List of highest-grossing animated films

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Included in the list are charts of the top box-office earners, a chart of high-grossing animated films by the calendar year, a timeline showing the transition of the highest-grossing animated film record, and a chart of the highest-grossing animated film franchises and series. All charts are ranked by international theatrical box office performance where possible, excluding income derived from home video, broadcasting rights and merchandise.

Animated family films have performed consistently well at the box office, with Disney enjoying lucrative re-releases prior to the home video, who have produced films such as Aladdin and The Lion King, both of which were the highest-grossing animated film of all time upon their release. Disney Animation also enjoyed later success with the Frozen and Zootopia films, in addition to Pixar, of which the films from the Toy Story, Inside Out, Finding Nemo, and Incredibles franchises have been the best performers. Beyond Disney and Pixar, other franchises such as Despicable Me, Shrek, Ice Age, the Fengshen Cinematic Universe, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, and Super Mario have been met with the most success. Additionally, the current highest-grossing animated film is Ne Zha 2, a Chinese film that has grossed over $2 billion worldwide, the first-ever animated film to reach $2 billion worldwide.[1]

An animated feature film is defined as a motion picture with a running time of more than 40 minutes, in which movement and characters' performances are created using a frame-by-frame technique. Motion capture by itself is not an animation technique. In addition, a significant number of the major characters must be animated, and animation must figure in no less than 75 per cent of the picture's running time.

Rule Seven – Special Rules for the Animated Feature Film Award: I. Definition[2]

Highest-grossing animated films

The chart below lists the highest-grossing animated films. Figures are given in United States dollars (USD). Many films that were released during the 20th century do not appear on this list as figures have not been adjusted for inflation, and as a result the films on this list have all had a theatrical run (including re-releases) since 2005. Films that have not played since then do not appear on the chart due to ticket price inflation, population size, and ticket purchasing trends not being considered. If inflation were adjusted for, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs would appear at the top of the chart with an adjusted gross of $2,354,000,000.[3][nb 1] All except the original 1994 version of The Lion King and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, which are traditionally animated films, are computer-animated films. Despicable Me is the most represented franchise with all five films (excluding the first, as it was recently taken off the list, and including the Minions films) in the top 50 highest-grossing animated films. The top 12 films on this list, each having grossed in excess of $1.05 billion worldwide, are also ranked among the top 50 highest-grossing films of all time.

