Disney's Zootopia 2 Dethrones Avengers: Endgame in China
Disney's animated sequel has officially surpassed the Marvel blockbuster as the highest-grossing Hollywood film in Chinese cinema history, marking a significant shift in audience preferences.
Disney's animated sequel has officially overtaken Avengers: Endgame as the top-earning Hollywood film in China's box office history. Zootopia 2 reached RMB4.251 bn ($607.82 mn) in Chinese theaters, narrowly beating Endgame's RMB4.25 bn ($607.67 mn) total. The milestone data comes from Maoyan, China's major ticketing platform.
The animated feature also reclaimed the weekend crown, outperforming James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash during the January 2-4 period. Zootopia 2 pulled in $17.1 mn across Chinese theaters that weekend.
The film previously shattered a single-day record by crossing $100 mn in China within 24 hours. Only Endgame had achieved this feat before. Made on a $150 mn budget, the sequel has generated $1.588 bn worldwide so far.
Why Chinese Audiences Chose Animation Over Superheroes
The original Zootopia earned $1.025 bn globally in 2016, with $236 mn coming from Chinese theaters alone. Cultural researcher Zhang Peng explained the sequel's dominance to Global Times.
"The core advantage of Zootopia 2 lies in its franchise momentum combined with precise localization. The first film built a strong reputation, and the sequel extends its social allegory through a mystery-driven narrative that aligns with Chinese audiences' growing preference for story-driven content."
Peng noted a shift away from spectacle-driven entertainment. "The market is not fixated on spectacle alone. Strong storytelling and emotional resonance are now the real keys to long-term box-office success."
Box Office Rankings Reveal Changing Tastes
Chinese moviegoers rated Zootopia 2 at 8.4 out of 10 on Douban, based on 645,000 user reviews. The voice cast includes Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Shakira, Idris Elba, Ke Huy Quan, Andy Samberg, and Dwayne Johnson.
Current top Hollywood earners in China show interesting patterns. Fast & Furious films occupy third and fourth positions with The Fate of the Furious ($392.8 mn) and Furious 7 ($390.9 mn). Avengers: Infinity War rounds out the top five at $359.5 mn.
Marvel films historically dominated Chinese screens. Venom earned $269.2 mn, while Avengers: Age of Ultron brought in $240.1 mn. Spider-Man: Far from Home added $199 mn to the totals.
DC and Avatar Performance Lags Behind
DC films struggled compared to Marvel's success. Aquaman leads DC's Chinese earnings at $298.3 mn. Justice League managed only $106 mn, followed by Batman v Superman at $95.7 mn and Wonder Woman at $90.5 mn.
The recent Superman film disappointed with just $8.9 mn in China. Avatar films performed moderately well, with the original earning $262.1 mn and The Way of Water collecting $245.9 mn.
Avatar: Fire and Ash approaches the $100 mn mark in Chinese theaters. Industry watchers expect Avengers: Doomsday to challenge these numbers when Robert Downey Jr. returns as Doctor Doom. His $100 mn contract suggests Marvel expects massive returns, potentially exceeding $2 bn globally.