The following is a list of the highest-grossing opening weekends for animated films. The list is dominated by recent films due to steadily increasing marketing budgets, and modern films opening on more screens. Another contributing factor is inflation not being taken into account.
Biggest worldwide openings for an animated film since 2002 This list charts animated films that had openings in excess of $100 million worldwide. Since animated films do not open on Fridays in many markets, the 'opening' is taken to be the gross between the first day of release and the first Sunday. Figures prior to 2002 are not available.
Figures are given in United States dollars (USD). 2013 is the most represented year, with four films. The Ice Age and Despicable Me franchises are the most represented franchises. Disney is the most represented studio with over 10 films.
This list does not take into account country-by-country variations in release dates. Therefore, in some cases opening weekend grosses from many, or even most countries may not be included.
RankFilm Worldwide opening ($ million) YearRef1Zootopia 2560.320252Ne Zha 2431.32025 3Moana 2389.320244The Super Mario Bros. Movie375.620235The Super Mario Galaxy Movie372.520266Frozen II 358.5 2019 7Toy Story 53122026 8 Inside Out 2 294.2 2024 9 The Lion King (2019) 245.9 2019 10 Toy Story 4 244.5 2019 11 Minions: The Rise of Gru 241 2022 12 Incredibles 2 235.8 2018 13 Despicable Me 4 229.5 2024 14 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 218.4 2009 15Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse208.72023 16 Finding Dory 185.7 2016 17 The Simpsons Movie 170.9 2007 18Minions & Monsters1602026 19 Jiang Ziya: Legend of Deification 151.7 2020 20 Despicable Me 2 147.4 2013 21 Toy Story 3 145.3 2010 22 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 137.6 2012 23 Monsters University 136.9 2013 24 Shrek the Third 136.8 2007 25 Shrek 2 131.1 2004
Timeline of biggest worldwide openings for an animated film since 2001 At least eight animated films have held the record of highest-grossing animated film at different times. Pixar has held the record the most of any time with three films in 2001, 2018, and 2019. Film Established Record-setting opening ($ million) Ref Monsters, Inc. 2001 84.8 The Simpsons Movie 2007 170.9 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 2009 218.4 Incredibles 2 2018 235.8 Toy Story 4 June 2019 244.5 The Lion King (2019) July 2019 245.9 Frozen II November 2019 358.5 The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2023 375.6 Moana 2 2024 389.3 Ne Zha 2 January 2025 431.3 Zootopia 2 November 2025560.3
Biggest opening weekend in U.S. and Canada for an animated film
This list charts the top 50 highest-grossing opening weekends in the U.S. and Canada for an animated film.
Figures are given in United States dollars (USD). Ninety-eight percent of the films in the top 50 were released after 2000 with 2015 and 2016 being the most represented years, with six films each. Despicable Me is the most represented franchise, with 5 films.
DreamWorks Animation and Pixar are the most represented studios with over 15 films each on the list. Rank Film Gross ($ million)YearRef 1. The Lion King (2019) 191.8 2019 2. Incredibles 2 182.7 2018 3Toy Story 5159.72026 4 Inside Out 2 154.2 2024 5 The Super Mario Bros. Movie 146.4 2023 6 Moana 2 139.8 2024 7 Finding Dory 135.1 2016 8The Super Mario Galaxy Movie131.72026 9 Frozen II 130.3 2019 10 Shrek the Third 121.6 2007 11 Toy Story 4 120.9 2019 12 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 120.6 2023 13 Minions 115.2 2015 14 Toy Story 3 110.3 2010 15 Shrek 2 108.0 2004 16 Minions: The Rise of Gru 107 2022 17 The Secret Life of Pets 104.3 2016 18 Zootopia 2 100.3 2025 19 Inside Out 90.4 2015 20 Despicable Me 2 83.5 2013 21 Monsters University 82.4 2013 22 Zootopia 75.1 2016 23Despicable Me 4752024 24 The Simpsons Movie 74 2007 25 Despicable Me 3 72.4 2017 26 Shrek Forever After 70.8 2010 27 The Incredibles 70.5 2004 28 Finding Nemo 70.3 2003 29 The Lorax 70.2 2012 30 The Lego Movie 69.1 2014 31 Up 68.1 2009 32 Ice Age: The Meltdown 68 2006 33 The Grinch 67.6 2018 34 Frozen 67.4 2013 35 Brave 66.3 2012 36 Cars 2 66.13 2011 37 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 63.11 2008 38 WALL-E 63.10 2008 39 Monsters, Inc. 62.3 2001 40 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 60.3 2012 41 Kung Fu Panda 60.2 2008 42 Cars 60.1 2006 43 Monsters vs. Aliens 59.3 2009 44 Kung Fu Panda 4 57.9 2024 45 Toy Story 2 57.4 1999 46 Moana 56.6 2016 47 Despicable Me 56.4 2010 48 Ralph Breaks the Internet 56.2 2018 49 Big Hero 6 56.2 2014 50 The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water 55.4 2015
Opening weekend record holders in U.S. and Canada since 1982 These are the films that, when first released, set the opening three-day weekend record after going into wide release.
