Zootopia 2 Overtakes Endgame at China’s Box Office
A Disney animated sequel has toppled a Marvel blockbuster in China, setting new records and shifting the Hollywood box office landscape. Find out which film now leads the pack.
Disney’s latest animated release has knocked a Marvel juggernaut off its perch as the top-earning Hollywood film in China. Zootopia 2 has raked in RMB4.251 billion (about $607.82 million AUD) at the Chinese box office, just edging past Avengers: Endgame, which previously held the record with RMB4.25 billion ($607.67 million AUD). These figures come from the Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan.
Over the first weekend of January, Zootopia 2 reclaimed the number one spot at the Chinese box office, outpacing James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash. During the January 2–4 period, the animated sequel pulled in $17.1 million AUD from Chinese cinemas. Reports also note that Zootopia 2 managed to cross the $100 million AUD mark in a single day—a feat previously achieved only by Endgame. With a production budget of $150 million AUD, Zootopia 2 has now amassed a global total of $1.59 billion AUD.
Franchise Power and Local Appeal
The original Zootopia film, released in 2016, earned $1.025 billion AUD worldwide, with $236 million AUD coming from China alone. The sequel’s success has been attributed to the franchise’s strong reputation and its ability to connect with local audiences. Cultural researcher Zhang Peng commented,
The core advantage of Zootopia 2 lies in its franchise momentum combined with precise localisation. 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 also pointed out that high-quality imported films are now outshining the superhero genre in China.
The market is not fixated on spectacle alone. Strong storytelling and emotional resonance are now the real keys to long-term box-office success.
Zootopia 2 currently holds a rating of 8.4 on Douban, a popular Chinese review platform, based on 645,000 user ratings. The voice cast features a line-up including Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Shakira, Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, Jenny Slate, Danny Trejo, and Dwayne Johnson.
Hollywood’s Top Earners in China
With its latest milestone, Zootopia 2 now leads the list of highest-grossing Hollywood films in China, just ahead of Endgame. The third spot goes to The Fate of the Furious, starring Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel, which brought in $392.8 million AUD. Furious 7 and Avengers: Infinity War round out the top five, with $390.9 million AUD and $359.5 million AUD respectively.
Hollywood continues to enjoy a healthy trade surplus with China, as American blockbusters consistently draw big crowds. Marvel and DC films have both seen strong returns, though Marvel’s titles have generally performed better. Avengers: Endgame leads the Marvel pack with $632.1 million AUD, followed by Infinity War, Venom, Age of Ultron, and Spider-Man: Far from Home.
Superheroes and Sequels: Changing Fortunes
DC’s films haven’t matched Marvel’s numbers in China. Aquaman is the top DCEU performer with $298.3 million AUD, while Justice League, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Wonder Woman trail behind. The new Superman film managed only $8.9 million AUD in the region. Meanwhile, Avatar: Fire and Ash is closing in on the $100 million AUD mark, with its predecessors also having done well in China.
Looking ahead, Marvel fans are keen to see if the franchise can reclaim its dominance with Avengers: Doomsday. Robert Downey Jr. is set to return to the Marvel universe, this time as the villain Doctor Doom, reportedly signing a $100 million AUD contract for the role. Expectations are high, with some predicting the film could surpass $2 billion AUD at the box office.
Avengers: Endgame is now available for streaming on Disney+.