Zootopia 2’s success has surprised the majority of the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, the reputation of movie sequels has soured amongst mainstream audiences in recent years. For many, modern Hollywood has become over-reliant on franchises, with studios preferring them to original content because of a higher return in revenue. This has led to the belief that Hollywood is too afraid to take risks in investing in new stories or being experimental with their established franchises, instead solely relying on the brand image to get audiences to go to the theaters.
Luckily, Zootopia 2 is proving to be an exception. Despite how well received the first film in the franchise was, many were expecting that its sequel would play it safe with its story and visuals. In the past few years, Disney’s reputation as a media company that champions creativity has been slowly eroded, due to its partnership with OpenAI, undermarketing of movies, and more. Zootopia was lucky enough to have a large and dedicated fanbase that Disney felt comfortable going all out on its marketing.
Since its release in late November 2025, Zootopia 2 has raked in over $ 1.46 billion in revenue, becoming Disney’s highest-grossing animated film in its history. Not only did the movie reintroduce the audience to beloved characters from the first film, but it also established new fan favorites, explored sensitive subject matter in a way that families would be able to understand.
Zootopia 2 is able to handle complex themes, put its characters through the wringer, and improve upon its animation quality tenfold. Its success shows Disney that audiences aren’t going to shy away from stories taking risks. It’s a step up from the box office bomb that was Disney’s 2023 film Wish, due to it being rather bland, forgettable, and unimaginative.
