Released only three weeks ago, Zootopia 2 has already generated $1.13 billion of global revenue. The film thus goes beyond Lilo & Stitch (2025) to become the biggest Hollywood hit of the year. If the biggest hit of 2025 remains Ne Zha 2 with 1.9 billion dollars, Disney’s score is remarkable.
This impressive figure comes largely from international sources, with $877.7 million raised outside the United Statesthe majority of which in China. On American soil, the film has already earned $259 million.
Critically, IGN gave it a rating of 8/10welcoming “the return of the very first duo of rabbit-fox detectives from the ZPD on major societal affairs, without forgetting the animal puns”. A balance between humor, social issues and high-level animation, which appeals to families and critics alike.
Zootopia becomes one of Disney’s major franchises
With this new milestone reached, the Zootopia franchise is firmly anchored among Disney’s most lucrative licenses. From The Snow Queen in 2013, the studio now has five films to more than a billion : Frozen, Frozen II, Moana 2, Zootopia And Zootopia 2.
This success confirms a now well-established strategy: spaced out sequels, carried by characters who have become cult (like Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde), a strong societal message, and cutting-edge animation. Disney thus manages to reach all generations, from young children to adults nostalgic for the first opus released in 2016.
Competitors struggling despite a solid casting
At the same time, other major films of 2025 are struggling to compete. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2despite a reduced budget of $36 million and killer reviews (3/10 by IGN), still reported $174 million. An honorable score for Blumhouse, but far from Disney standards.
Other important releases struggle to convince: Wicked: For Good accumulates $468 million, Now You See Me, Now You Don’t reached $214 million, while The Running Man caps at $68 million. As for the drama Ella McKay by James L. Brooks, it grossed only 2.1 million in its U.S. launch weekend.
Avatar: Fire and Ashes and Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon
Building on this success, Disney does not intend to stop there. The studio is currently preparing the release of Avatar: Fire and Ashesdirected by James Cameron. This new blockbuster could well shake up the end-of-year box office hierarchy.
To maximize impact, four different trailers fromAvengers: Doomsday will be shown randomly in theaters, encouraging fans to return to see the film several times. A bold marketing strategy, which shows that Disney knows how to play with the codes of the modern blockbuster.
As 2025 draws to a close, Disney already seems to have won the year. It remains to be seen whether Avatar Or Avengers will complete the studio’s domination of the global box office.
With Zootopia 2Disney once again proves its ability to turn sequels into world events. Faced with lackluster competition, the studio is imposing its vision of family entertainment on a large scale. And it’s clearly not about to stop.