When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Box Office Triumphs and Shifts
As we navigate through the final days of February, the cinematic landscape of 2025 has taken an unexpected turn. The box office record books remain open, and in a surprising twist, Jared Hess’ A Minecraft Movie has been dethroned as the top domestic release of the year. Originally premiering last April, this video game adaptation had dominated the box office for much of 2025, ultimately grossing an impressive 4.1 million in the United States and Canada.
However, the spotlight has shifted to Byron Howard and Jared Bush’s Zootopia 2, which has surged past its predecessor’s figures since its Thanksgiving release. As of now, it has amassed 4.2 million and shows no signs of slowing down. This past weekend, Zootopia 2 not only maintained its position within the Top 10 but also outperformed James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire And Ash, despite the latter’s release coming nearly a month later.
What’s particularly noteworthy is that Zootopia 2 has consistently outperformed the original film since its debut. The sequel enjoyed a larger opening weekend, raking in 0.3 million compared to the first film’s .1 million. The original Zootopia concluded its run with a domestic total of 1.3 million, a figure that Zootopia 2 has already surpassed.
On a global scale, Zootopia 2’s success is even more remarkable. While A Minecraft Movie, featuring stars like Jack Black and Jason Momoa, was a significant hit with a worldwide gross of 1.2 million, the Disney sequel has soared past the .8 billion mark. The only title eclipsing it this year is the animated Chinese film Ne Zha 2, which has impressively crossed the billion threshold.
This trend underscores the growing appeal of family films at the box office, hinting at a promising future as we move further into the 2026 movie release calendar. Upcoming animated features such as Daniel Chong’s Hoppers (March 6), Andrew Stanton’s Toy Story 5 (June 19), Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (April 1), Josie Trinidad and Jason Hand’s Hexed (November 25), and Pierre Coffin’s Minions & Monsters (July 1) are poised to capture audiences and potentially reshape the box office landscape once again.
