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The 15 highest-grossing animated films of all time

The 15 highest-grossing animated films of all time

Animated films have always generated huge profits at the box office. From Disney classics like “The Lion King” to a host of Pixar titles, animated films have wide appeal and are often ideal outings for the entire family. This was evident in a post-pandemic world, as titles like “Minions: The Rise of Gru” and “The

Animated films have always generated huge profits at the box office. From Disney classics like “The Lion King” to a host of Pixar titles, animated films have wide appeal and are often ideal outings for the entire family.

This was evident in a post-pandemic world, as titles like “Minions: The Rise of Gru” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” sent families flocking back to theaters after a dry spell that was devastating for theater owners.

Animation’s power to devour the box office continued in the summer of 2024, when “Inside Out 2” surpassed the $1 billion mark in 19 days, the fastest rate ever achieved by an animated film. A year later, “Zootopia 2” reached $1 billion in just 17 days, making it the fastest PG-rated film to reach the milestone.

Animated movies will continue to dominate the box office in 2026, with “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” becoming the first release of the year to hit the $1 billion mark and “Toy Story 5” showing that the franchise still has its fastball.

Below, the 15 highest-grossing animated films of all time.

15. “The Lion King” (1994)


the lion king

“The Lion King.”

disney

Worldwide gross: $979,161,632

This beloved Disney movie is the oldest on this list, and that’s a testament to how well it did when it was released 30 years ago. Although ticket prices have continued to rise since then, Simba and the gang are still safely in the top 15.

14. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” (2026)


Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Yoshi fly through a colorful cosmic setting.

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”.

Universal

World gross: $1,011,157,101

After taking down the “Super Mario Bros.” original Out of the park in 2023, Nintendo and Universal expanded the beloved universe in the sequel with more worlds and more characters, resulting in serious box office currency.

13. “Toy Story 5” (2026)


Jesse, Buzz Lightyear and Woody looking at a tablet

“Toy Story 5.”

Disney/Pixar

World gross: $1,023,924,909

You’d think that by the 5th movie in a franchise, things would start to get stale. It’s not like that, that’s the genius of the people who work at Pixar.

The “Toy Story” franchise continues to inspire in this sequel, as Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang face their biggest competition yet: the tablet.

12. “Zootopia” (2016)


zootopia

“Zootopia.”

disney

World gross: $1,025,521,689

This marks our first billion-dollar revenue stream.

Chronicling the adventures of Judy Hopps in “Zootopia” was a big boost for Walt Disney Animation, which had been looking for another big hit after “Frozen.”

11. “Finding Dory” (2016)


finding dory

“Finding Dory.”

Disney/Pixar

World gross: $1,029,266,989

Pixar created a new story for our favorite forgettable fish, which turned out to be a moneymaker for the studio.

10. “Despicable Me 3” (2017)


Despicable Me 3 Universal

“Despicable me 3.”

Universal

World gross: $1,034,800,131

The introduction of Gru’s brother in the third film gave the “Despicable Me” franchise its first billion-dollar moneymaker. It wouldn’t be the last.

9. “Toy Story 3” (2010)


toy story 3

“Toy Story 3.”

Disney/Pixar

World gross: $1,067,316,101

Considered by many to be the best film in the “Toy Story” franchise, Woody and the gang’s journey that leads to them almost being incinerated was a winning combination of drama and light-hearted fun for an audience that grew up with the franchise.

8. “Toy Story 4” (2019)


toy story 4

“Toy Story 4”

Disney/Pixar

World gross: $1,073,841,394

Almost a decade after “Toy Story 3” the fourth installment arrived. Although it wasn’t as memorable as the previous release, that clearly didn’t matter at the box office.

7. “Minions” (2015)


Minions

“Henchmen.”

universal photos

World gross: $1,159,457,503

Illumination knew Minions were popular. But the studio didn’t know how successful the babbling yellow things were until this independent film was a huge hit at the box office.

6. “Incredibles 2” (2018)


incredibles 2

“Incredibles 2.”

Disney/Pixar

World gross: $1,243,225,667

Fourteen years after Pixar released the hit original, “Incredibles 2” hit theaters and delivered a story that in some ways surpassed the first Oscar-winning title.

A major reason for this is its deeper examination of the superhero family (“Why Did the Math Change?!?”), which touches on female empowerment and the rigors of caring for a growing child… who has outlandish powers.

5. “Frozen” (2013)


frozen

“Frozen.”

Photos of Walt Disney

World gross: $1,310,530,830

From his hit song “Let it Go” to Olaf becoming Disney’s latest beloved character, “Frozen” was a huge success for Disney Animation Studios.

4. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” (2023)


Mario and Luigi raising their fists

Mario and Luigi in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

Universal

World gross: $1,360,879,735

For decades, Illumination was known primarily as the studio that released the “Despicable Me” films and created the Minions characters. But taking the Super Mario Bros. intellectual property and turning it into a box office hit has turned it into an animation house that rivals Pixar.

3. “Frozen II” (2019)


frozen 2

“Frozen II”

disney

World gross: $1,453,683,476

Although it wasn’t as memorable as the first “Frozen,” that didn’t matter at the box office. The first film caused such a sensation that audiences returned in droves to see the story continue.

2. “Inside Out 2” (2024)


Inside Out Feelings Characters

Joy has some new feelings to work with in “Inside Out 2.”

Disney/Pixar

World gross: $1,698,863,816

After years of being a box office juggernaut, Pixar ran into a problem during the pandemic. Relegating titles like “Luca” and “Turning Red” to streaming led to frustration and low morale within the company.

But those downtimes are over as “Inside Out 2” is Pixar’s highest-grossing film yet.

“Inside Out 2” reached the $1 billion global mark in 19 days, the fastest ever reached by an animated film. And along with “Deadpool & Wolverine,” it is the only other film released in 2024 to surpass the billion-dollar mark.

1. “Zootopia 2” (2025)


Zootopia 2 cast

“Zootopia 2.”

disney

World gross: $1,866,647,950

Nine years after their original release, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde return with another entertaining buddy comedy story that audiences can’t get enough of.

The secret to the sequel’s huge success was how well it performed in China. American-made titles haven’t performed well there post-pandemic (and fewer are being released there), but Disney made it, as the title has grossed over $600 million in China alone.