‘Zootopia 2’ Breaks China Box Office Record for Foreign Animated Film

Walt Disney Co.’s “Zootopia 2” grossed 1.9 billion yuan ($269 million) in its opening week on the Chinese mainland, becoming the country’s highest-ever grossing imported animated film.

Released on Nov. 26, the sequel to the 2016 smash hit accounted for 91% of the Chinese mainland’s total box office revenue for the week ending Sunday, official data showed. The Chinese mainland has emerged as the film’s top market, putting it ahead of North America in ticket sales.

The blockbuster performance provides a critical boost to Disney’s operations on the Chinese mainland and single-handedly lifted the country’s November box office to its highest level since 2020.

The film propelled total weekly box office revenue to 2.1 billion yuan, a 356% increase from the previous week, according to the Office of the National Film Industry Development Special Fund Management Committee. In just five days, “Zootopia 2” surpassed the 1.54 billion yuan lifetime gross of its predecessor, “Zootopia”. It also claimed the title of the Chinese mainland’s best-selling imported comedy and set a new benchmark for animated film presales, edging out the local blockbuster “Ne Zha 2”.

While the film has grossed $156 million in North America, its performance on the Chinese mainland has been dominant. Globally, the movie has accumulated $810 million. Beacon, a theatrical data platform, reports that audiences aged 24 and under made up 28% of viewers, highlighting the film’s strong appeal to young demographics and families. The movie reached its peak occupancy rate of 38.6% on Saturday.

Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, the sequel reunites police officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde to solve a mystery involving reptiles.

Fueled by the sequel, the Chinese mainland’s total box office for November reached 3.54 billion yuan, the highest for the month since 2020. Chen Jin, an analyst at Beacon, said that “Zootopia 2” is projected to reach a total gross of 2.7 billion yuan. The annual box office is expected to exceed 50 billion yuan, driven by upcoming December releases such as “Avatar: Fire and Ash”.