  Background shading indicates films playing in the week commencing 1 May 2026 in theaters around the world.
More information Rank, Peak ...
Highest-grossing animated films[5]
Rank Peak Title Worldwide gross Year Ref
1 1 Ne Zha 2[nb 2] $2,215,690,000 2025 [# 1]
2 2 Zootopia 2 $1,870,309,291 2025 [# 2][# 3]
3 1 Inside Out 2 $1,698,863,816 2024 [# 4][# 5]
4 1 The Lion King[nb 3][nb 4] $1,656,943,394 2019 [# 6][9][10]
5 2 Frozen II $1,451,651,316 2019 [# 7][# 8]
6 3 The Super Mario Bros. Movie $1,360,783,214 2023 [# 9][# 10]
7 1 Frozen $1,290,000,000 2013 [# 11]
8 2 Incredibles 2 $1,243,225,667 2018 [# 12]
9 2 Minions $1,159,457,503 2015 [# 13]
10 5 Toy Story 4 $1,073,841,394 2019 [# 14]
11 1 Toy Story 3 $1,066,970,811 2010 [# 15][# 16]
12 10 Moana 2 $1,059,269,477 2024 [# 17]
13 4 Despicable Me 3 $1,034,800,131 2017 [# 18]
14 4 Finding Dory $1,029,266,989 2016 [# 19]
15 4 Zootopia $1,025,521,689 2016 [# 20]
16 14 Despicable Me 4 $972,021,410 2024 [# 21][# 22]
17 2 Despicable Me 2 $970,766,005 2013 [# 23][# 24]
18 1 The Lion King $970,707,763 1994 [# 25]
19 1 Finding Nemo $941,637,960 2003 [# 26][# 27][11]
20 14 Minions: The Rise of Gru $940,482,695 2022 [# 28]
21 1 Shrek 2 $932,530,034 2004 [# 29][# 30]
22 22 The Super Mario Galaxy Movie $894,224,000 2026 [# 31]
23 2 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs $886,686,817 2009 [# 32][# 33]
24 6 Ice Age: Continental Drift $877,244,782 2012 [# 34][# 35]
25 12 The Secret Life of Pets $875,698,161 2016 [# 36]
26 10 Inside Out $859,076,254 2015 [# 37]
27 15 Coco $814,641,172 2017 [# 38]
28 3 Shrek the Third $813,367,380 2007 [# 39][# 40]
29 27 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle $781,368,479 2025 [# 41][12]
30 7 Shrek Forever After $752,600,867 2010 [# 42][# 43][13]
31 9 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted $746,921,274 2012 [# 44][# 45]
32 11 Monsters University $743,559,645 2013 [# 46][# 47]
33 23 Ne Zha $742,718,496 2019 [a][16][# 48]
34 6 Up $735,099,082 2009 [# 49][# 50]
35 32 Mufasa: The Lion King $722,460,982 2024 [# 51]
36 28 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse $690,824,738 2023 [# 52][# 53]
37 4 Ice Age: The Meltdown $667,094,506 2006 [# 54][# 55]
38 9 Kung Fu Panda 2 $665,692,281 2011 [# 56][# 57]
39 16 Big Hero 6 $657,870,525 2014 [# 58][# 59]
40 22 Moana $643,332,467 2016 [# 60]
41 23 Sing $634,338,409 2016 [# 61]
42 6 Kung Fu Panda $632,091,832 2008 [# 62][# 63]
43 4 The Incredibles $631,688,498 2004 [# 64][# 65]
44 7 Ratatouille $623,729,380 2007 [# 66][# 67]
45 19 How to Train Your Dragon 2 $621,537,519 2014 [# 68][# 69]
46 9 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa $603,900,354 2008 [# 70][# 71]
47 14 Tangled $591,806,017 2010 [# 72][# 73]
48 18 The Croods $587,266,745 2013 [# 74][# 75]
49 2 Monsters, Inc. $579,770,299 2001 [# 76][# 77]
50 16 Cars 2 $559,853,036 2011 [# 78][# 79]
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Highest-grossing animated films by animation type

Computer animation

The following chart is a list of the highest-grossing computer-animated films. The films on this list have all had a theatrical run (including re-releases) since 2005.

All feature films in the Despicable Me (excluding the first, as it was recently taken off the list, and including the Minions films), Finding Nemo, Incredibles, Frozen, Inside Out, Zootopia, Moana, and Super Mario franchises, as well as the main films in the Madagascar franchise are on the list, while the Kung Fu Panda, Toy Story, Shrek, and Ice Age franchises feature often.

The top 48 films listed are also among the 50 highest-grossing animated films and the top 14 are among the 50 highest-grossing films, each having grossed in excess of $1 billion worldwide.

