator: Badlands," $4.8 million.
- "The Running Man," $3.7 million.
- "Eternity," $3.2 million.
- "Rental Family," $2.1 million.
- "Hamnet," $880,000.
- "Sisu: Road to Revenge," $810,000.
- "Nuremberg," $749,325.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated "Zootopia 2" had the fourth biggest North American opening of 2025. It is the sixth biggest.