March 17, 2026, 6:25 am | Read time: 9 minutes
Computer-animated family films have long been the standard in theaters. They generate significant revenue at the box office. TECHBOOK presents the most successful animated films in this category to date.
What would you guess: Which is the most successful animated film? “The Lion King”? “Snow White”? Or perhaps a more recent production like “Tangled” or “Frozen”? Success in this context refers to how much the films have grossed at the box office. And here’s a hint: The winners can certainly compete with the most successful films of all genres.
Overview
Rank 1: Ne Zha 2
Box Office: $2.26 billion
Never heard of “Ne Zha 2”? You’re not alone. It’s a Chinese production. Nevertheless, the film broke records, grossing approximately $2.6 billion, more than enough to secure the top spot among the most successful animated films of all time. It also became the most successful non-English language title.
“Ne Zha 2” is the sequel to the 2019 hit. It follows a boy who battles dragons. After his last adventure, his soul was saved, but his body was destroyed. However, that doesn’t have to be the end.
Rank 2: Zootopia 2
Box Office: $1.8 billion
The first “Zootopia” became a billion-dollar hit in 2016, grossing just over $1 billion worldwide and rightfully landing at number 14 on our list. But the 2025 sequel took it up a notch: “Zootopia 2” surpassed its predecessor by nearly $800 million, reaching $1.8 billion at the box office, according to “Box Office Mojo.”
Former con artist Nick Wilde (a fox) and Judy Hopps (a rabbit) are now partners in crime-fighting. However, things aren’t going smoothly between them, so they’re sent to partner therapy. But then the venomous snake Gary shakes up Zootopia, and Nick and Judy must embark on a dangerous undercover mission.
Rank 3: Inside Out 2
Box Office: $1.69 billion
For five years, “Frozen 2” held the top spot on the list of the most successful animated films. But in 2024, “Inside Out 2” came along and took the pole position. With a worldwide box office of about $1.69 billion, the sequel was number 1 for a while.
The film is more emotional than ever, as Riley enters puberty, and emotions run wild–with new ones joining in. Joy, Sadness, Anger, and Disgust are now joined by Doubt, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui, and chaos is inevitable. This causes Riley to change, leading her on an emotional rollercoaster ride.
Rank 4: Frozen 2
Box Office: $1.45 billion
The first “Frozen” was a massive success, followed by waves of Elsa and Anna merchandise, toys, clothing, cakes, and magazines for fans of all ages. But the 2019 sequel “Frozen 2” topped it. The film grossed $1.45 billion worldwide, according to “The Numbers.” It ranks 16th among all films, surpassing heavyweights like “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” and the MCU gem “Black Panther.”
“Frozen” has little to do with Hans Christian Andersen’s original fairy tale “The Snow Queen.” After sisters Anna and Elsa reunited in the first film, powerful spirits from the past now threaten the people of the kingdom of Arendelle. A mysterious voice calls Elsa, and she follows it into an enchanted forest in the north, where she is to learn the truth about her special gift.
Rank 5: Super Mario Bros. Movie
Box Office: $1.36 billion
Few doubted that the 2023 “Super Mario” film would be a success. But not everyone dared to hope it would become one of the most successful animated films ever. With $1.36 billion, it ranks high. Aside from the first “Frozen” and “Zootopia,” “Super Mario Bros” is the only film among the top ranks that isn’t a direct sequel or spin-off of another film. However, it’s fair to say that the many generations of Super Mario fans certainly contributed to the film’s success.
Here’s the plot: The spiky supervillain Bowser is preparing his armies to take over the Mushroom Kingdom–or destroy it if Princess Peach refuses to marry him. She, of course, has her own plans to fend off the invader. Unexpectedly, brothers Mario and Luigi find themselves in this high-stakes chaos, as they were only trying to fix a sewer pipe in Brooklyn. But Luigi falls into Bowser’s hands through this portal, so Mario must pull out all the stops to prevent a disaster.
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Rank 6: Frozen
Box Office: $1.28 billion
Released in 2013, “Frozen” is a modern fairy tale about trust and sisterhood. Elsa and Anna, the two princesses of Arendelle, grow up largely isolated and lonely in their castle. Their parents died in a shipwreck at sea, and Elsa possesses magical abilities she can barely control: She can create and shape snow and ice at will. Instead of learning to manage her powers, Elsa did everything to suppress them–a mistake that comes to a head on her coronation day, threatening to turn the entire kingdom into a deadly world of snow and ice. Although the sequel was even more successful, the first part managed to gross a proud $1.28 billion.
