List of highest-grossing openings for animated films


The following is a list of the highest-grossing opening weekends for animated films. The list is dominated by recent films due to steadily increasing marketing budgets, and modern films opening on more screens. Another contributing factor is inflation not being taken into account.

Biggest worldwide openings for an animated film since 2002

This list charts animated films that had openings in excess of $100 million worldwide. Since animated films do not open on Fridays in many markets, the 'opening' is taken to be the gross between the first day of release and the first Sunday. Figures prior to the year 2002 are not available.
Figures are given in United States dollars. 2013 is the most represented year, with four films. The Ice Age franchise is the most represented franchise with three films. Pixar is the most represented studio, with six films on the list.
This list does not take into account country-by-country variations in release dates. Therefore, in some cases opening weekend grosses from many, or even most countries may not be included.
RankFilmWorldwide opening YearRef
1Frozen II358.52019
2The Lion King245.92019
3Toy Story 4244.52019
4Incredibles 2235.82018
5'218.42009
6Finding Dory185.72016
7The Simpsons Movie170.92007
8Despicable Me 2147.42013
9Toy Story 3145.32010
10'137.62012
11Monsters University136.92013
12Shrek the Third136.82007
13Shrek 2131.12004
14Minions128.32015
15'126.92012
16Ralph Breaks the Internet1272018
17The Secret Life of Pets118.62016
18'115.42006
19Frozen110.62013
20Cars 2109.02011
21Kung Fu Panda 2108.92011
22The Croods106.02013

Timeline of biggest worldwide openings for an animated film since 2001

At least 7 animated films have held the record of highest-grossing animated film at different times. Pixar has hold the record the most of any time with three films in 2001, 2018 and 2019
FilmEstablishedRecord-setting opening Ref
Monsters, Inc.200184.8
The Simpsons Movie2007170.9
2009218.4
Incredibles 22018235.8
Toy Story 4June 2019244.5
The Lion King July 2019245.9
Frozen IINovember 2019358.5

Biggest opening weekend in U.S. and Canada for an animated film

This list charts the top 50 highest-grossing opening weekends in the U.S. and Canada for an animated film.
Figures are given in United States dollars. Ninety-eight percent of the films in the top 50 were released after 2000 & 2015 and 2016 is the most represented year, with six films each. Shrek, Ice Age and Despicable Me are the most represented franchises with four films each.
DreamWorks Animation and Pixar are the most represented studios with 17 films each on the list.
rankfilmgross yearRef
1The Lion King191.82019
2Incredibles 2182.72018
3Finding Dory135.12016
4Frozen II130.32019
5Shrek the Third121.62007
6Toy Story 4120.92019
7Minions115.22015
8Toy Story 3110.32010
9Shrek 2108.02004
10The Secret Life of Pets104.32016
11Inside Out90.42015
12Despicable Me 283.52013
13Monsters University82.42013
14Zootopia75.12016
15The Simpsons Movie742007
16Despicable Me 372.42017
17Shrek Forever After70.82010
18The Incredibles70.52004
19Finding Nemo70.32003
20The Lorax70.22012
21The Lego Movie69.12014
22Up68.12009
23'682006
24The Grinch67.62018
25Frozen67.42013
26'66.72009
27Brave66.32012
28Cars 266.132011
29'63.112008
30WALL-E63.102008
31Monsters, Inc.62.32001
32'60.32012
33Kung Fu Panda60.22008
34Cars60.12006
35Monsters vs. Aliens59.32009
36Toy Story 257.41999
37Moana56.62016
38Despicable Me56.42010
39Ralph Breaks the Internet56.22018
40Big Hero 656.22014
4155.42015
42Cars 353.72017
43The Lego Batman Movie532017
44Home52.12015
45Coco50.82017
46The Boss Baby50.22017
47How to Train Your Dragon 249.52014
48Wreck-It Ralph492012
49Tangled48.82010
50Hotel Transylvania 248.52015

Opening weekend record holders in U.S. and Canada since 1982

These are the films that, when first released, set the opening three-day weekend record after going into wide release.
At least 15 animated films have held the record of highest-grossing animated film at different times. Two of these were in the DreamWorks animations Shrek franchise. Disney and Pixar held the record five times each as of 2018.
FilmEstablishedRecord-setting opening Ref
The Secret of NIMHJuly 19821.4
The Last Unicorn November 19822.3
The Care Bears MovieMarch 19853.7
The Black CauldronJuly 19854.1
An American Tail19865.2
The Land Before Time19887.5
Aladdin199219.3
The Lion King199440.9
Toy Story 2199957.4
Monsters, Inc.200162.6
Finding Nemo200370.3
Shrek 22004108.0
Shrek The Third2007121.6
Finding Dory2016135.1
Incredibles 22018182.7
The Lion King 2019191.8

