鈥榋ootopia 2鈥� is doing very well in the US. It鈥檚 breaking records in China.
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Ann Scott Tyson Staff writer
| Beijing
In China, they call it 鈥淐razy Animal Town.鈥�
Chinese filmgoers have indeed gone a little bonkers over the Hollywood animated buddy-cop comedy 鈥淶ootopia 2鈥� 鈥� starring a police officer rabbit named Judy and her partner, a fox named Nick.
鈥淎fter watching it, I was extremely excited,鈥� says teenager Li Jialing, as he leaves a Beijing theater with his mother and younger brother. That theater is currently screening 鈥淶ootopia 2鈥� 27 times a day.
Why We Wrote This
Disney has struck gold with the 鈥淶ootopia鈥� franchise, breaking box-office records in one of the most profitable but challenging movie markets in the world: China. How did they do it?
鈥淎ll my friends are going to see it,鈥� he says.
The 鈥淶ootopia 2鈥� craze has produced impressive box office numbers. Since opening on Nov. 26, the film has raked in more than $444 million, making it the highest-grossing imported animated film ever released in China. The film also broke the record for the biggest single-day gross for a foreign film in China 鈥� a whopping $104 million, according to data from the Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan, cited by China鈥檚 state-run media.
The popularity of 鈥淶ootopia 2鈥� bucks a broad trend. Over the past decade, domestic-made films have captured an increasing share of the market, edging out Hollywood offerings. That reflects Beijing鈥檚 tight control over which foreign films are released in China and the government鈥檚 promotion of patriotic blockbusters, such as the 鈥淲olf Warrior鈥� action series and 鈥淭he Battle at Lake Changjin,鈥� which depicts heroic Chinese soldiers fighting Americans in the Korean War.
鈥淗ollywood has not done well recently鈥� in China, says Stanley Rosen, professor of political science at the University of Southern California and an expert in Chinese film.
Many Hollywood films are barred by Chinese film regulators, or censored 鈥� leading some in the U.S. film industry to rethink the Chinese market altogether. Makers of the U.S. films 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥� (2022) and 鈥淪pider-Man: No Way Home鈥� (2021), for example, rejected Chinese censorship and still made $1.4 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively, in box-office sales globally outside China.
鈥淥nce it was clear these films were not going to be accepted for China, they had a completely different marketing strategy ... and did extremely well,鈥� Dr. Rosen says. 鈥淭hat helped to convince Hollywood they don鈥檛 really need China so much.鈥�
Beijing, for its part, remains eager to remind Hollywood of its status as the second-biggest film market in the world. The country currently accounts for about 45% of 鈥淶ootopia 2鈥濃�檚 worldwide box-office sales.
Still, other Hollywood films will have a hard time matching the enthusiasm surrounding 鈥淶ootopia 2.鈥� Chinese moviegoers are even bringing their dogs and other pets to special showings in several cities 鈥� spurring social media posts featuring furry friends and their owners bouncing to the theme song 鈥淶oo鈥� by Shakira.
So why the frenzy over 鈥淐razy Animal Town鈥�?
One reason is the popularity of the first 鈥淶ootopia,鈥� released in 2016.
Mr. Li saw that film when he was about 7 years old and has never forgotten it. 鈥淭he last time I was so excited, so happy,鈥� he raves, adding that 鈥渢his one is a significant improvement in quality.鈥�
Moreover, a generation of young people captivated by 鈥淶ootopia鈥� nearly a decade ago now have children of their own and want to bring them to see the sequel.
鈥淚 really liked the first one, so when the second one came out, I wanted to bring my child,鈥� says Zhang Rui, a telecommunications company worker who saw the movie with her 6-year-old daughter.
Capitalizing on that success, Disney opened the world鈥檚 only 鈥淶ootopia land鈥� at the Shanghai Disney Resort in late 2023, attracting flocks of fans. 鈥淓veryone watched the first movie, then went to Disneyland to play at [Zootopia], and is now watching the sequel,鈥� says Ms. Zhang.
Disney is also marketing 鈥淶ootopia 2鈥� in China with special short preview films and a 鈥淶ootopia鈥�-themed aircraft 鈥� the Disney-Zootopia Express 鈥� unveiled as part of the China Eastern Airlines fleet. Theaters are selling all sorts of merchandise, from 鈥淶ootopia鈥� key chains and phone cases, to dolls and snacks.
The overall popularity of animated films in China is another factor in the success of 鈥淶ootopia 2.鈥� It follows this year鈥檚 Chinese animation sensation 鈥淣e Zha 2,鈥� the world鈥檚 highest grossing movie in 2025, with $1.8 billion in Chinese earnings.
As for the film鈥檚 message, Ms. Zhang appreciates how 鈥淶ootopia 2鈥� touches on deeper themes, such as overcoming social ostracism and personality conflicts 鈥� although they might be over the head for children her daughter鈥檚 age. 鈥淐hildren might not grasp ... the layers of meaning,鈥� she says.
Yet that depth is also part of what gives 鈥淶ootopia 2鈥� its broad audience appeal in China, moviegoers say.
鈥淭he protagonists are very brave, intelligent, and witty,鈥� says Ms. Liu, a university-educated Chinese teacher in her 20s who declined to give her first name to protect her privacy. She was a fan of the first 鈥淶ootopia.鈥�
鈥淭heir personal charm is what makes [the film] so appealing and charismatic,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the spirit they embody.鈥�
