The 10 highest-grossing animated films at the worldwide box office, ranked by nominal lifetime theatrical gross.
Quick answer: 1. Ne Zha 2, 2. Inside Out 2, 3. The Lion King (2019), 4. Zootopia 2, 5. Frozen II, 6. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, 7. Frozen, 8. Incredibles 2, 9. Toy Story 4, 10. Minions: The Rise of Gru.
Animation has become the dominant force at the global box office. The top 10 highest-grossing animated films of all time have collectively earned well over $12 billion worldwide, and 2025's Ne Zha 2 became the first animated film ever to cross the $2 billion mark — a threshold only a handful of films of any kind have reached. Disney (including Pixar) dominates this list, holding seven of the ten spots. Illumination/Universal holds two, and Chinese studio Enlight Media holds one. But the biggest story is the rise of Chinese animation: Ne Zha 2's record-shattering run in China has established a new ceiling for what animated films can earn outside the Hollywood system. The list below reflects nominal (unadjusted) worldwide theatrical gross as tracked by Box Office Mojo and Wikipedia.
The first animated film ever to cross $2 billion worldwide, this 2025 Chinese fantasy epic earned the overwhelming majority of its gross in China alone. Its success redefined the global ceiling for non-English-language animation.
Pixar's 2024 sequel became the highest-grossing animated film ever from a US studio, surpassing Frozen II. It earned over $1.7 billion worldwide and was the highest-grossing film of 2024 overall.
Disney's 2019 photorealistic remake of the 1994 classic is sometimes categorized as live-action, but its extensive use of computer animation places it on most animated film charts. It earned over $1.66 billion worldwide.
Disney's 2025 sequel to the 2016 hit became Disney's highest-grossing movie of all time in some markets, earning over $1.48 billion globally and proving the franchise's cross-generational appeal.
The 2019 sequel to Disney's Frozen broke every record for an animated film upon release, holding the #1 animated grossing spot until Inside Out 2 overtook it in 2024.
Illumination and Nintendo's 2023 video game adaptation became a surprise mega-hit, proving the enduring power of the Mario franchise and becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023 worldwide.
The 2013 original that sparked a global phenomenon. Frozen held the title of highest-grossing animated film ever upon release and remains one of the most culturally impactful animated films of all time.
Pixar's 2018 superhero sequel earned over $1.24 billion worldwide, setting the US domestic record for an animated film that still stands.
Pixar's 2019 sequel to the beloved franchise earned over $1.07 billion worldwide, becoming the fourth Pixar film to cross the billion-dollar mark.
The 2022 Despicable Me prequel proved that the Minions franchise remains a licensing and box office juggernaut, earning over $940 million worldwide.
| # | Name | releaseYear | studio | domesticGross | foreignGross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ne Zha 2 | 2025 | Enlight Media / Cococartoon | $23,308,176 | $2,244,138,194 |
| 2 | Inside Out 2 | 2024 | Pixar / Disney | $652,980,194 | $1,045,883,622 |
| 3 | The Lion King (2019) | 2019 | Disney / MPC | $543,638,043 | $1,119,447,841 |
| 4 | Zootopia 2 | 2025 | Walt Disney Animation Studios | $428,130,160 | $1,051,869,840 |
| 5 | Frozen II | 2019 | Walt Disney Animation Studios | $477,373,578 | $973,308,133 |
| 6 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 2023 | Illumination / Universal | $574,934,330 | $786,547,106 |
| 7 | Frozen | 2013 | Walt Disney Animation Studios | $400,953,009 | $894,410,789 |
| 8 | Incredibles 2 | 2018 | Pixar / Disney | $608,581,744 | $634,227,604 |
| 9 | Toy Story 4 | 2019 | Pixar / Disney | $434,038,008 | $639,358,050 |
| 10 | Minions: The Rise of Gru | 2022 | Illumination / Universal | $370,270,765 | $569,973,390 |
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide theatrical box office gross in nominal US dollars (unadjusted for inflation), including all re-releases where applicable, as reported by Box Office Mojo and Wikipedia's list of highest-grossing animated films. Only animated feature films (as defined by the Academy's Animated Feature Film rules — over 40 minutes, major characters created via frame-by-frame technique) are included. Figures are current as of July 2026 and may shift for films still in theatrical release. One caveat: Ne Zha 2's placement uses Box Office Mojo's total; other sources report slightly lower figures for the film.
Ne Zha 2 (2025) is the highest-grossing animated film of all time with over $2.26 billion worldwide, making it the first animated film ever to cross the $2 billion threshold.
The Lion King (2019) is listed on Wikipedia's highest-grossing animated films page, though its category is debated. It uses extensive photorealistic computer animation throughout but was marketed as a live-action remake. We include it per the Wikipedia convention, but note the categorization varies by source.
No. These are nominal (unadjusted) US dollar totals. An inflation-adjusted list would rank older films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs much higher — it would top $2.3 billion in today's dollars.
Disney (including Pixar) holds 7 of the 10 spots. Illumination / Universal holds 2 spots, and Chinese studio Enlight Media holds 1.