At least 14 animated films have held the record of highest-grossing animated film at different times since 1982. Two of these were in the DreamWorks animations Shrek franchise. Disney and Pixar held the record five times each as of 2018.
Film Established Record-setting opening ($ million) Ref The Secret of NIMH July 1982 1.4 The Last Unicorn November 1982 2.3 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1983 6.0 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1987 7.51 The Land Before Time 1988 7.52 Aladdin 1992 19.3 The Lion King 1994 40.9 Toy Story 2 1999 57.4 Monsters, Inc. 2001 62.6 Finding Nemo 2003 70.3 Shrek 2 2004 108.0 Shrek the Third 2007 121.6 Finding Dory 2016 135.1 Incredibles 2 2018 182.7 The Lion King (2019) 2019 191.8
Biggest opening week in U.S. and Canada for an animated film This list charts animated films that had openings in excess of $70 million in their first week.
Figures are given in United States dollars (USD). 42.8% of the films in the top 35 were released after 2010, 2016 is the most represented year, with four films. Shrek, Madagascar, and Despicable Me are the most represented franchises with three films. All films in Cars, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Madagascar main film series, and Despicable Me franchises are on the list. Pixar is the most represented studio with over 10 films on the list.
rank film gross ($) year ref 1 The Lion King (2019) 275.2 2019 2Incredibles 2269.42018 3 Inside Out 2 255.2 2024 4 The Super Mario Bros. Movie 240.2 2023 5 Moana 2 239.4 2024 6Toy Story 5227.220267The Super Mario Galaxy Movie222.42026 8 Finding Dory 213.3 2016 9 Frozen II202 2019 10 Toy Story 4 179 2019 11 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 170 2023 12Zootopia 2169.92025 13 Toy Story 3 167.6 2010 14 Minions 166.5 2015 15 Minions: The Rise of Gru 164.5 2022 16 The Secret Life of Pets 152.6 2016 17 Shrek the Third 149.4 2007 18 Shrek 2 143.8 2004 19 Inside Out 132.8 2015 20 Despicable Me 2 124.9 2013 21 Monsters University 124.8 2013 22 The Simpsons Movie 102.9 2007 23 Brave 97.7 2012 24 Finding Nemo 97.5 2003 25 WALL-E 94.7 2008 26 Up 93.1 2009 27 The Incredibles 93 2004 28 Zootopia 92.6 2016 29 Cars 2 90.9 2011 30 Shrek Forever After 89.8 2010 31 The Grinch 88.4 2018 32 Moana 87.6 2016 33 Despicable Me 85.6 2010 34 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 85 2012 35 Kung Fu Panda 83.7 2008 36 Cars 83.3 2006 37 The Lorax 82.9 2012 38 Ice Age: The Meltdown81.9 2006 39 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 81.8 2008 40 Ratatouille 80.5 2007 41 Monsters, Inc. 80.3 2001 42Minions & Monsters77.22026 43 Frozen 76.1 2013 44 Big Hero 6 75.6 2014 45 Cars 3 74.7 2017 46 Madagascar 72.3 2005 47 Monsters vs. Aliens 72.2 2009 48 Kung Fu Panda 2 70.3 2011
Biggest opening day in U.S. and Canada for an animated film This list charts animated films that had openings in excess of $16 million on their first day of release in the U.S. and Canada. Figures are given in United States dollars (USD). 64% of the films in this list were released after 2010. 2018 is the most represented year on the list with 4 films.
