Disney's animated sequel, "Zootopia 2," has achieved a monumental milestone, swiftly crossing the coveted $1 billion mark at the global box office in just 17 days since its release. This remarkable feat positions it as the fastest PG-rated film ever to reach this benchmark, and only the second Hollywood film this year to do so, following Disney's own "Lilo & Stitch" remake. The year's highest-grossing release, China's animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2," also surpassed $1 billion and even went on to achieve the $2 billion milestone.

The film's impressive box office journey includes significant figures such as $232.7 million domestically and a staggering $753.4 million internationally, totaling $986.1 million just before officially hitting the billion-dollar mark. This places "Zootopia 2" among an elite group, as only 13 animated films in history have ever surpassed $1 billion, with 10 of these being Disney titles. Jared Bush, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, expressed the studio's sentiment, stating, "Everyone at Disney Animation put their heart, soul and passion into this film to tell a story full of joy, imagination, and incredible thoughtfulness. This milestone means the world to us, because more than anything, it means audiences are coming to theaters for a shared experience of watching this movie on the big screen, everyone together, from all walks of life around the world — and that is a Zootopia dream come true."

Released ahead of Thanksgiving, "Zootopia 2" immediately made its impact, opening to $158 million in North America and a colossal $559 million globally over its five-day holiday weekend. These figures mark the second-largest Thanksgiving launch in history, the best start ever for an animated film, and the fourth-biggest worldwide debut in box office history, trailing only "Avengers: Endgame," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

The film's performance in the Chinese market has been particularly outstanding, defying the recent hit-and-miss trend for Hollywood titles in the Middle Kingdom. "Zootopia 2" garnered over $270 million during its five-day debut in China, with its current cumulative haul standing at around $430 million. This makes it the second-biggest non-local release in China's history, second only to Disney's Marvel epic "Avengers: Endgame" ($632 million). The original "Zootopia" was highly popular in China, a popularity that has further exploded since the opening of a dedicated Zootopia Land at the Shanghai Disneyland theme park.

Beyond its financial success, "Zootopia 2" is poised to enter the list of the top 10 highest-grossing animated movies of all time, having already overtaken the original "The Lion King." Its cinematic run has also seen it surpass the lifetime global box office hauls of numerous major franchise films, including nearly every installment of the Harry Potter series, several Marvel Cinematic Universe titles, and a collection of Pixar hits. Notably, it has outpaced almost every entry in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit series, with the most recent being "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies." Released in 2014, "The Battle of the Five Armies" served as the concluding film in Jackson's Hobbit trilogy, which, despite moderately positive reviews, was generally considered inferior to his Lord of the Rings series. Produced on a reported budget of $250 million, it grossed just over $960 million globally. In contrast, all three films in the Lord of the Rings trilogy received critical acclaim, with the third installment, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," famously sweeping the Oscars and grossing over $1 billion. "Zootopia 2" is also on track to surpass its predecessor, released nearly a decade ago, and will soon overtake the lifetime global hauls of every Christopher Nolan movie, including "Oppenheimer," "The Dark Knight," and "The Dark Knight Rises." For context, the highest-grossing American animated movie from last year remains "Inside Out 2," which earned $1.7 billion.

Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, "Zootopia 2" returns audiences to the bustling animal metropolis, following rabbit police officer Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and con artist fox Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman). After cracking a major case, they face new challenges in their partnership, leading Chief Bogo to enroll them in the Partners in Crisis program. Their skills are soon tested by a complex mystery involving a venomous snake that poses a threat to the city. The film, also featuring Ke Huy Quan as a mysterious new reptilian resident, benefits from strong factors such as great reviews, stellar word-of-mouth, and significant pent-up demand for family-friendly entertainment, especially after the recent flop of Pixar's "Elio" and the last kid-centric film, "The Bad Guys 2," being released in August. "Zootopia 2" has proven to be the biggest animated film since Disney's "Moana 2," which opened ahead of Thanksgiving 2024 and swam to $1.059 billion worldwide, solidifying "Zootopia 2's" position as a global box office triumph.