Disney’s Billion-Dollar Hit ‘Frozen 2’ Officially Replaced

Four years removed from one of the most surprising executive reversals in Disney’s modern era, one of Bob Iger’s first moves after reclaiming the CEO chair has paid off in a very big way.

Disney sent shockwaves through the industry in November 2022 when then-CEO Bob Chapek was abruptly dismissed after a period marked by internal strain, public scrutiny, and uneven box office results. In a dramatic pivot, the company reinstated Bob Iger, who had previously guided Disney from 2005 to 2020, tasking him with steadying the ship after a pandemic-era theatrical slump and mounting creative concerns.

One of Iger’s earliest priorities upon returning was signaling stability—and ambition—on the creative front. He quickly confirmed that three of Disney Animation’s most valuable franchises were moving forward with sequels: Frozen 3, Toy Story 5, and Zootopia 2. While Frozen 3 is penciled in for 2027 and Toy Story 5 is scheduled for this summer, Zootopia 2raced ahead of the pack, arriving first and instantly validating Iger’s renewed sequel strategy.

The original Zootopia debuted in 2016 and became a critical and commercial standout, praised for blending a buddy-cop mystery with social commentary. The film crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide and later expanded its universe through the Disney+ series Zootopia+, keeping interest in a follow-up alive for years.

Zootopia 2 brings back Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman as Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, this time facing a reptilian threat disrupting the carefully ordered metropolis. The sequel also adds Ke Huy Quan to the voice cast as Gary De’Snake, injecting fresh energy into the franchise’s ensemble.

Audiences showed up immediately. The film earned $10.2 million in Tuesday previews, trailing only Moana 2’s $13.8 million among Disney Animation titles. Pre-release projections pointed to a Thanksgiving opening between $130 million and $160 million domestically, and the sequel wasted no time delivering, pulling in $39.5 million on its first day. Internationally, expectations landed between $135 million and $145 million, fueled by a $33.7 million opening day in China—one of the strongest U.S. film debuts ever in that market.

By the end of the five-day Thanksgiving stretch, Zootopia 2 had rewritten the record books. The sequel posted $156 million domestically and $400 million overseas, translating to a $556 million global opening. That performance stands as the biggest debut ever for an animated feature and the fourth-largest opening weekend for any Hollywood release. Across the traditional three-day frame, the film earned $96.8 million in North America, second only to 2024’s Moana 2.

China proved especially pivotal, where Zootopia 2 launched with $272 million—setting a new high for animated films in the territory and ranking second overall behind 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

Yet momentum at the box office shifted quickly. As Zootopia 2 entered its second weekend in early December, it was overtaken by an unexpected contender.

“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.”

With a $56.5 million debut, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 claimed the top domestic spot, pushing Zootopia 2 into second place.

Despite losing its number-one ranking, Zootopia 2’s accomplishments were already substantial. The sequel held multiple benchmarks soon after release: the largest global opening for an animated sequel, the biggest worldwide debut ever for a Disney animated release, the strongest opening since 2021, and the top global launch of 2025 to date. For perspective, the original Zootopia opened to $75 million domestically in 2016 before climbing to $1.025 billion worldwide—numbers that placed the sequel firmly on track to rival or exceed its predecessor’s lifetime 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.”

Now, one month on, Zootopia 2 continues to dominate the box office, competing against big blockbusters like Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) and buzzy pictures like Josh Safdie’s Timothee Chalamet-starring Marty Supreme (2025). As of early January, Zootopia 2 stands at an impressive $1.46 billion. Even more impressive is that the animated comedy has officially surpassed Disney’s previous record-holder, Frozen 2 (2019).

The Frozen franchise has been a massive box-office juggernaut for Disney: the original Frozen (2013) became a cultural phenomenon and grossed over $1.28 billion worldwide, crossing the rare $1 billion milestone and becoming one of the highest-grossing animated films ever during its run.

Its sequel, Frozen 2 (2019), built on that success with an even bigger splash–opening to record-breaking global numbers for an animated film and ultimately earning about $1.45 billion worldwide, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 2019 and, for many years, the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. Together, these films helped solidify Frozen as one of Disney’s most lucrative modern franchises.

Frozen 2 was eventually surpassed by movies like Pixar’s Inside Out 2 (2019) and Ne Zha 2 (2025), and while these still top the highest-grossing animated list, Frozen 2‘s position as the highest-grossing Walt Disney Studios animated movie has also been surpassed. With its $1.46 billion haul, Frozen 2 has been replaced with Zootopia 2–and if projections stand, it will also overtake Pixar’s Inside Out 2.

What began as one of Bob Iger’s earliest post-Chapek confirmations has now materialized into a defining holiday success—one that underscores Disney Animation’s enduring global pull, even as new competitors emerge. However, it does call into question whether the continued success of sequels at the movie theaters will keep pushing out original stories.

How do you feel about the surprise Frozen franchise takeover? Let us know in the comments down below!