The list of the highest-grossing animated movies of all time contains one or two surprises. Partly due to inflation, rising ticket prices and population increases, each of the top 10 are movies which have come out since 2010. Unsurprisingly, Disney dominates the box office.
While the biggest box office records are mostly reserved for live-action movies, there are still plenty of recent animated hits which have passed the billion-dollar mark. Just like with live-action movies, being part of a big franchise is key, as eight of the highest-grossing animated movies are sequels.
Moanais one of Disney’s best movies of recent years, but its $687.2 million box office doesn’t compare to some other big-budget animated movies. The sequel made up for this, soaring past the billion-dollar mark and opening the door to a potential third movie.
Moana’s $687.2 million box office doesn’t compare to some other big-budget animated movies.
Moana 2follows the title character on a journey across the ocean after a warning from her ancestors in a vision. It delivers another swashbuckling adventure with a splash of magic and humor, just like the first movie, and it brings back some beloved characters while introducing some new faces.
TheToy Storyfranchise has broken several box office records over the years, both cumulatively and with individual movies.Toy Story 3,which was released 11 years after the franchise’s previous entry, became thefirst animated movie to top $1 billionglobally. It’s still one of Pixar’s highest-grossing movies.
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Toy Story 3picks up with Andy later in his life, when he’s ready to head off to college and leave his toys behind. This sends Buzz, Woody and the rest on a journey to find a new purpose. AlthoughToy Story3has plenty of great jokes, it’s also one ofPixar’s most emotionally devastating movies.
Toy Story 4barely beat the box office total of the franchise’s previous entry, andToy Story 5could easily do just as well. There wasn’t much of a need to continue the story afterToy Story 3,butToy Story 4created an original story that was worthwhile, following Woody in the next chapter of his life.
One thing thatToy Story 4does well, like the otherToy Storymovies, is expand the world of toys, showing new characters in different circumstances. This intelligent worldbuilding is a big reason whyToy Story 4manages to create a new story without Andy, suggesting that the franchise could keep rolling.
Minionsis a rare example of a spinoff surpassing the original franchise, at least in terms of revenue. BeforeMinions,neither of theDespicable Memovies had cracked the billion-dollar mark at the box office, and it remains the franchise’s highest-grossing movie yet.
$544.7 million
80%
$975.2 million
75%
$1.157 billion
55%
$1.032 billion
59%
$937.7 million
69%
$971 million
56%
The minions quickly became a cultural phenomenon after the firstDespicable Memovie, easily eclipsing Gru as the most recognizable characters in the franchise. A spinoff movie leveraging this popularity was destined to do big numbers, even thoughMinionsreceived mixed reviews. It holds a 55% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with an even lower audience score of 49%.
Incredibles 2isn’t always seen as one ofPixar’s best movies, but it’s one of the studio’s most profitable. The fact that the sequel performed so well at the box office without hitting the heights of the first movie explains why Pixar’s business model is currently geared toward making the most of their existing franchises.
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Animation is a remarkably diverse art form, so the best animated movies of all time encompass comedies, sci-fi, fantasy and many more genres.
Incredibles 2suffers from comparisons to the original, but it’s still a thrilling action movie with some gorgeous retro style. The sequel shifts focus from Bob to Helen, which sets up some great action scenes featuring Elastigirl’s super-stretching powers.Incredibles 3has the potential to explore Dash and Violet, and it could be another box-office smash.
Frozenhelped Disney establish their new identity after a transitional period in the 2000s. Many of the studio’s animated movies sinceFrozenhave tried to implement its style, both in terms of the animation and the playful humor.Frozenalso has a soundtrack that ranks among Disney’s best.
The story of Elsa and Anna has the fairy-tale allure of many much older Disney classics, but it has a modern twist that still helps it feel tailor-made for a new generation. This winning combination boostedFrozento a record-breaking box-office total. It remained the highest-grossing animated movie ever untilFrozen II.
For a long time, Hollywood couldn’t figure out how to make video game adaptations, but this curse seems to have been banished in recent years.The Super Mario Bros. Movieis proof of this, blowing away box office projections and earning rave reviews from audiences.Its Rotten Tomatoes score sits at just 59%, but its audience score is 95%.
TheSuper Mariofranchise is one of the biggest video game series ever, so an animated movie adaptation always had the potential to do big numbers at the box office.The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s cast was also a boost, with big names like Chris Pratt, Jack Black and Anya Taylor-Joy. The sequel could be just as popular.
Frozen IIsoared past the box office total of its predecessor, becoming the highest-grossing animated movie of all time for five years. It seems likely thatFrozen 3will perform even better when it finally comes out in 2027.Frozen IIdidn’t achieve the same level of overwhelming critical acclaim as the first movie, butit’s still a solid sequel with a great soundtrack.
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From the biggest entries in the MCU to sci-fi epics by way of unexpected animated box office successes, here are 25 movies that made the most money.
Frozen IItakes place a few years after Elsa’s coronation, as she leaves Arendelle on an adventure with her friends. It continues Disney’s work from the first movie, pushing the boundaries of its 3-D computer-generated style to create something bold and new. Its sweeping landscapes are the perfect accompaniment to an ambitious soundtrack.
Inside Out 2had a short-lived run as the highest-grossing animated movie ever, but it still holds plenty of other records. The Pixar sequel blew away its box office projections,practically doubling the global gross from 2015’sInside Out.Disney has plenty of big animated movies on the horizon, so it remains to be seen how longInside Out 2will remain the studio’s highest-grossing animation.
Inside Out 2was followed by a prequel series on Disney+,Dream Productions.
Inside Out 2picks up with Riley as she attends a hockey camp with her friends, all while her emotions are forced to accommodate some new arrivals in her head. Anxiety starts to run the show in Riley’s head, causing her to act out of paranoia and fear. It’s another emotionally intelligent offering from Pixar, and it opens the door to more potentialInside Outsequels.
English-speaking audiences might not know aboutNe Zha 2,but its remarkable box office success has caused fans of animated movies all over the world to sit up and take notice. The Mandarin-language movie has shattered plenty of box office records, and it isn’t done yet.
2019’sNe Zhawas the highest-grossing Chinese animated movie of all time, so the sequel was always expected to perform well, but few could have predicted just how well. The story takes inspiration from a centuries-old Chinese book,The Investiture of the Godsby Xu Zhonglin. The title character is a demon hunter, and the sequel pits him against the dragon kings.