Biggest opening week in U.S. and Canada for an animated film

This list charts animated films that had openings in excess of $70 million in their first week.
Figures are given in United States dollars. 42.8% of the films in the top 35 were released after 2010, 2016 is the most represented year, with four films. Shrek, Madagascar, and Despicable Me are the most represented franchises with three films. All films in Cars, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Madagascar main film series, and Despicable Me franchises are on the list. Pixar is the most represented studio with 14 films on the list.
rankfilmgross yearref
1The Lion King275.22019
2Incredibles 2269.42018
3Finding Dory213.32016
4Frozen II2022019
5Toy Story 41792019
6Toy Story 3167.62010
7Minions166.52015
8The Secret Life of Pets152.62016
9Shrek the Third149.42007
10Shrek 2143.82004
11Inside Out132.82015
12Despicable Me 2124.92013
13Monsters University124.82013
14The Simpsons Movie102.92007
15Brave97.72012
16Finding Nemo97.52003
17WALL-E94.72008
18Up93.12009
19The Incredibles932004
20Zootopia92.62016
21Cars 290.92011
22Shrek Forever After89.82010
23The Grinch88.42018
24Moana87.62016
25Despicable Me85.62010
26'852012
27Kung Fu Panda83.72008
28Cars83.32006
29The Lorax82.92012
30'81.92006
3181.82008
32Ratatouille80.52007
33Monsters, Inc.80.32001
34Frozen76.12013
35Big Hero 675.62014
36Cars 374.72017
37Madagascar72.32005
38Monsters vs. Aliens72.22009
39Kung Fu Panda 270.32011

Biggest opening day in U.S. and Canada for an animated film

This list charts animated films that had openings in excess of $16 million on their first day of release in the U.S. and Canada. Figures are given in United States dollars. 64% of the films in this list were released after 2010. 2008 is the most represented year on the list with 4 films.
All films in the main series Cars, Despicable Me, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and The Incredibles are present on this list and Despicable Me is the most represented franchise with 4 films. Pixar is the most represented studios with 13 films on the list.
rankfilmgross yearRef
1The Lion King77.92019
2Incredibles 271.32018
3Finding Dory54.72016
4Toy Story 447.42019
5Minions46.02015
6Frozen II42.22019
7Toy Story 341.12010
8The Secret Life of Pets38.52016
9Shrek the Third38.42007
10Despicable Me 2352013
11Inside Out34.32015
12Monsters University30.52013
13Despicable Me 329.02017
14Cars 225.72011
15Brave24.62012
16WALL-E23.22008
17'21.82006
18Up21.52009
19Despicable Me21.32010
20Shrek Forever After20.82010
21'20.72012
22The Incredibles20.52004
23Kung Fu Panda20.32008
24Finding Nemo20.22003
25Cars19.72006
26Cars 319.62017
27Zootopia19.52016
28The Grinch18.62018
29Ralph Breaks the Internet18.52018
30How to Train Your Dragon 218.42014
31Monsters, Inc.17.82001
32'17.62008
33Dr. Seuss' The Lorax17.52012
34The Lego Movie17.12014
35'16.92018
36Monsters vs Aliens16.82009
3716.72012
38Ratatouille16.52007

Biggest opening weekends outside the United States for an animated film since 2002

This list charts the biggest opening weekends outside the United States for an animated film since 2002. Figures are given in United States dollars. 75% of the films in the top 12 were released after 2010. 2011 are the most represented years on the list with 4 films. Films must exceed $40 million.
Blue Sky is the most represented studios with 5 films on the list.
rankfilmoverseas gross yearRef
1Frozen II228.22019
2'151.72009
3Toy Story 4123.62019
4The Simpsons Movie96.92007
5Nezha94.92019
6'80.32012
7'77.32013
8Kung Fu Panda 375.72016
9The Adventures of Tintin56.22011
10Kung Fu Panda 255.52011
11Rio54.92011
12Monsters University54.52013
13The Lion King 54.22019
14Incredibles 253.12018
15Finding Dory50.62016
16'47.42006
17The Angry Birds Movie432016
18Cars 242.92011
19Ralph Breaks the Internet41.52018