People visit the themed exhibition of the movie 'Zootopia 2' in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province of China. Photo / Getty Images
Disney’s Zootopia 2 pulled in $272 million to claim China’s second-biggest opening ever for a foreign film, boosting the US studio in a key market.
The movie about a rabbit cop and her fox partner marked the biggest opening for an international film in the country since Avengers: Endgame, Disney said. Ticketing platform Maoyan projects Zootopia 2’s local take could reach 4.26 billion yuan ($600 million) – potentially putting it on par with Endgame, which remains the highest-grossing foreign film in the world’s second-largest movie market.
The breakout underscores Disney’s long-running effort to build Zootopia into a major franchise in China, a market that’s been unpredictable for US films because of geopolitical tensions and shifting censorship rules. The film also set a Chinese record for the debut of a foreign animated film, according to Disney.
Shares of Chinese distributor China Film Group Co. soared by the 10% daily limit for a second-straight session, while other film-related stocks in China also rose.
Disney has steadily expanded the franchise’s presence since the 2016 debut of the original film. It opened a dedicated Zootopia area at Shanghai Disneyland and rolled out Zootopia+ shorts across major Chinese platforms, including Bilibili and Tencent Video.
In the Zootopia-themed area, fans wearing Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde hats posed with nearly life-sized animal characters and walked through a full recreation of the title city. Disney brought Ke Huy Quan, who voices Gary De’Snake, as well as Chinese actors behind other characters, to the film’s premiere.
Though the theme park helped keep the franchise alive during a nine-year absence from theatres, the limited number of visitors to Shanghai Disneyland meant it wasn’t the single biggest factor behind the film’s draw. The rise of animation and Beijing’s support for a film market in crisis were the main drivers, veteran film critic Raymond Zhou said.
“The ordinary movie-goers have come to the conclusion that animation can be more trustworthy than live action when it comes to a satisfactory movie-going experience,” Zhou said.
“Most Chinese who have seen Zootopia 2 feel it’s the best Disney animation in a long time, matching, if not surpassing, the quality of the first one. It is a big gush of fun, with the right amount of messages such as inclusion and mutual understanding, but avoids being overly preachy.”
Animation has become a dominant category, with “must-see” films driving families back to cinemas multiple times. Ne Zha: Demon Child Conquers the Sea surpassed $2 billion in sales, while local animated films Nobody and Boonie Bears: Future Reborn rank among China’s top 10 films this year. Zootopia 2 already stands as the country’s fourth-biggest title, although no Hollywood film has cracked the top 10. The second-largest foreign release is Sony’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle, currently 14th for the year.
With Wicked: Part Two still uncertain for China and local studios offering a thin slate of major releases, Zootopia 2 may be one of the few films capable of meaningfully lifting box-office revenue in coming weeks. Disney’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, also set for Imax screens, arrives later this month.
IMAX China said Zootopia 2 raised $20.5 million at Imax theatres during the first five days, setting a new record for any Hollywood animated film release in the country. The strong momentum behind the film shows the “strength and enduring potential” of the Chinese theatrical market, Imax China Chief Executive Officer Daniel Manwaring said.
Hollywood titles have struggled this year in China. Before Zootopia 2, Demon Slayer led foreign releases with about 620 million yuan, ahead of Jurassic World (567 million yuan) and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (464 million yuan).
Reviving the theatre business has been one of Beijing’s economic priorities, aimed at boosting not just the ailing film industry but also consumer spending at malls around viewings.
“Both the authorities and the people in China want it to succeed,” Zhou said. “Those in the industry knew that domestic releases for the rest of the year wouldn’t be able to push the annual box office number to the neat goal of 50 billion yuan.”
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