Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps have done it again. On Friday, Disney’s “Zootopia 2” passed $1 billion at the global box office, becoming the fastest Hollywood animated or PG-rated film to reach the vaunted milestone.
The sequel to the 2016 Oscar-winning tale of a fox and a rabbit working together to uncover a furry conspiracy reached $1 billion in 17 days, the same amount of time it took Universal’s “Furious 7” to hit the milestone in 2015. Only seven films, including the all-time animation record holder “Ne Zha 2,” have reached $1 billion in less time.
With this result, “Zootopia” becomes only the third franchise in box office history whose first two installments have each reached $1 billion. Disney’s “Frozen” was the first to achieve this when its 2019 sequel, “Frozen II,” joined the 2013 original in the billion-dollar club. “Avatar: The Way of Water” became the second in early 2023, reaching $1 billion after two weeks in theaters, following its 2009 predecessor’s milestone.
“Everyone at Disney Animation put their heart, soul and passion into this film to tell a story full of joy, imagination, and incredible thoughtfulness,” said Jared Bush, Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios. “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.”
This weekend, “Zootopia 2” is set to pass the $1.03 billion total of Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” remake to become Hollywood’s highest grossing film this year, though James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” is expected to take that title in a few weeks.
“Zootopia 2” has done well around the world, nearing the $250 million mark in the U.S. and Canada as it is projected to make around $24 million in its third weekend. But its speed in reaching $1 billion is due in large part to its immense popularity in China, where it is set to pass “Avengers: Endgame” to become the highest grossing Hollywood film and among the top 10 highest grossing films ever.
Called “Crazy Animal City” in Mandarin, “Zootopia” has steadily built a devoted following since the first film’s release, with Disney cultivating that following by opening a publicly acclaimed expansion to Shanghai Disneyland based around the film.
That has led to “Zootopia 2” grossing $447 million in China so far, putting it on pace to pass the $623.9 million of “Endgame.” At its current pace, it is set to have a global theatrical run of more than $1.3 billion, putting it on the same level as 2023’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and with a chance to pass Disney Animation’s all-time record before inflation of $1.45 billion held by “Frozen II.”
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