All films in the main series Cars, Despicable Me, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles are present on this list and Despicable Me is the most represented franchise with 4 films. Pixar is the most represented studio with over 10 films on the list.
rank film gross ($million)yearRef 1 The Lion King (2019) 77.95 2019 2 Incredibles 2 71.3 2018 3Toy Story 571.120264 Inside Out 2 63.5 2024 5 Moana 2 57.9 2024 6 Finding Dory 54.77 2016 7 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 51.8 2023 8 Minions: The Rise of Gru 48.23 2022 9 Toy Story 4 47.42 2019 10 Minions 46.07 2015 11 Frozen II 42.23 2019 12 Toy Story 3 41.14 2010 13 The Secret Life of Pets 38.5 2016 14Zootopia 238.52025 15 Shrek the Third 38.45 2007 16 Despicable Me 2 35.005 2013 17The Super Mario Galaxy Movie34.52026 18 Inside Out 34.3 2015 19 The Super Mario Bros. Movie 31.7 2023 20 Monsters University 30.59 2013 21 Despicable Me 3 29.02 2017 22Despicable Me 427.22024 23 Cars 2 25.78 2011 24 Brave 24.7 2012 25 WALL-E 23.26 2008 26 Ice Age: The Meltdown 21.83 2006 27 Up 21.51 2009 28 Despicable Me 21.3 2010 29 Shrek Forever After 20.83 2010 30 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 20.77 2012 31 The Incredibles 20.59 2004 32 Kung Fu Panda 20.33 2008 33 Finding Nemo20.2 2003 34 Cars 19.74 2006 35 Cars 3 19.66 2017 36 Zootopia 19.5 2016 37Kung Fu Panda 419.42024 38 The Grinch 18.68 2018 39 Ralph Breaks the Internet 18.53 2018 40 How to Train Your Dragon 2 18.5 2014 41 Monsters, Inc. 17.83 2001 42 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 17.69 2008 43 Dr. Seuss' The Lorax 17.55 2012 44 The Lego Movie 17.1 2014 45 Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation 16.98 2018 46 Monsters vs Aliens 16.82 2009 47 Ice Age Continental Drift 16.77 2012 48 Ratatouille 16.51 2007
Biggest opening weekend outside the United States for an animated film since 2002 This list charts the biggest opening weekends outside the United States for an animated film since 2002. Figures are given in United States dollars (USD). 75% of the films in the top 12 were released after 2010. 2011 are the most represented years on the list with 4 films. Films must exceed $40 million.
Pixar is the most represented studio with over 5 films on the list.
rank film overseas gross ($million) year Ref 1 Ne Zha 2 431.3 2025 2 Zootopia 2 401.5 2025 3 Frozen II 228.2 2019 4The Super Mario Galaxy Movie181.72026 5 The Super Mario Bros. Movie 171 2023 6 Moana 2 163.8 2024 7Toy Story 5152.32026 8 Jiang Ziya: Legend of Deification 151.7 2020 9 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 151.7 2009 10 Inside Out 2 140 2024 11 Toy Story 4 123.6 2019 12Despicable Me 4106.9202413Minions & Monsters982026 14 The Simpsons Movie 96.9 2007 15 Ne Zha 94.9 2019 16Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse88.12023 17 Ice Age: Continental Drift 80.3 2012 18 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 77.3 2013 19 Kung Fu Panda 3 75.7 2016 20 The Adventures of Tintin 56.2 2011
See also List of highest-grossing animated films List of highest-grossing openings for films Most expensive animated films
Notes
References