Rank 7: Incredibles 2
Box Office: $1.24 billion
“Incredibles 2” grossed $1.24 billion. Mom has a new job (as a superhero)–so who will take care of the family? Certainly not the completely overwhelmed father, Bob Parr? The film gets an absurdly funny twist with the awakening of baby Jack-Jack’s powers, which are completely wild and unpredictable. But when a supervillain emerges, the family must stick together.
Rank 8: Minions
Box Office: $1.16 billion
Honestly, they won our hearts in the first “Despicable Me.” When they got their own film, their origin story if you will, in 2015, it was bound to be a success. It grossed $1.16 billion.
After searching in vain for an evil boss to serve since the dawn of evolution, the Minions retreat into a cave and fall into depression. But things can’t go on like this, so three of them–Kevin, Stuart, and Bob–are sent out to find a new boss. The fact that the Minions have regularly and sometimes inadvertently eliminated their beloved villains doesn’t bode well for this last endeavor.
Rank 9: Toy Story 4
Box Office: $1.07 billion
What began in 1995 as the first fully computer-generated feature film for theaters celebrated its biggest box office success with “Toy Story 4” in 2019. But the fifth installment is already planned. Who knows, maybe the $1.07 billion box office can be topped?
Andy, long past the toy age, passed cowboy Woody and space ranger Buzz Lightyear on to little Bonnie. That’s a change the two must first come to terms with. But then Bonnie brings a new friend into the nursery: Forky. Forky is different from the other toys, not only because Bonnie made him herself and he used to be a fork. No, Forky himself is convinced he’s not a toy but trash. Woody can’t let that stand and takes on the new companion with an identity crisis.
Rank 10: Toy Story 3
Box Office: $1.069 billion
“Toy Story 3” (2010) is almost as successful at the box office as its sequel nine years later, with $1.069 billion. Andy is off to college. Catastrophic news for the toys, who lead a secret life in his absence. But the real horror is yet to come, as Woody, Buzz, and their friends end up in a daycare center. Here, playtime means war. An escape plan is needed!
Rank 11: Moana 2
Box Office: $1.059 billion
Sequels often don’t fare as well with critics as their predecessors. But because they continue to gain new fans over the years, it’s quite common for sequels to perform significantly better at the box office. Such is the case with “Moana 2.” It took a full eight years for Disney to commit to a new story about the titular heroine. The endeavor paid off: “Moana 2” grossed $1.059 billion worldwide.
Moana is searching for other peoples. One day, she receives a message from her ancestors with a goal, prompting her to set sail again. However, the storm god Nalo throws a wrench in her plans, so Moana hopes that demigod Maui will once again be by her side.
Rank 12: Despicable Me 3
Box Office: $1.03 billion
Gru could be related to the Grinch. He hates everything normal people find beautiful, pleasant, or desirable. No wonder, since Gru is–or rather, was–a supervillain. Loyal by his side are a horde of yellow Minions, his three adopted daughters, and his girlfriend Lucy. Together, they work for the Anti-Villain League–at least until Gru’s eccentric twin brother comes into the picture. Suddenly, Gru faces a whole new kind of family conflict. The third installment of the “Despicable Me” series (2017) with the lovable grump lags financially behind the “Minions,” but still managed to gross $1.03 billion.
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Rank 13: Finding Dory
Box Office: $1.029 billion
“I remembered something!” When Dory, the fish with no short-term memory, says that, you can expect quite a bit. But this time it’s different: Dory remembers her parents, who must still be out there somewhere. So Marlin, Nemo, and Dory embark on the next adventurous search. In 2016, a good 13 years after the children’s classic “Finding Nemo,” we finally learn Dory’s story, which (by the way) grossed about $1.029 billion, according to Box Office Mojo. Was the lovable blue tang always this forgetful? And how does she know how to speak whale?
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Rank 14: Zootopia
Box Office: $1.025 billion
“Zootopia” tells the unlikely friendship between a rabbit and a fox. And the even more unlikely career of said rabbit in the big city police force. Judy Hopps never imagined she’d get help from a cunning petty criminal on her all-important case. Since its release in 2016, the film has grossed about $1.025 billion in theaters.