  Background shading indicates films playing in the week commencing 1 May 2026 in theaters around the world.
More information Rank, Title ...
Highest-grossing computer-animated films[17]
Rank Title Worldwide gross Year Ref
1 Ne Zha 2 $2,215,690,000 2025 [# 1]
2 Zootopia 2 $1,870,018,571 2025 [# 2]
3 Inside Out 2 $1,698,863,816 2024 [# 4][# 5]
4 The Lion King[nb 3][nb 4] $1,656,943,394 2019 [# 6]
5 Frozen II $1,450,026,933 2019 [# 7]
6 The Super Mario Bros. Movie $1,360,783,214 2023 [# 9][# 10]
7 Frozen $1,290,000,000 2013 [# 11][# 80]
8 Incredibles 2 $1,242,805,359 2018 [# 12]
9 Minions $1,159,398,397 2015 [# 13]
10 Toy Story 4 $1,073,394,593 2019 [# 14]
11 Toy Story 3 $1,066,970,811 2010 [# 15][# 81]
12 Moana 2 $1,059,269,477 2024 [# 17]
13 Despicable Me 3 $1,034,799,409 2017 [# 18]
14 Finding Dory $1,029,266,989 2016 [# 19]
15 Zootopia $1,025,521,689 2016 [# 20]
16 Despicable Me 4 $970,946,614 2024 [# 21][# 22]
17 Despicable Me 2 $970,766,005 2013 [# 23][# 82]
18 Finding Nemo $941,637,960 2003 [# 26][# 83]
19 Minions: The Rise of Gru $940,203,765 2022 [# 28]
20 Shrek 2 $932,530,034 2004 [# 29][# 84][18]
21 The Super Mario Galaxy Movie $894,224,000 2026 [# 31]
22 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs $886,686,817 2009 [# 32][# 85]
23 Ice Age: Continental Drift $877,244,782 2012 [# 34][# 86]
24 The Secret Life of Pets $875,698,161 2016 [# 36]
25 Inside Out $859,076,254 2015 [# 37]
26 Coco $814,641,172 2017 [# 38]
27 Shrek the Third $813,367,380 2007 [# 39][# 87]
28 Shrek Forever After $752,600,867 2010 [# 42][# 81][19]
29 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted $746,921,274 2012 [# 44][# 88]
30 Monsters University $743,559,607 2013 [# 46][# 89]
31 Ne Zha $742,718,496 2019 [b][16][# 48]
32 Up $735,099,082 2009 [# 49][# 90]
33 Mufasa: The Lion King $722,460,982 2024 [# 51]
34 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse $690,824,738 2023 [# 52][# 53]
35 Ice Age: The Meltdown $667,094,506 2006 [# 54][# 91]
36 Kung Fu Panda 2 $665,692,281 2011 [# 56][# 92]
37 Big Hero 6 $657,827,828 2014 [# 58][# 93]
38 Moana $643,332,467 2016 [# 60]
39 Sing $634,338,409 2016 [# 61]
40 Kung Fu Panda $632,091,832 2008 [# 62][# 94]
41 The Incredibles $631,688,498 2004 [# 64][# 95]
42 Ratatouille $623,729,380 2007 [# 66][# 67]
43 How to Train Your Dragon 2 $621,537,519 2014 [# 68][# 96]
44 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa $603,900,354 2008 [# 70][# 97]
45 Tangled $591,806,017 2010 [# 72][# 98]
46 The Croods $587,204,668 2013 [# 74][# 99]
47 Monsters, Inc. $579,770,299 2001 [# 76][# 83]
48 Cars 2 $559,853,036 2011 [# 78][# 92]
49 Puss in Boots $554,987,477 2011 [# 100][# 101]
50 The Grinch $552,976,825 2018
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Stop motion animation

A total of 39 stop motion films have grossed in excess of $1 million. All feature films in the Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep franchises are on the list, with Wallace and Gromit being the most represented franchise on the list, with three films. The films on this list have all had a theatrical run (including re-releases) since 1975.

More information Rank, Title ...
Highest-grossing stop motion films[20]
Rank Title Worldwide gross Year Ref
1 Chicken Run $224,888,359 2000 [21]
2 Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit $192,781,882 2005 [# 102]
3 Coraline $185,860,104 2009 [# 103]
4 The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! $123,069,765 2012 [# 104]
5 Corpse Bride $117,237,680 2005 [# 105]
6 Shaun the Sheep Movie $110,549,295 2015 [# 106]
7 The Boxtrolls $108,255,770 2014 [# 107]
8 The Nightmare Before Christmas $107,800,040 1993 [# 108][# 109]
9 ParaNorman $107,139,399 2012 [# 110]
10 The Little Prince $97,571,250 2015 [# 111]
11 Frankenweenie $85,613,658 2012 [# 112]
12 Kubo and the Two Strings $76,249,438 2016 [# 113]
13 Isle of Dogs $72,994,420 2018 [# 114]
14 Fantastic Mr. Fox $58,092,014 2009 [# 115]
15 Early Man $54,629,139 2018 [# 116]
16 A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon $43,133,089 2019 [# 117]
17 James and the Giant Peach $28,946,127 1996 [# 118]
18 Missing Link $26,565,710 2019 [# 119]
19 The Christmas of Solan & Ludvig $12,345,881 2013 [# 120]
20 My Life as a Zucchini $5,873,157 2016 [# 121][# 122]
21 Memoir of a Snail $7,643,123 2024 [22]
22 Monkeybone $7,622,365 2001 [# 123]
23 The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix $6,439,069 1975 [# 124]
24 Marcel the Shell with Shoes On $6,916,437 2022 [# 125]
25 Anomalisa $5,659,286 2015 [# 126]
26 In the Forest of Huckybucky $5,295,452 2016 [# 127]
27 Louis and Luca – The Big Cheese Race $5,204,792 2015 [# 128]
28 Louis & Luca - Mission to the Moon $4,977,748 2018 [# 129]
29 Cheburashka $3,565,391 2010 [# 130]
30 Max & Co $2,373,726 2008 [# 131]
31 The Inventor $2,061,835 2023 [23]
32 Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas $2,027,525 2022 [24]
33 The Sandman and The Lost Sand of Dreams $1,767,918 2010 [# 132]
34 Mary and Max $1,740,791 2009 [# 133]
35 Even Mice Belong in Heaven $1,505,235 2021 [# 134]
36 No Dogs or Italians Allowed $1,395,922 2022 [# 135]
37 Miffy the Movie $1,371,484 2013 [# 136]
38 31 Minutos, La Película $1,254,585 2011 [# 137]
39 Wallace & Gromit: The Best of Aardman Animation $1,009,577 1996 [# 138]
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Traditional animation

