Zootopia 2’s Box Office Success Proves Animation Deserves More Respect in Theaters

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I’ve been watching the box office numbers this holiday weekend, and Zootopia 2 is a huge success! It really highlights how much respect animated films deserve in theaters. It’s been a strange year for animation fans – some of the biggest hits have been animated, but they often get overlooked when people talk about the year’s biggest movies. For some reason, they just don’t seem to get the same level of attention, even though audiences clearly love them.

It’s often assumed that animated movies are just for kids, and while that’s partly true, animation can be incredibly effective for all audiences. The success of Zootopia 2 – breaking Disney’s own box office records – is a perfect example. Like other animated films this year, it’s proven that the idea of animation being solely for children is outdated. Even though fewer animated movies are being released in theaters, those that are have been so successful that it suggests there’s a strong demand for more.

Zootopia 2 Is Just Animation’s Latest Hit in 2025

Zootopia 2 had a massive opening weekend, earning $556 million and becoming the 19th highest-grossing film of 2025 so far. However, looking at the year’s top ten films reveals a pattern: Ne Zha 2 is leading with nearly $2 billion, followed by the live-action Lilo & Stitch with over $1 billion. A Minecraft Movie is third with $957 million, Jurassic Park: Rebirth is fourth with $868 million, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle rounds out the top five with $662 million.

I’m seriously blown away by how much animation is dominating the box office right now! If you look at the top five films, two are fully animated, one is a live-action take on a classic cartoon, another is set mostly in a computer-animated world, and even features CG monsters! If you stretch it to number six with the How to Train Your Dragon reboot, it really hits home how influential animation has been this year. What’s even more interesting is that a lot of these animated hits aren’t just for kids – they’re appealing to a much wider audience than you might expect!

Despite being often seen as just for children, there are surprisingly few animated films released in US theaters each year – fewer than ten. The success of Zootopia 2 shows there’s a strong audience for animated movies in cinemas, proving it’s more than just a popular Disney franchise. However, even when animated films do well on streaming services, releasing them in theaters isn’t usually a primary consideration.

Bring More Animation to Theaters

It feels like there aren’t many movies made for kids playing in cinemas these days, and the popularity of films like KPop Demon Hunters proves how much kids want good entertainment. KPop Demon Hunters has been incredibly successful on Netflix since its release this summer, but it originally bypassed most theaters because Sony Pictures Animation wasn’t sure it would do well. Ultimately, it became a hit both on streaming and in theaters when a sing-along version was released.

There’s a lost potential there, and it’s interesting to see how films like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle have become massive hits, even though they aren’t specifically made for kids. While overall box office numbers are down this year, despite some big franchise movies doing well, animated films are performing incredibly strongly. Animation seems to fulfill a universal need that people don’t always fully appreciate, and it’s been undervalued for a long time, despite its importance to the movie theater experience.

Animated movies appeal to all ages, and their consistent success proves they’re vital to the film industry. For years, animation was overlooked, but the recent string of hits in 2025 demonstrates the industry’s strength. The next step is to ensure the talented artists and creators behind these films receive the support they deserve.

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2025-12-01 01:40