‘Zootopia 2’ Is Already Delivering a Streaming Success on Disney+ Ahead of Massive Opening Weekend

They do say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and it has been nine years since Zootopia became a $1 billion hit in 2016. The movie scored a near-perfect 98% from Rotten Tomatoes critics (with a strong 92% audience score), spawned a TV series, Zootopia+, which debuted in 2022, and won several awards including Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. Now, the sequel looks set to challenge Lilo & Stitch to become Disney’s biggest movie of the year, and with that movie having taken $1.04 million, there is a good chance it can do it.

Zootopia 2 is set to make around $150 million domestically and $270 million worldwide, but that could head upwards due to its positioning over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. However, there have been unconfirmed reports that the movie will also have a massive opening in China, which could reportedly push its debut to over $500 million. If this turns out to be correct, then Zootopia 2 could potentially knock Marvel’s The Fantasic Four: First Steps out of the year’s highest-grossing Top 10 in one weekend.

‘Zootopia 2’ Is Starting with Strong Reviews

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

While Zootopia is a hard act to beat, the sequel is not disappointing in its reviews from critics. The first 64 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes have resulted in a 94% score, better than many movies released this year and only just behind its predecessor.

So far, only four reviews have delivered “rotten” results, with the crux of the matter coming down to the story “lacking heart and soul” and being too “complicated.” For the rest, Zootopia 2 seems to be doing just enough to warrant a positive recommendation. Everyone seems to agree that there are plenty of puns, visually stunning animation, and movie references to “distract from the film’s failings.” Discussing Film notes that it is a “bit repetitive,” while JoBlo calls it a “decent but very mediocre sequel.”

Outside these gripes, all other reviews are brimming with plaudits and heap praise on “the best Disney movie for a long time.” Collider says it is “a fantastic follow-up to the original,” while Globe and Mail picks up on the true purpose of the movie, saying:

“Never does the film feel like it’s beating you over the head with its morals, but you might leave the theatre feeling a little better about the world we live in than you did when you arrived.”

At a time when things in the world are not exactly going to plan, perhaps Zootopia 2 is arriving in theaters at exactly the time it is needed.

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Release Date

November 26, 2025

Director

Byron Howard, Jared Bush

Writers

Jared Bush

Producers

Jennifer Lee