Disney's animated sequel, "Zootopia 2," has made an extraordinary impact at the Thanksgiving box office, topping charts with an impressive $19.7 million on Thursday. Since its Tuesday night opening, the film has amassed $59.2 million domestically and is projected to reach between $140 million and $150 million over the five-day holiday period. This surge in ticket sales is providing a much-needed boost to the box office, which had experienced its lowest October levels in three decades, marked by several films failing to resonate with audiences. "Zootopia 2" is proving to be a commercial juggernaut, although its five-day gross is expected to fall short of the record set by Disney's "Moana 2" in 2024, which earned $225 million over five days.

Globally, "Zootopia 2" is also dominating, having earned $74 million internationally to push its worldwide total to a sizable $133.2 million. Projections indicate an additional $135 million to $145 million from foreign markets over its initial five days. The film's performance in China is particularly remarkable, grossing around $80 million and eyeing as high as $200 million across five days, a feat that gives it a chance of surpassing "Avengers: Endgame" in the Middle Kingdom – a rare occurrence for Hollywood films since COVID-19. Before its first full weekend, the movie had already crossed the $100 million mark worldwide. With its projected global haul of up to $550 million by Sunday, "Zootopia 2" is set to join the top 10 list of the biggest openings in cinema history, surpassing titles like "Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2." This success is pivotal for Disney, turning around a bittersweet year that saw several major releases underperform, and sets a positive precedent for upcoming films like "Avatar: Fire and Ash."

The sequel reunites fan-favorite rabbit police officer Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and con artist fox Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) as they navigate new challenges in their partnership after solving a major case. Chief Bogo enrolls them in the "Partners in Crisis" program, leading them into a complex mystery involving a mysterious new reptilian resident, Gary De’Snake, a pit viper voiced by Ke Huy Quan. The duo must go undercover to pursue De’Snake, who is simultaneously trying to save his family, while facing organized threats from the powerful Lynxley criminal family, led by patriarch Milton Lynxley, voiced by David Strathairn.

The film boasts a star-studded cast, featuring both returning talent and exciting new additions. Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman reprise their iconic roles as Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, who now serve as partners in the Zootopia Police Department. Idris Elba returns as the formidable Chief Bogo, overseeing the city's safety. Shakira also reprises her role as Gazelle, Zootopia's biggest pop star, and contributes a new original song, "Zoo," co-written with Ed Sheeran and Blake Slatkin. Other returning voices include Maurice LaMarche as the arctic shrew crime boss Mr. Big, Raymond S. Persi as the slow-moving Flash Slothmore, Nate Torrence as the genial Officer Benjamin Clawhauser, Tommy Chong as the laid-back Yax, Jenny Slate as the imprisoned former Assistant Mayor Dawn Bellwether, and Alan Tudyk as the weasel crook Duke Weaselton.

Among the notable new voices are Ke Huy Quan as Gary De’Snake, the central reptilian mystery. The powerful Lynxley family is introduced with David Strathairn as Milton Lynxley, the patriarch; Macaulay Culkin as the ambitious oldest son, Cattrick Lynxley; Brenda Song as the sharp-tongued sole daughter, Kitty Lynxley; and Andy Samberg as the easy-going runt of the family, Pawbert Lynxley. Patrick Warburton joins as Mayor Brian Winddancer, the current stallion mayor of Zootopia, and Ed Sheeran makes a cameo appearance as a sheep named Ed Shearin. Additional new characters and their voice actors include Quinta Brunson as Dr. Fuzzby, a quokka police partner therapist; Robert Irwin as Robert Furwin, a koala inspired by the conservationist; Danny Trejo as the plumed basilisk Jesús; John Leguizamo as the giant anteater smuggler Antony; Josh Gad as the ornery mole IT expert Paul Moldebrandt; June Squibb as Judy’s grandmother, Gram Gram; and Dwayne Johnson as Zeke, a clumsy dik-dik.

Further enhancing the diverse cast are Stephanie Beatriz as Bloats, a hippopotamus officer at the Zootopia police department, partnered with Higgins, voiced by Wilmer Valderrama. Auliʻi Cravalho lends her voice to the Anti-Venom Pen, an antidote crucial to the plot. Anika Noni Rose voices the Squeal of Fortune Mouse, a game show competitor, and Rachel House brings Gramma Taller, an imprisoned elderly giraffe, to life. The film, directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, was produced on a reported budget of $150 million and has received a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes, slightly below the original's 98%. Its success contributes to an extraordinary year for animation in 2025, which has already seen "Ne Zha 2" cross $2 billion globally and "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle" become the highest-grossing anime title ever.