The following chart is a list of the highest-grossing traditionally-animated films. The Disaster trilogy is the most frequent franchise thereon, with three films. SpongeBob SquarePants, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Detective Conan have two titles each. The top two films on this list are also among the top 50 highest-grossing animated films.

  Background shading indicates films playing in the week commencing 1 May 2026 in theaters around the world.
More information Rank, Title ...
Highest-grossing traditionally animated films
Rank Title Worldwide gross Year Ref
1 The Lion King $970,707,763 1994 [# 25]
2 Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle $781,368,479 2025 [# 41][12]
3 The Simpsons Movie $536,414,293 2007 [# 139]
4 Demon Slayer: Mugen Train $512,704,063 2020 [25]
5 Aladdin $504,050,219 1992 [# 140]
6 Tarzan $448,191,819 1999 [# 141]
7 Beauty and the Beast $438,656,843 1991 [# 142]
8 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs $418,200,000 1937 [# 143][# 144]
9 Your Name $405,349,022 2016 [26][27]
10 Spirited Away $395,802,070 2001 [28]
11 The Jungle Book $378,000,000 1967 [# 145]
12 Pocahontas $346,079,773 1995 [# 146]
13 The Hunchback of Notre Dame $325,338,851 1996 [# 147]
14 The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water $325,186,032 2015 [# 148]
15 Suzume $324,432,115 2022 [# 149]
16 The Boy and the Heron $304,800,000 2023 [29][30]
17 Mulan $304,320,254 1998 [# 150]
18 One Hundred and One Dalmatians $303,000,000 1961 [# 145]
19 The First Slam Dunk $281,094,722 2022 [# 151]
20 Lilo & Stitch $273,144,151 2002 [# 152]
21 The Princess and the Frog $270,997,378 2009 [# 153]
22 Bambi $267,447,150 1942 [# 154]
23 Cinderella $263,591,415 1950 [# 155]
24 Hercules $252,712,101 1997 [# 156]
25 Brother Bear $250,397,798 2003 [# 157]
26 Howl's Moving Castle $241,281,521 2004 [# 158]
27 Nobody $235,930,000 2025 [31]
28 The Little Mermaid $233,000,000 1989 [# 145]
29 Princess Mononoke $231,379,818 1997 [# 159]
30 The Prince of Egypt $218,613,188 1998 [# 160]
31 Ponyo $206,498,543 2008 [32]
32 One Piece Film: Red $201,387,600 2022 [# 161][33]
33 Jujutsu Kaisen 0 $196,436,179 2021 [# 162]
34 Weathering with You $193,091,764 2019 [34]
35 The Aristocats $191,000,000 1970 [# 145]
36 Lady and the Tramp $187,000,000 1955 [# 145]
37 Atlantis: The Lost Empire $186,053,725 2001 [# 163]
38 Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc $181,115,803 2025 [35][36]
39 Pokémon: The First Movie $172,744,662 1998 [# 164]
40 The Emperor's New Groove $169,661,687 2000 [# 165]
41 The Rescuers $169,000,000 1977 [# 145]
42 Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback $166,061,012 2025 [# 166]
43 Pinocchio $164,000,000 1940 [# 167]
44 Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram $150,008,115 2024 [# 168]
45 Arrietty $149,411,550 2010 [# 169]
46 Home on the Range $145,358,062 2004 [# 170]
47 Peter Pan $145,000,000 1953 [# 171]
48 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie $142,051,255 2004 [# 172]
49 The Rugrats Movie $140,894,675 1998 [# 173]
50 Anastasia $139,804,348 1997 [# 174]
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Highest-grossing animated films by year

The top-grossing animated films in the years 1937, 1940, 1942, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1961, 1967, 1992, 1994, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2024, 2025 and 2026 were also the highest-grossing films overall those years.[# 175]

Computer-animated films have been the highest earners in 1995, 1998–2019, and every year since 2021 while 1975 and 1993 are the only years when a stop motion animated feature grossed the highest. Traditional animated films have topped every other year.

