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New Disney animation broke box office records with a massive Thanksgiving weekend opening
Andrew DaltonMonday 01 December 2025 10:51 GMT
CloseZootopia 2 trailer
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Disney's animated sequel, Zootopia 2, has delivered a record-setting opening at the global box office, providing a significant boost to the Thanksgiving holiday box office.
The film amassed an estimated $96m in North America over the weekend and earned $156m over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday.
It also scored a staggering $556m globally since its Wednesday opening, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Universal Pictures' Wicked: For Good also performed strongly in its second weekend, adding a further $62.8 million domestically over the weekend for a North American total of $270.4 million.
Internationally, the second instalment of the Wicked saga has garnered $393 million. The combined success of these two sequels marks a glimmering exception to an otherwise challenging year for movie theatres.
This surge could either be a temporary anomaly or a sign that a robust end to the year might yet salvage Hollywood's box office fortunes, with anticipated releases such as Avatar: Fire and Ash and Five Nights at Freddy's 2 still to come in 2025.
open image in galleryNick Wilde, voiced by Jason Bateman, left, and Judy Hopps, voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, in a scene from ‘Zootopia 2’ (Disney)Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst for Comscore, commented on the positive trend, stating: "This is a great result and a big momentum builder for the box office as we head into the final four weeks of the year."
A decade after the original Zootopia surprised expectations with a $75 million domestic opening in March, its sequel reunites bunny police officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and small-time hustler fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) in their comically anthropomorphic city. Dergarabedian further noted that the sequel represented "a beloved franchise delivering what audiences were looking for around the world."
Crucially, Zootopia 2's success was heavily bolstered by an extraordinary performance in China, where it accounted for nearly half of its global total with a colossal \$272 million in ticket sales. This makes it the biggest opening ever for an American-made animated film in China and the second best non-local film opening of all time in the country, surpassed only by Avengers: Endgame.
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Such a dominant showing in the Chinese market was once commonplace for Hollywood productions but has become increasingly rare in recent years amid shifting geopolitical relations and China's growing preference for homegrown cinema. While exceptions like the Jurassic World films exist, Hollywood has largely recalibrated its blockbuster budgets, often writing off significant Chinese box office returns.
The impressive bounty for Zootopia 2 in China could signal a potential thaw in this frosty relationship or simply be an aberration. China, which carefully censors films released in its theatres, has recently championed local blockbusters, such as Ne Zha 2, which grossed 8 billion earlier this year.
open image in galleryNe Zha 2 has become one of the highest grossing films ever (A24 via AP)However, Zootopia 2 benefited from a clear path to success, building on the original Zootopia, which became a surprise hit, earning $236m. Shanghai Disneyland also features a dedicated theme park based on the films, further cementing its popularity.
Beyond the animated juggernaut, Hamnet, a highly anticipated awards season contender following a celebrated festival run, enjoyed a strong limited opening. Playing in just 119 theatres, the Shakespearean drama starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal took $35m from Wednesday through Sunday, with 880,000 over the weekend, achieving a per-theatre average exceeding $11,000. The film, directed by Chloe Zhao, is set for wider release next weekend.
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. Zootopia 2, $96.8 million.
2. Wicked: For Good, $62.8 million.
3. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, $7 million.
4. Predator: Badlands, $4.8 million.
5. The Running Man, $3.7 million.
6. Eternity, $3.2 million.
7. Rental Family, $2.1 million.
8. Hamnet, $880,000.
9. Sisu: Road to Revenge, $810,000.
10. Nuremberg, $749,325.
