Can Zootopia 2 Revive Theaters After The Worst October In Three Decades?
After a bruising October, theaters are banking on Zootopia 2 to snap the slump in November, with early tracking rivaling Inside Out 2’s juggernaut trajectory.
Theaters could use a lifeline right now, and Disney might be about to throw one. After a brutal October, the Thanksgiving release of Zootopia 2 is lining up to be the thing that steadies the box office. Early tracking is strong, and yes, the math actually looks encouraging for once.
What the early numbers say
Per tracking reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Zootopia 2 is pacing alongside Inside Out 2 at the same point in its pre-release cycle. Inside Out 2 was the biggest animated movie ever for a hot minute before Ne Zha 2 leapfrogged it, so those are serious comparisons.
Right now, the forecast pins Zootopia 2 around $125 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame. To be clear: that is the five-day holiday stretch, not a standard three-day. On pure opening weekend firepower, that projection would not top Moana 2, which launched with $225 million. But the expectation is that Zootopia 2 will hold better across December than Moana 2 did. Translation: maybe not as loud out of the gate, but sturdier week to week.
Given how ugly last month was, theater chains are basically circling this thing on the calendar and putting their faith in a talking bunny and a fox.
October was rough. Like, 1997 rough.
October’s domestic total landed at $425 million (via Comic Basics), the lowest for the month since 1997. That continues 2025’s rollercoaster vibe: some months hit a wall (March), others went bananas (April, boosted by A Minecraft Movie and Sinners). October’s big problem was obvious: not enough heavy-hitter IP.
Tron: Ares technically counts as a legacy sequel, but it veered far enough from Tron: Legacy tonally that it didn’t connect, and the Jared Leto drama hanging over it didn’t help. The wild part? Even with a soft run, Ares was still October’s biggest release, which tells you pretty much everything about the state of the month.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom: Taylor Swift’s The Official Release Party of a Showgirl found its audience, and Black Phone 2 also clicked.
November actually has a bench
The good news: the next few weeks aren’t empty. We’ve got a real lineup on deck, with multiple titles capable of moving the needle.
- Predator: Badlands
- Die My Love, starring Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence
- Zootopia 2
- Wicked: For Good
Stack that with Avatar 3 waiting just beyond and, on paper, 2025 should finish a lot stronger than it started.
The bottom line
If Zootopia 2 even gets close to its current projections and then shows better legs than Moana 2, it could be the movie that flips the narrative on Q4. We will see how those comps hold once previews start, but this is the first piece of genuinely optimistic tracking the industry has had in weeks.
Zootopia 2 hits theaters on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.
What are you calling for its five-day Thanksgiving haul? Drop your number below.