Zootopia 2 regains No. 1 at box office, surpasses $1B worldwide

Zootopia 2 reclaimed the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office in its third weekend, taking in an estimated $26.3 million, according to studio tallies Sunday. The Disney animated sequel also crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide, with global earnings around $1.14 billion, helped in large part by a strong run in China that has pushed the film to become one of the year’s most durable blockbusters. Among 2025 Hollywood titles, only Disney’s Lilo & Stitch has surpassed $1 billion globally, underscoring the scale of Zootopia 2’s international appeal as it continues to draw audiences across markets.

With Avatar: Fire and Ash arriving Friday, the box office frame was relatively quiet for new releases, leaving the two holdovers—Zootopia 2 and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2—to vie for the top spot. In its third weekend, Zootopia 2 led with $26.3 million, while Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 earned $19.5 million. The Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions sequel entered its second weekend with $15.4 million, down about 70% from its debut, and has accumulated roughly $95.5 million domestically on a $36 million production budget. The weekend’s lone notable new release was Ella McCay, James L. Brooks’s first directing effort in 15 years, which opened to a modest $2.1 million from 2,500 theaters.

Ella McCay, a comic drama about a 34-year-old woman who becomes governor of her home state, drew mixed-to-poor reviews (Rotten Tomatoes shows around 22% fresh) and failed to find a large audience, despite a cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Ayo Edebiri and Woody Harrelson. The film cost about $35 million to make and was one of the year’s most disappointing wide releases by box office standards. The release illustrates the current challenge for prestige comedies in theaters as audiences shift toward tentpoles and streaming.

Globally, Zootopia 2’s performance in China remains a crucial driver, with the film grossing about $502.4 million in the country alone. That head start ensures the film’s worldwide total remains buoyant as studios map international appeal for animated franchises. It stands in contrast to the year’s most prominent local hits; Ne Zha 2 in China has dominated the year’s overall global box office with nearly $2 billion in China alone, while Disney’s Lilo & Stitch has joined the $1 billion club, highlighting how a handful of titles have balanced the global box office this year.

For Hollywood, the weekend’s performance comes as overall domestic ticket sales for the year move close to last year’s disappointing totals, according to Comscore data. The industry is banking on the upcoming holiday corridor—the period traditionally the busiest of the year—to lift results. On the docket are high-profile titles such as Avatar: Fire and Ash, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, Marty Supreme, Anaconda and Song Sung Blue, among others, as studios seek to maximize theater attendance during the busy stretch.

The weekend’s top 10, according to final Sunday estimates released Monday by Comscore, reflects the quiet rhythm of a market led by holdovers. Zootopia 2 topped the chart with $26.3 million, followed by Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 with $19.5 million. Wicked: For Good earned $8.6 million, while Dhurandhar brought in $3.5 million. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t posted $2.4 million, and Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution added $2.1 million. Ella McCay generated about $2.1 million, with Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) at $1.9 million, Eternity at $1.8 million and Hamnet at $1.5 million completing the top 10.