The Ice Age franchises have had the most entries be the highest-grossing animated films of the year with four films, while the Rescuers and Finding Nemo all had both films in each respective franchise be the highest-grossing animated films of the year they were released.

Disney films has topped the list the most of any studio topping the list 32 times.

Animal Farm, Out of an Old Man's Head, Fritz the Cat, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, and Ne Zha 2 were the only five adult animated films on the chart.

The top-grossing animated film of the year has usually been an American film, with a few exceptions. Japanese animated features have topped the list at seven occasions: in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1987, and 2020; the list has also been topped by a German film in 1926, Spanish in 1945, French in 1949, British in 1954, Swedish in 1968 and 1974, Norwegian in 1975, Belgian in 1976, Canadian in 1985, and Chinese in 2025.

  Background shading indicates films playing in the week commencing 1 May 2026 in theaters around the world.
More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Worldwide gross Budget Ref
1926 The Adventures of Prince Achmed $100,156IT N/a [37]
1928–36 N/a N/a N/a N/a
1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs $418,200,000+ ($8,500,000)R $1,488,423 [# 143][# 176][# 177]
1938 N/a N/a N/a N/a
1939 Gulliver's Travels $3,200,000* $700,000 [38]
1940 Pinocchio $87,000,862* ($3,500,000)R $2,600,000 [# 167][# 177][# 178]
1941 Dumbo $1,600,000* $950,000 [# 179][# 180]
1942 Bambi $267,447,150 ($3,449,353)R $858,000 [# 154][# 181][# 182]
1943 Victory Through Air Power $799,000* ~$789,000 [# 183]
1944 The Three Caballeros $3,355,000R TBD [# 184][# 185]
1945 The Enchanted Sword ES€5,595,283ES (~$90,000) TBD [# 186]
1946 Make Mine Music $3,275,000R $1,370,000 [# 184][# 187]
1947 Fun and Fancy Free $3,165,000R TBD [# 184]
1948 Melody Time $2,560,000R $1,500,000 [# 184][# 188]
1949 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad $1,625,000R TBD [# 184]
1950 Cinderella $263,591,415
($20,000,000/$7,800,000)*R
$2,200,000 [# 189][# 190][# 178]
1951 Alice in Wonderland $2,400,000* $3,000,000 [# 191][# 192]
1952 The King and the Mockingbird $167,451 TBD [39]
1953 Peter Pan $145,000,000 ($7,000,000) $4,000,000 [# 171]
1954 Animal Farm $350,000 TBD [40]
1955 Lady and the Tramp $187,000,000 ($6,500,000)*R $4,000,000 [# 145][# 193]
1956 TBD TBD TBD TBD
1957 TBD TBD TBD TBD
1958 TBD TBD TBD TBD
1959 Sleeping Beauty $51,600,000* ($5,300,000)R $6,000,000 [# 194][# 195]
1960 TBD TBD TBD TBD
1961 One Hundred and One Dalmatians $303,000,000 $3,600,000 [# 196][# 182][# 145]
1962 TBD TBD TBD TBD
1963 The Sword in the Stone $22,182,353*R ($13,050,777)*R $3,000,000 [# 197][# 198][# 199]
1964 Hey There, It's Yogi Bear $1,940,903*2,438,233*
($1,130,000)R
TBD [# 200][# 201][# 202]
1965 TBD TBD TBD TBD
1966 TBD TBD TBD TBD
1967 The Jungle Book $378,000,000 ($23,800,000)R $4,000,000 [# 145][# 203][# 182]
1968 Out of an Old Man's Head SEK1,270,971SW (~$245,000)H TBD [# 204]
1969 A Boy Named Charlie Brown $12,000,000* $1,100,000 [# 205][# 206][# 207]
1970 The Aristocats $191,000,000 ($26,462,000)R $4,000,000 [# 145][# 208][# 209]
1971 Daisy Town SEK1,202,319SW (~$253,000) TBD [# 210]
1972 Fritz the Cat $90,000,000 $850,000 [# 211]
1973 Robin Hood $32,056,467* ($27,500,000)R $5,000,000 [# 212][# 213][# 214]
1974 Dunderklumpen! SEK5,813,000SW (~$2,675,205)H TBD [# 215]
1975 The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix $6,439,069NWSW TBD [# 216]
1976 The Smurfs and the Magic Flute $19,000,000 TBD [# 217]
1977 The Rescuers $169,000,000 ($29,000,000)* $7,500,000 [# 145][# 218]
1978 Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato ¥4,300,000,000JP ($43,000,000) $1,711,000 [# 219][# 220][# 221]
