The highest-grossing animated film of all time is not a Disney or Pixar release. Ne Zha 2, a Chinese production based on a 16th-century folk novel, earned $2.22 billion worldwide, more than any animated film ever made and enough to rank fifth among all films of any kind.
Behind it, the pattern is more familiar. Disney and Pixar hold seven of the top 10 places, and every film on the list has passed a billion dollars. Here are the highest-grossing animated movies of all time, ranked by worldwide box office.
Highest-Grossing Animated Movies at a Glance
| Rank | Film | Worldwide Gross | Year | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ne Zha 2 | $2.216 billion | 2025 | Chengdu Coco Cartoon |
| 2 | Zootopia 2 | $1.870 billion | 2025 | Walt Disney Animation |
| 3 | Inside Out 2 | $1.699 billion | 2024 | Pixar |
| 4 | The Lion King | $1.662 billion | 2019 | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 5 | Frozen II | $1.452 billion | 2019 | Walt Disney Animation |
| 6 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | $1.361 billion | 2023 | Illumination |
| 7 | Frozen | $1.290 billion | 2013 | Walt Disney Animation |
| 8 | Incredibles 2 | $1.243 billion | 2018 | Pixar |
| 9 | Minions | $1.159 billion | 2015 | Illumination |
| 10 | Toy Story 4 | $1.074 billion | 2019 | Pixar |
The 10 Highest-Grossing Animated Films
1. Ne Zha 2: $2.216 Billion
Ne Zha 2 earned the overwhelming majority of its total in China, where it took roughly $2.13 billion on its own. That single-market figure is larger than the worldwide gross of every other film on this list.
Its performance outside China was modest by comparison, with an initial North American run of about $21 million. The film demonstrated that a domestic Chinese release alone can now produce a global box office record, which had never happened before.
2. Zootopia 2: $1.870 Billion
Zootopia 2 arrived in late 2025 and became the highest-grossing Hollywood animated film ever made, passing Inside Out 2 during its run. It performed exceptionally in China, unusual for a Western animated release.
The original Zootopia earned just over $1 billion in 2016, so the sequel added more than $800 million on top of that. Few animated sequels grow at that rate nine years after the original.
3. Inside Out 2: $1.699 Billion
Inside Out 2 held the record for Hollywood animation until Zootopia 2 passed it. It arrived in 2024 after a period when Pixar had sent several films directly to streaming, and its performance was read as evidence that the theatrical audience for animation had not disappeared.
The sequel roughly doubled the original’s $859 million. Expanding the emotional cast to include anxiety gave it a hook that resonated with the teenagers who had grown up with the first film.
4. The Lion King: $1.662 Billion
The 2019 Lion King is the most debated entry on any animated box office list. Disney marketed it as live action, but no live animals were filmed, and it meets the standard definition of an animated feature because its characters and movement are computer generated.
Its inclusion follows the Academy’s criteria, which count a film as animated when animation covers at least 75% of the running time. By that measure the photorealistic style changes nothing about its classification.
5. Frozen II: $1.452 Billion
Frozen II grossed more than the original, a rare outcome for an animated sequel and one that reflected how completely the first film had embedded itself in children’s culture between 2013 and 2019.
Both Frozen films appear in this top 10, making it the only franchise with two entries on the list. Its songs drove repeat viewing to an unusual degree.
6. The Super Mario Bros. Movie: $1.361 Billion
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the highest-grossing video game adaptation ever made and the only film here based on a game. Illumination produced it in partnership with Nintendo, which had been reluctant to license its characters for film after a poorly received 1993 attempt.
It is one of only two entries in the top 10 that is neither a sequel, remake, nor spin-off. Existing audience familiarity with the characters did much of the work a first film normally has to do itself.
7. Frozen: $1.290 Billion
The original Frozen was the highest-grossing animated film of all time for six years after its 2013 release, until Frozen II and The Lion King passed it in 2019.
