Four years after one of Disney’s most dramatic executive reversals, one early decision from Bob Iger’s return continues to pay off in a major way–though a new contender just shook up the box office race.
Back in November 2022, Disney stunned the industry by removing CEO Bob Chapek after months of internal tension and public fallout. Bob Iger, who previously guided the company from 2005 to 2020, stepped back into leadership following Chapek’s turbulent tenure and a theatrical landscape marked by pandemic closures and a run of underperforming films.
Iger quickly made creative expansion a priority. Among his first major reveals were plans for Frozen 3, Toy Story 5, and Zootopia 2. With Frozen 3 slated for 2027 and Toy Story 5 arriving next summer, Zootopia 2 became the first to reach theaters, rolling into Thanksgiving and immediately emerging as one of Disney’s strongest recent moves.
The first Zootopia became a phenomenon in 2016, praised for its mix of comedy, mystery, and layered storytelling. It surpassed $1 billion worldwide and later inspired the Disney+ series Zootopia+. A feature sequel remained a frequent request from fans.
Zootopia 2 reunites Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde as they pursue a reptilian villain shaking up the metropolis. Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman return to their roles, joined by Ke Huy Quan as Gary De’Snake.
The sequel launched with impressive demand, earning $10.2 million in Tuesday previews–second only to Moana 2’s $13.8 million among Disney Animation titles. Industry projections placed its five-day Thanksgiving debut between $130 million and $160 million.
The film opened to $39.5 million on day one, while international estimates ranged from $135 million to $145 million. China alone delivered a striking $33.7 million opening day, one of the biggest first-day results for a U.S. film in that market.
Zootopia 2’s full holiday turnout pushed it into record territory. The film collected $156 million domestically over the five-day Thanksgiving frame and $400 million internationally, giving it a worldwide start of $556 million–the largest opening ever for an animated film and the fourth-biggest debut for any Hollywood title. Over the traditional three-day weekend, it reached $96.8 million domestically, coming in just behind 2024’s Moana 2 and its $139.8 million start.
China propelled the movie even further with a $272 million launch, marking the biggest animated opening ever in the region and second overall only to 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
But as the second weekend arrived, a new film stepped into the top spot.
“Blumhouse-Atomic Monster has their second No. 1 opening movie of the year with Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, which is now lighting up to a massive $56.5M opening after a $29.8M Friday/previews,” Deadline reports. “Blumhouse-Atomic Monster also owns the top two horror openings of the year (yes, they do) with Conjuring: Last Rites ($84M) and now Freddy’s 2.”
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 opened to $56.5 million, overtaking Zootopia 2 for the number one spot domestically.
“Together with the second weekend of Zootopia 2 ($45M), and the third weekend of Wicked: For Good ($15.6M), the entire historically sluggish frame is fueling to a record $148.6M, which bests last year’s high for the frame of $137M+,” the outlet added.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 features Josh Hutcherson (Mike Schmidt), Elizabeth Lail (Vanessa Shelly), Piper Rubio (Abby Schmidt), and Matthew Lillard (William Afton).
Zootopia’s momentum is far from over, however. The film has already set multiple benchmarks: highest global opening for an animated sequel, highest worldwide debut for a Disney animated release, highest global opening since 2021, and the strongest of 2025 so far. The 2016 original opened at $75 million domestically and ultimately reached $1.025 billion worldwide, putting the sequel on track for similar or greater heights.
“The incredible response to Zootopia 2 reflects both its worldwide appeal and the remarkable work of our filmmakers and cast,” said Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman, via The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a proud moment for Disney Animation and all of us.”
One of Iger’s first major announcements in early 2023–confirming Zootopia 2 after replacing Chapek–has now solidified itself as a holiday win.
How do you feel about the surprise Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise takeover? Let us know in the comments down below!