1979 Galaxy Express 999 ¥1,650,000,000JP ($7,610,000)R TBD [# 222][# 223]
1980 Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur ¥2,640,000,000JP ($11,643,000) TBD [# 224]
1981 The Fox and the Hound $63,456,988* ($39,900,000)* $12,000,000 [# 225][# 226]
1982 The Secret of NIMH $14,665,733* $7,000,000 [# 227][# 228]
1983 Harmagedon: Genma Wars ¥1,800,000,000JP ($7,600,000) TBD [# 229][# 230]
1984 Doraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure into the Underworld ¥2,640,000,000JP ($11,800,000) TBD [# 224][# 231]
1985 The Care Bears Movie $34,000,000 ($22,934,622)* $2,000,000 [# 232][# 233]
1986 An American Tail $84,542,002 $9,000,000 [# 234]
1987 Doraemon: Nobita and the Knights on Dinosaurs ¥2,550,000,000JP ($17,630,000) TBD [# 224]
1988 Oliver & Company $121,000,000+ ($100,000,000)+ $31,000,000 [# 235][# 236][# 237]
1989 The Little Mermaid $233,000,000 ($84,355,863)* $40,000,000 [# 145][# 238][# 239]
1990 The Rescuers Down Under $47,431,461 TBD [# 240]
1991 Beauty and the Beast $438,656,843 ($351,863,363) $25,000,000 [# 142]
1992 Aladdin $504,050,219 $28,000,000 [# 140][# 182]
1993 The Nightmare Before Christmas $107,522,116 ($50,003,043)* $18,000,000 [# 108][# 241]
1994 The Lion King $970,707,763 ($763,455,561) $45,000,000 [# 25]
1995 Toy Story $384,958,993 ($363,007,140) $30,000,000 [# 242][# 243][# 244]
1996 The Hunchback of Notre Dame $325,338,851 $70,000,000 [# 147][# 245]
1997 Hercules $252,712,101 $85,000,000 [# 156]
1998 A Bug's Life $363,258,859 $120,000,000 [# 246]
1999 Toy Story 2 $497,366,869 ($485,015,179) $90,000,000 [# 247][# 248]
2000 Dinosaur $349,822,765 $127,500,000 [# 249]
2001 Monsters, Inc. $579,770,299 ($525,373,250) $115,000,000 [# 76]
2002 Ice Age $383,257,136 $59,000,000 [# 250]
2003 Finding Nemo $941,637,960 ($867,893,978) $94,000,000 [# 26]
2004 Shrek 2 $932,530,034 $150,000,000 [# 29]
2005 Madagascar $543,289,400 ($542,063,846) $75,000,000 [# 251]
2006 Ice Age: The Meltdown $667,094,506 ($660,998,756) $80,000,000 [# 54]
2007 Shrek the Third $813,367,380 $160,000,000 [# 39]
2008 Kung Fu Panda $631,744,560 $130,000,000 [# 62]
2009 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs $886,686,817 $90,000,000 [# 32]
2010 Toy Story 3 $1,066,970,811 $200,000,000 [# 15]
2011 Kung Fu Panda 2 $665,692,281 $150,000,000 [# 56]
2012 Ice Age: Continental Drift $877,244,782 $95,000,000 [# 34]
2013 Frozen[nb 5] $1,290,000,000 ($1,287,000,000) $150,000,000 [# 11]
2014 Big Hero 6 $657,827,828 $165,000,000 [# 58]
2015 Minions $1,159,398,397 $74,000,000 [# 13]
2016 Finding Dory $1,029,266,989 $200,000,000 [# 19]
2017 Despicable Me 3 $1,034,799,409 $80,000,000 [# 18]
2018 Incredibles 2 $1,242,805,359 $200,000,000 [# 12][# 252]
2019 The Lion King[nb 3] $1,656,943,394 $260,000,000 [# 6][# 253]
2020 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train $512,704,063 $15,765,750 [25]
2021 Sing 2 $408,897,474 $85,000,000 [41]
2022 Minions: The Rise of Gru $940,203,765 $80,000,000100,000,000 [# 28]
2023 The Super Mario Bros. Movie $1,360,783,214 $100,000,000 [# 9][# 10]
2024 Inside Out 2 $1,698,863,816 $200,000,000 [# 4][# 5]
2025 Ne Zha 2 $2,215,690,000 $80,000,000 [# 1]
2026 The Super Mario Galaxy Movie $894,224,000 $110,000,000 [# 31]
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  • ( ... ) Since grosses are not limited to original theatrical runs, a film's first-run gross is included in brackets after the total if known.
  • *U.S. and Canada gross only
  • ITItaly only
  • ESSpanish only
  • SWSwedish gross only
  • NWNorwegian gross only
  • JPJapanese gross only
  • RDistributor rental
  • TBDTo be determined
  • N/ANot applicable; no animated feature length film was released in that year.
  • HFilms contain animated/live-action scenes.