Its success was not obvious in advance, and it built its total through sustained word of mouth rather than a large opening. The soundtrack outsold most albums released that year.
8. Incredibles 2: $1.243 Billion
Incredibles 2 arrived 14 years after the original, one of the longest gaps between an animated film and its sequel. That delay did not hurt it, since the audience for the first film had grown up and brought children of their own.
It set the record for the biggest opening weekend for an animated film at the time. Pixar released it during a period when superhero films dominated the box office generally.
9. Minions: $1.159 Billion
Minions is a prequel spin-off rather than a direct sequel, built around supporting characters from Despicable Me who proved more popular than the lead. It earned more than either of the first two Despicable Me films.
Illumination produces at notably lower budgets than Disney or Pixar, and Minions cost roughly $74 million against its $1.16 billion return. That ratio is the best on this list by a wide margin.
10. Toy Story 4: $1.074 Billion
Toy Story 4 followed a film widely regarded as a complete ending, and still became the first entry in the series to pass a billion dollars. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
It is the only Toy Story film in this top 10, despite the franchise’s standing as Pixar’s most recognizable. Ticket price inflation is part of why the newest entry outgrossed its predecessors.
Disney Holds Seven of the Top 10
Walt Disney Animation, Pixar, and Walt Disney Pictures account for seven of these 10 films between them. Illumination holds two, and the remaining place belongs to Ne Zha 2.
No other studio appears at all. DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Animation, and Studio Ghibli have produced commercially successful and critically acclaimed work without reaching this tier, which shows how much the billion-dollar threshold depends on an established franchise and global distribution rather than quality alone. The same concentration appears in our ranking of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
Eight of the Ten Are Sequels, Remakes, or Spin-Offs
Six are direct sequels, one is a remake, and one is a prequel spin-off. Only two are not continuations of anything: The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was the first film in its series, and Frozen, which was an original that later produced the sequel sitting two places above it.
That ratio explains a great deal about how animation is financed. Budgets for films at this scale routinely exceed $150 million before marketing, and studios commit that capital to characters audiences already recognize. Original animated films still get made and still win awards, as our look at the most decorated films ever reflects, but the billion-dollar tier is almost entirely built on existing intellectual property.
Animation Has Become Recent
Seven of the top 10 were released in 2019 or later, and three arrived in the last two years. Only Frozen, Minions, and Incredibles 2 predate 2019.
Part of this is straightforward ticket price inflation, which flatters every recent release on any box office list. The larger factor is the growth of international markets, especially China, which barely registered for animated features two decades ago and now determines whether a film reaches this tier. Ne Zha 2 is the clearest possible illustration of that shift.
How We Ranked Animated Films
Films are ranked by worldwide box office gross in unadjusted dollars, which is the standard for box office reporting. No inflation adjustment is applied, so older films are systematically disadvantaged.
A film counts as animated using the Academy’s definition, requiring that a significant number of major characters are animated and that animation covers at least 75% of the running time. This is why the 2019 Lion King is included despite its live-action marketing. Figures for recent releases continue to move while films remain in theaters, and totals here reflect completed or near-complete runs as of 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest-grossing animated movie of all time?
Ne Zha 2, a 2025 Chinese film that earned $2.216 billion worldwide. It is also the fifth highest-grossing film of any kind, behind only Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Titanic.
What is the highest-grossing Hollywood animated film?
Zootopia 2, at $1.870 billion, which passed Inside Out 2 during its run. Ne Zha 2 remains ahead of it worldwide.
Does The Lion King count as an animated film?
Yes, under the standard definition. Disney marketed the 2019 version as live action, but every character and environment is computer generated, meeting the Academy’s threshold of animation covering at least 75% of the running time.
Are any of these films not sequels?
Two are not. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the first film in its series, and Frozen was an original, though it now has a sequel on the list as well.
Which animated film was most profitable?
Minions, relative to cost. It was produced for roughly $74 million and earned $1.159 billion, a far better ratio than the Disney and Pixar films, which typically cost well over $150 million.