Zootopia Is The Fittest At US Box Office

Disney Animated Film Takes Top Spot

♦Our friends over at The Hollywood Reporter have just reported that Disney’s newest animated feature, Zootopia, which will be released as Zootropolis later this month in the UK, has just had a very impressive opening at the US box office

The Disney Animation title soars to $232.5 million worldwide; elsewhere, ‘London Has Fallen’ lags behind its predecessor, while Tina Fey’s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups struggle.

The renaissance continues for the house that Walt built.

Over the weekend, Zootopia — buoyed by glowing reviews and an A CinemaScore — launched to a record $73.7 million from 3,827 theaters in North America, the top showing ever for Disney Animation Studios and the top March debut for an animated title, besting Dr. Suess’ The Lorax ($70.2 million). To boot, it’s the No. 4 March opening for any film, behind The Hunger Games ($152.5 million) and two Disney live-action titles, Alice in Wonderland ($116.1 million) and Oz The Great and Powerful ($79.1 million).

Disney Animation’s previous biggest opening belonged to the 2013 blockbuster Frozen ($67.4 million).

Zootopia is also huge overseas, where it began rolling out two weeks ago. The family film took in another $63.4 million this weekend — including $24 million in China, the biggest opening ever for a Disney Animation or Pixar release — putting its foreign total at $158.8 million and worldwide haul at $232.5 million. Imax theaters, not exactly known for family films, turned in an impressive $8.5 million globally.

Set in a city of anthropomorphic animals, Zootopia tells the story of a rookie bunny cop who teams up with a fugitive fox to uncover a conspiracy. Byron Howard and Rich Moore directed the animated film, which features the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba and Jenny Slate.

The reinvention of Disney Animation Studios began when Disney bought Pixar and put Pixar’s John Lasseter and Ed Catmull in charge of all animation efforts. Tangled, released in 2010, was the first title released under their tenure, followed by Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen and Big Hero 6.

“John and Ed have installed a culture of high-quality, filmmaker-driven movies,” says Disney distribution chief Dave Hollis, adding that Zootopia will benefit from there being no other new family films until fellow Disney title The Jungle Book hits theaters April 15.

Adds box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian: “Disney Animation Studios has really come into its own, with a specific identity and point of view that is separate and distinctive from the ubiquitous Pixar brand yet offers a diversity of content that has proven irresistible to family audiences.”

Disney does not reveal budgets for its animated films, but Wreck-It Ralph and Big Hero 6 cost roughly $165 million to make.

Zootopia easily placed No. 1 at the worldwide box office, ending Deadpool‘s three-week reign. Deadpool still had plenty to celebrate as it zoomed past the $300 million mark in North America, earning $16.3 million from 3,624 theaters in its fourth weekend for a domestic total of $311.2 million through Sunday. Overseas, its weekend take was $21.2 million for a foreign cume of $362 million and worldwide total of $673.2 million.

www.hollywoodreporter.com