Timeline of highest-grossing animated films

At least 10 animated films have held the record of highest-grossing animated film at different times. Four of these were Disney films and three more by Pixar, alongside three more by other studios. All of these films are American with the exception of Ne Zha 2, which was produced in China.

Snow White held the record for the longest, with 55 years, while Inside Out 2 held it for the shortest period of 5 months. The original 1994 version of The Lion King was the most recent non-CGI animated film to hold the record. Shrek 2, Toy Story 3, Inside Out 2, and Ne Zha 2 are the four sequels to hold the record. The 2019 version of The Lion King is the only animated remake to hold this record. Finding Nemo was the first 3D CG animated film to hold this record.

All of these films are still among the highest-grossing animated films except Snow White, and only Snow White, Aladdin and Shrek 2 are not also among the highest-grossing films. The Lion King is the only franchise to hold the record twice. Ne Zha 2 is the first non-American animated film, as well as the first adult animated film, to hold this record.

The first three films on this list utilize hand-drawn animation, while the remaining six are animated in CGI.

More information Title, Established ...
Title Established Record-setting gross Ref
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs[nb 6] 1938 $8,500,000 [# 254][# 255]
1993 $418,200,000 [# 144]
Aladdin[nb 7] $504,050,219 [# 140]
The Lion King 1994 $768,000,000 [# 256]
2002 $783,841,776 [# 257]
Finding Nemo 2003 $867,893,978 [# 27]
Shrek 2 2004 $928,760,770 [# 29]
Toy Story 3 2010 $1,066,970,811 [# 15]
Frozen[nb 5] 2014 $1,287,000,000 [# 11]
2017 $1,290,000,000
The Lion King[nb 3] 2019 $1,656,943,394 [# 6]
Inside Out 2 2024 $1,698,863,816 [# 4][# 5]
Ne Zha 2 2025 $2,215,690,000 [# 1]
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Computer animation

The following is a timeline of highest-grossing computer-animated films.

Toy Story is the only franchise to hold the record on multiple occasions doing so with the first three films. Pixar is the only studio to hold the record on multiple occasions doing so seven times, while A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo and Inside Out 2 held the record the shortest for five months. Shrek 2, made by DreamWorks Animation, and Ne Zha 2, made by Beijing Enlight Media, are the only two films on the list not produced by Disney or Pixar.


More information Title, Established ...
Title Established Record-setting gross Ref
Toy Story 1995 $361,958,736 [42]
A Bug's Life 1998 $363,258,859 [43]
Toy Story 2 1999 $485,015,179 [# 247]
Monsters, Inc. 2001 $525,373,250 [# 76]
Finding Nemo 2003 $867,893,978 [# 27]
Shrek 2 2004 $928,760,770 [# 29]
Toy Story 3 2010 $1,066,970,811 [# 15]
Frozen[nb 5] 2014 $1,287,000,000 [# 11]
2017 $1,290,000,000
The Lion King[nb 3] 2019 $1,656,943,394 [# 6]
Inside Out 2 2024 $1,698,863,816 [# 4][# 5]
Ne Zha 2 2025 $2,215,690,000 [# 1]
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Stop motion

At least three stop motion animated films have held the record of highest-grossing animated film at different times. Chicken Run currently holds the record for the longest, with 25 years, while The Nightmare Before Christmas held it for the shortest period of seven years.

