Disney’s “Zootopia 2” began its box office run Tuesday night with preview screenings in the United States as well as opening day screenings in several major Asian countries. In the U.S., it earned $10.2 million from preview screenings while earning an American animation record $33.7 million in China.
For Walt Disney Animation, the $10.2 million figure represents the second highest preview total ever for the studio behind only the $13.5 million of last year’s “Moana 2,” which went on to shatter the 5-day Thanksgiving record with a $225 million launch.
“Zootopia 2” isn’t expected to get that high, but it should well exceed its pre-release projections of a $135 million 5-day total. One exhibitor source tells TheWrap it is now expecting an extended opening of $160-170 million, but those estimates could significantly fluctuate over the course of the weekend.
But in China, “Zootopia 2” is expected to be even bigger after its opening day of $33.7 million, which ranks among the top 10 highest opening days ever in that country for an American film. A $200 million-plus five-day opening is now in play for “Zootopia 2” there, which would put it on pace to become just the sixth American film to gross at least $300 million in China.
Over in Korea, the film is also doing well with a $5.7 million opening day, which is the second highest this year for a Hollywood film behind only “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.” It also ranks among the top 5 highest animated opening days in Korea and is second highest ever for Disney behind only “Frozen II.”
Early reception scores are also just as strong as the numbers. On Rotten Tomatoes, “Zootopia 2” has a score of 93%, while Chinese audiences have given it a 9.7/10 on Maoyan, topping the 9.5 score given to the first “Zootopia” back in 2016.
Elsewhere, Universal’s “Wicked: For Good” added $15.7 million to its domestic total on Tuesday, bringing it to a 5-day total of $177 million in the U.S. and Canada. The second half of Jon M. Chu’s Broadway adaptation is expected to make at least $75 million over the 5-day Thanksgiving weekend.
