The Zootopia franchise has always drawn a larger crowd overseas than it has in North America.
The original 2016 film earned more than $1 billion worldwide on a relatively modest $150 million budget, with international markets making up about 67% of that total.
It looks as if the forthcoming sequel is about to double down on that split as all signs are pointing towards a jaw-dropping international debut for the sequel, particularly in China.
Disney appears to be tapping into a strategy that has worked before, aligning the film’s animal-centric themes with elements of Chinese culture and the zodiac.
That cultural connection resonated the first time around, and the studio seems ready to replicate that success.
For instance, Zootopia 2 will introduce Gary the Snake (voiced by Ke Huy Quan), and 2025 just-so happens to be the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac calendar.
Analysts predict a $150-$175 million opening weekend gross for the long-awaited sequel in North America alone, but the film is projected to surpass the $200 million mark in China.
This has prevailing box office analysts predicting a $400-$500 global opening (albeit extended thanks to Thanksgiving) weekend.
Zootopia 2 hits theaters tomorrow, November 26, 2025 and will enjoy a box office boost in the states, thanks to the long Thanksgiving weekend.
"The wildest mystery in Zootopia hisssstory."
"In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia 2,” detectives Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who arrives in Zootopia and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before."