Disney’s sequel ‘Zootopia 2’ (directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard), released after nine years, is making history again as animations continue to sweep the Korean box office in 2025.
Released in Korea on the 26th, ‘Zootopia 2’ reached 2.1 million viewers by the 30th, becoming the quickest 2025 release to reach 2 million viewers. Over the weekend, nearly 1.6 million people watched it, placing it 7th in the all-time Disney animation box office rankings in Korea after just five days of screening.
The previous film, released nine years ago in 2016, attracted 4.7 million viewers, ranking 3rd in all-time Disney animation hits. It’s expected to surpass this quickly, with some predicting it could become the first film to top 10 million viewers in Korea since the ‘Frozen’ series.
Not only in Korea, but globally ‘Zootopia 2’ has shown explosive power, recording $556.4 million in earnings in its opening week, the highest opening ever for an animated film.
Due to ‘Zootopia’s’ immense success, interest in animations dominating the Korean box office this year is resurging.
Released on August 22nd, ‘Demon Slayer: Mugen Castle Arc’ has recorded 5.66 million viewers by the 30th, holding the title of the top-grossing 2025 release in Korea.
A Japanese animated film topping the annual box office hasn’t been seen since 2023 with ‘The First Slam Dunk’ and ‘Suzume’s Door-Locking.’ This record is expected to hold until the performance of ‘Zootopia 2’ or ‘Avatar: The Fire Chronicles’ becomes clear.
Additionally, the Japanese animation ‘Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc’ is also showing tremendous box office strength.
Since its release on September 24th, ‘Reze Arc’ has attracted nearly 3.35 million viewers, nearing the record set by ‘Yadang.’ Holding the top box office spot for three consecutive weeks, ‘Reze Arc’ has exceeded expectations, raising anticipation for its upcoming sequels.
With the strong performance of animations, the possibility of an animated film topping the 2025 annual box office is rising.
The last time a foreign film topped the annual box office was ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2021. An animated film has never closed the year at the top.
Currently, ‘Zootopia 2’ and ‘Avatar: The Fire Chronicles’ are the only two works considered to contend for the top annual box office spot. However, ‘Avatar’s’ excessively long runtime is likely to be a hindrance, making ‘Zootopia 2’ the more favorable candidate for better performance.
Whether ‘Zootopia 2’ will surpass ‘Mugen Castle Arc’ to become 2025’s top-grossing film, and simultaneously make history as an animated film, remains to be seen.
Image source: Walt Disney Company Korea, CJ ENM, Sony Pictures