These films are still among the highest-grossing stop-motion animated films.

More information Title, Established ...
Title Established Record-setting gross Ref
The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix 1975 $6,439,069 [# 258]
The Nightmare Before Christmas 1993 $50,003,043 [44]
1994 $58,019,461 [45]
Chicken Run 2000 $227,793,915 [46]
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Highest-grossing animated franchises and film series

The following chart is a list of the highest-grossing animated film franchises. The top three are among the highest-grossing film franchises of all time and, respectively, are between 14th and 20th of all time. Pixar is the most represented studio with six franchises on this list. Despicable Me is the highest-grossing animated franchise of all time with $5.6 billion; it is also one of four animated franchises (Toy Story, Frozen, and Zootopia) with two films grossing over $1 billion worldwide. Frozen and Zootopia are the only animated franchises where every installment grossed $1 billion, and along with Inside Out, the Fengshen Cinematic Universe and Super Mario, are the only animated franchises to average over $1 billion per film; Zootopia has the highest per-film average, with nearly $1.45 billion unadjusted.

  Background shading indicates that at least one film in the series is playing in the week commencing 1 May 2026 in theaters around the world.
More information Rank, Series ...
Highest-grossing animated franchises and film series[§] (The films in each franchise can be viewed by selecting "show")
Rank Series Total worldwide box office No. of films Average of films Highest-grossing film
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See also

Notes

  1. Inflation adjustment is carried out using the International Monetary Fund's global Consumer price index for advanced economies.[4] The index is uniformly applied to the grosses in the chart published by Guinness World Records in 2014, beginning with the 2014 index. The figures in the above chart take into account inflation that occurred in 2014, and in every available year since then, with 2024 the most recent year available.
  2. The worldwide total for Ne Zha 2 at Box Office Mojo is incorrect. Box Office Mojo has altered its figure for the Chinese release several times since the film closed, and remains inconsistent (first by low-balling, and now over-shooting) with the figure available from Chinese sources. Box Office Mojo's record of non-Chinese grosses is also incomplete, meaning the true non-Chinese total is higher than the figure Box Office Mojo has down. For this reason the gross here is compiled from alternative sources.
  3. Disney, which produced The Lion King (2019), considered the film to be live-action despite the entire film (aside from its opening shot) being computer animated.[6] Others, such as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (then-presenter of the Golden Globe Awards), deemed it to be animated based on specified criteria.[7]
  4. An error in Box Office Mojo's gross estimate for the 2020 UK re-release of The Lion King (2019) led to an overestimation of the film's lifetime worldwide gross by approximately $5 million. As of September 1, 2024, BOM removed the mistake, but only amended the total from $1,663,079,059 to $1,662,020,819, which does not fully account for $5 million over-estimate; however, a summation of the individual releases section produces $1,658,058,299.[8] Until this discrepancy is resolved, the gross based on its original theatrical run will be used.
  5. Box Office Mojo stopped updating its main total for Frozen in August 2014, while it was still in release. The total listed here incorporates subsequent earnings in Japan, Nigeria, Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany up to the end of 2015, but omits earnings in Turkey, Iceland, Brazil, and Australia (2016) which amount to a few hundred thousand dollars. The total is rounded to $1 million to compensate for the numerical inaccuracy.
  6. Snow White earned $8.5 million in gross rental upon its initial release, in the process becoming the highest-grossing sound film. The gross rental is the distributor's share of the box-office gross and was more commonly reported than the exhibition gross up to the 1970s.
  7. It is possible Aladdin never took the record. Aladdin's release (1992–93) coincided with a Snow White reissue, and it is possible that Snow White ended up grossing more. Snow White had grossed a total of $330 million up to 1987, and then added a further $88 million in North America from its 1987 and 1993 reissues; it is unknown how much Snow White made from these reissues outside of North America, but if the foreign gross matched or exceeded the North American gross then Snow White would have earned more.
  1. Ne Zha Gross
    • China – $723,650,000[14]
    • United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam – $6,307,704[15]
  2. Ne Zha Gross
    • China – $723,650,000[14]
    • United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam – $6,307,704[15]

References

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