Why Zootopia 2 Is Crushing China’s Box Office — And Disney Planned It Years Ago
Disney may have just primed a China box office stampede for Zootopia 2, opening a Zootopia-themed park in Shanghai in late 2023 to capitalize on the first film’s momentum as the sequel hits theaters.
Disney did not exactly hide the ball here. Open a shiny new Zootopia land in Shanghai, let the locals fall in love with Judy Hopps all over again, and then drop Zootopia 2 right as the hype peaks. If that was the strategy, the numbers say it worked.
Shanghai got the only Zootopia land. Now China is driving the sequel.
Shanghai Disney Resort launched the world’s first (and still only) Zootopia-themed land in late 2023. It has been packed ever since. With Zootopia 2 finally out, fans are connecting the dots between the park and the movie’s giant debut in China.
'Why did they build the Zootopia theme park land in Shanghai and not a U.S. Disney Park?'
This. This is why.
- Dirk Libbey (@ThemeParkDirk), November 29, 2025
Zootopia 2 is smashing records in China
The sequel opened November 26 and is already at a reported $556 million worldwide, per Variety. Nearly half of that is from China alone: $272 million. That haul makes it the biggest non-local animated movie ever in China, the second-biggest non-local release overall there (only Avengers: Endgame sits higher), and it scored the sixth-largest opening for any film in the market. Not subtle.
Why China loves this world
This didn’t happen overnight. Disney has spent the better part of a decade steadily building Zootopia’s profile in China: heavy promotion, real investment in the market, and high-quality local dubbing so the jokes land the way they should. The story’s themes—acceptance, challenging stereotypes, finding social harmony—hit especially well amid China’s rapid urbanization. Judy Hopps being relentlessly self-reliant? Also a crowd-pleaser.
Between that messaging, a mountain of merch, and a headline-grabbing theme park, Disney kept the brand buzzing even with only two films on the board. Then they timed Zootopia 2 to arrive after the Shanghai land had a year to warm up the audience. Whether or not it was a masterplan from day one, it sure looks like one now.
The basics, at a glance
- Directed by: Jared Bush, Byron Howard
- Cast: Ke Huy Quan, Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin
- Release date: November 26, 2025
- IMDb: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
- Worldwide box office (so far): $556 million
- Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Do you buy that Disney played the long game here, or is this just smart timing meeting a very willing audience? Either way, Zootopia 2 is in theaters now in the U.S.