Nine years after Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde first solved a case together, Zootopia 2 is showing that sequels still draw big crowds to theaters. The Disney film opened over Thanksgiving weekend with a record-breaking $556 million and has now passed $970 million worldwide. It is on track to become Disney’s second $1 billion release of the year. With Avatar: Fire and Ash expected to potentially reach the milestone in the coming weeks, Disney appears poised to claim three billion-dollar blockbusters in a single year once again.
In 2019, Disney had eight films pass the $1 billion mark. Since then, the studio’s momentum slowed, partly due to the pandemic. Between 2020 and 2024, only six Disney titles reached that mark, three of them in 2024. Though the company has faced challenges and some missteps, its box office rebound this year suggests a clear return to form.
Zootopia 2 has performed especially well in China, where it became the first Hollywood movie to earn over $100 million in a single day and set a new opening record at the Chinese box office. The film currently ranks third worldwide for 2025 and is expected to pass $1 billion by this weekend. It’s too bad studios get a significantly smaller chunk of the box office overseas, especially in China where studios are reportedly only receiving around 25% of the box office grosses. This means Disney has really only earned around $500 million after the theaters and international markets take their cuts.
It’s still quite a success, and Disney’s strong run follows a very successful 2024, when Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Moana 2 each crossed the $1 billion mark to become the highest-grossing movies of that year. The next wave of potential hits is already in motion for 2026 and 2027.
Marvel Studios is set to release Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday next year, both widely expected to perform at a billion-dollar level. The Mandalorian & Grogu and Toy Story 5 are also anticipated to do the same. Looking ahead to 2027, Disney’s lineup includes Star Wars: Star Fighter, Frozen 3, and Avengers: Secret Wars. Each has strong box office potential, and they represent just part of the studio’s expanding slate built around its most valuable franchises.
Disney also has several original projects in development, but CEO Bob Iger’s focus on established intellectual property continues to drive the company’s success. With more Avatar, Star Wars, and Marvel films already planned, Disney’s dominance in global box office totals is likely to continue through the end of the decade. Competing studios will face an uphill climb to challenge the company’s momentum.
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English (US) · 