Box Office: Disney Replaces Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ With New Movie

The Disney box office charts look wholly different now that the Zootopia franchise has returned.

Disney’s theatrical race in 2025 has a new leader. Zootopia 2 (2025) has climbed past every other release from the studio this year to become Disney’s highest-grossing film worldwide. The animated sequel pulled ahead late in the calendar, surpassing the long-running summer success of Lilo & Stitch (2025) after months of steady international momentum.

According to Box Office Mojo’s year-end chart, Zootopia 2 has amassed roughly $1.137 billion globally, edging beyond Lilo & Stitch’s $1.038 billion total. The shift reshapes Disney’s 2025 box office hierarchy and underscores the staying power of the animated franchise nearly a decade after the original film’s debut.

Directed by Jared Bush alongside co-director Byron Howard, Zootopia 2 brings audiences back to the mammal metropolis as Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde navigate life as more experienced detectives. Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman reprise their roles, with the sequel placing new pressure on the duo’s partnership as expectations mount both inside and outside the precinct. The arrival of Gary De’Snake, voiced by Ke Huy Quan, marks a turning point for the city, introducing Zootopia’s first snake resident and igniting fear, suspicion, and political unrest.

The investigation pushes Judy and Nick into unfamiliar corners of the city, expanding the world-building while threading social commentary through a classic mystery structure. Humor and action remain central, but the sequel leans heavily into questions of trust, inclusion, and how systems respond to change.

Returning voices and new cast members—including Idris Elba, Shakira, Quinta Brunson, and Fortune Feimster—round out a supporting lineup that adds energy and variety throughout the story. The result has been both a creative and commercial win, with Zootopia 2 finishing the year as Disney’s top earner.

Before Zootopia 2’s late surge, Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch ruled much of 2025’s box office conversation. Opening early in the summer, the remake quickly found an audience worldwide, drawing longtime fans of the 2002 animated film alongside newcomers. Its global run carried it past the billion-dollar threshold, making it one of Disney’s strongest live-action adaptations financially.

Dean Fleischer Camp directs the reimagined story of Lilo Pelekai, portrayed by Maia Kealoha, a young girl growing up in Hawaii with her sister Nani, played by Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, after a family tragedy. Their fragile routine is disrupted by Stitch, a destructive alien experiment who crash-lands on Earth while fleeing off-world authorities.

Chris Sanders returns as the voice of Stitch, preserving the character’s familiar personality. Supporting performances from Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, and Courtney B. Vance balance comedy with emotional weight, reinforcing the film’s core themes of forgiveness and found family.

Although it ultimately finished second to Zootopia 2 in total gross, Lilo & Stitch remains one of Disney’s defining releases of 2025. Together, the two films illustrate the studio’s continued strength at the global box office, a trend Disney looks poised to continue with upcoming releases.

With projects like Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025), The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026), Toy Story 5 (2026), Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Star Wars: Starfighter (2027), Frozen 3 (2027), and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) on the horizon, Disney’s theatrical slate shows no signs of slowing.

How do you feel about Disney’s box office prospects in the next few years? Let us know in the comments down below!