Four years after one of the most abrupt executive shakeups in Disney history, Bob Iger’s return to the CEO role is continuing to reshape the studio’s creative and commercial fortunes—none more dramatically than with the runaway success of 2025’s Zootopia 2.
Disney stunned Hollywood in November 2022 when Bob Chapek was removed as CEO following a turbulent stretch defined by internal unrest, public-facing controversies, and inconsistent box office results. In a swift reversal, the company brought back Bob Iger, who had previously led Disney from 2005 to 2020, to stabilize the company after pandemic-era theatrical struggles and growing concerns about the studio’s creative direction.
One of Iger’s first messages upon reassuming control was clear: Disney’s biggest animated brands would remain central to its future. He promptly confirmed that sequels to three cornerstone franchises—Frozen 3, Toy Story 5, and Zootopia 2—were officially in development. While Frozen 3 is slated for 2027 and Toy Story 5 arrives this summer, Zootopia 2 surged ahead, becoming the earliest release and an immediate proof point for Iger’s sequel-forward strategy.
Released in 2016, the original Zootopia blended a buddy-cop mystery with topical social themes and became a global phenomenon. The film earned more than $1 billion worldwide and later expanded its universe through the Disney+ spinoff Zootopia+, ensuring sustained interest in a follow-up for nearly a decade.
Zootopia 2 reunites Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman as Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, who this time confront a reptilian menace threatening the balance of their meticulously ordered city. The sequel also introduces Ke Huy Quan as Gary De’Snake, adding a new dynamic to the established ensemble.
Audience enthusiasm was immediate. The film collected $10.2 million in Tuesday previews, ranking second among Disney Animation titles behind Moana 2’s $13.8 million. Early forecasts projected a Thanksgiving opening between $130 million and $160 million domestically, and the sequel delivered quickly with a $39.5 million first day. Overseas projections ranged from $135 million to $145 million, buoyed by a $33.7 million opening day in China—one of the strongest launches ever for a U.S. film in that market.
By the end of the five-day Thanksgiving holiday, Zootopia 2 had set new benchmarks. The sequel amassed $156 million domestically and $400 million internationally, for a staggering $556 million global opening. That total marked the largest debut ever for an animated film and the fourth-largest opening weekend in Hollywood history. Over the traditional three-day frame, it earned $96.8 million in North America, trailing only 2024’s Moana 2.
China emerged as a major driver of the film’s success, where Zootopia 2 opened to $272 million—establishing a new animated record in the region and ranking second overall behind Avengers: Endgame (2019).
The sequel’s dominance, however, faced a swift challenge in early December.
“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 debuted with $56.5 million domestically, overtaking Zootopia 2 and pushing it into second place during its second weekend.
Even without holding the top spot, Zootopia 2 had already secured an impressive list of achievements. The sequel claimed records for the largest global opening for an animated sequel, the biggest worldwide debut for a Disney animated release, the strongest opening since 2021, and the highest global launch of 2025 so far. For comparison, the original Zootopia opened to $75 million domestically in 2016 and ultimately reached $1.025 billion worldwide—placing the sequel on a trajectory to match or exceed that total.
“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.”
A month after release, Zootopia 2 continues to post massive numbers at the global box office, holding its own against major releases such as Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) and high-profile titles like Josh Safdie’s Timothee Chalamet-led Marty Supreme (2025). As of early January, the sequel has reached $1.46 billion worldwide, officially surpassing Disney Animation’s previous record-holder, Frozen 2 (2019).
Frozen has long been one of Disney’s most lucrative franchises. The original Frozen (2013) became a cultural landmark and earned more than $1.28 billion globally, cementing its place among the highest-grossing animated films of all time.
Frozen 2 expanded on that success with a record-setting global opening for an animated release and ultimately finished with approximately $1.45 billion worldwide, ranking as the third-highest-grossing film of 2019 and, for several years, the highest-grossing animated movie ever. Together, the two films solidified Frozen as a cornerstone of Disney’s modern animation era.
Although Frozen 2 was later overtaken by titles such as Pixar’s Inside Out 2 (2019) and Ne Zha 2 (2025), it remained the top-grossing Walt Disney Studios animated release—until now. With $1.46 billion and counting, Zootopia 2 has claimed that title and is poised to challenge Inside Out 2 if current projections hold.
What began as one of Bob Iger’s earliest post-Chapek greenlights has evolved into a defining holiday triumph, reinforcing Disney Animation’s global appeal even as competition intensifies. At the same time, the dominance of sequels raises broader questions about how much room remains for original storytelling on the theatrical stage.
How do you feel about the surprise Frozen franchise takeover? Let us know in the comments down below!
There’s way to many mistakes in this for me to take it as a serious article
That’s right. Bruising too was released several years ago so it cannot still be on hold