Zootopia 2 Shatters China Box Office Records with $34 Million Opening Day

‘Zootopia 2’ launched to unprecedented success in China, earning $34 million on its opening day and surpassing previous Hollywood benchmarks for animated features. The sequel, directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, achieved the highest single-day gross for any U.S. animated film in the market, outpacing records set by ‘Frozen 2’ and ‘Inside Out 2’. Pre-sales alone generated 333 million yuan from advance tickets and previews, marking the all-time high for any animated release in China. This performance propelled the film’s global opening past $81 million on day one, with international territories contributing $41.6 million.

The original ‘Zootopia’ grossed $236 million in China at historic exchange rates, but its successor has already crossed 1 billion yuan in just days, with Maoyan projecting a full run of 2.4 billion yuan or $340 million. Disney’s marketing strategy included immersive exhibitions, four promotional shorts produced with Shanghai Animation Film Studio, and over 2,000 licensed products tailored for the mainland. Social reception drove the surge, with the film scoring 9.7 on Maoyan, higher than the original’s 9.5 rating. Advance screenings featured appearances by voice actor Kris Phillips, director Bush, and Chinese filmmaker Da Peng, amplifying buzz ahead of the Wednesday debut.

Internationally, ‘Zootopia 2’ topped charts in multiple markets on opening day, including France with $2.4 million, its second-highest 2025 debut behind ‘Lilo & Stitch’. In Korea, it debuted at No. 1 with $1.7 million, ranking as the fifth-highest animated opening ever and the top Walt Disney Animation Studios launch of the year. Germany and Italy followed with $700,000 and $600,000, respectively, establishing the film as the highest studio animation opener in those territories for 2025. Europe openings positioned it as No. 1 in most venues, except the UK where ‘Wicked: For Good’ held strong.

Domestically, the film ruled Black Friday with $38.5 million, the second-highest gross for the day behind ‘Moana 2”s $54.5 million, and claimed Thanksgiving with $19.7 million, the runner-up to ‘Moana 2”s $27.8 million. Three-day global totals reached $233 million, comprising $97.7 million from North America and $135.3 million overseas, with China’s two-day haul alone at $94 million. This marks the best Hollywood animated launch in China since May 2021 and the strongest overall U.S. film opening there post-pandemic. Analysts attribute the momentum to family appeal, earning an A CinemaScore and 95 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The sequel reunites voices Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps and Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde, alongside newcomers including Ke Huy Quan and Quinta Brunson. Plot details center on the duo tackling a new conspiracy in Zootopia, blending humor with themes of prejudice and teamwork. Production spanned five years, incorporating advanced animation techniques for urban animal environments. Disney’s 2025 slate positions ‘Zootopia 2’ as a key earner, following ‘Moana 2’ and preceding ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ on December 19. China’s November box office hit a six-year peak, boosted by the film’s weekday release strategy.

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