In the 2025 box office a Chinese animation didn’t just compete with Hollywood blockbusters, it demolished them, claiming the top spot.
Ne Zha 2 grossed $2.2 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2025 and the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time. It’s the first animated film to cross $2 billion, the highest-grossing non-English-language release ever, and it accomplished all this in just 39 days. Disney’s Zootopia 2 ($1.7 billion) and James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash ($1.3 billion) made animation own the entire year.
Global box office reached $33.5 billion, up 12% from 2024, though the numbers tell a more complex story. International markets, particularly China, drove the surge while North American theatres remained essentially flat at $8.65 billion. Three of the top four earners were animated features.
Top 10 Highest-Grossing Films Of 2025
| Rank | Film | Worldwide | Domestic (US/Canada) | International | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ne Zha 2 | $2.26B | $23.3M | $2.24B | $80M |
| 2 | Zootopia 2 | $1.71B | $378.8M | $1.28B | $150M |
| 3 | Avatar: Fire and Ash* | $1.32B | $367.4M | $955.3M | $350-400M |
| 4 | Lilo & Stitch | $1.04B | $423.8M | $614.2M | $150M |
| 5 | A Minecraft Movie | $958.3M | $424.1M | $534.2M | $150M |
| 6 | Jurassic World: Rebirth | $869.1M | $339.6M | $529.5M | $200M |
| 7 | Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle | $780M | $134.5M | $645M | Undisclosed |
| 8 | How to Train Your Dragon | $636.4M | $263M | $373.4M | $100M |
| 9 | F1 | $631.7M | $189.6M | $442.1M | $300M+ |
| 10 | Superman | $616.8M | $354.2M | $262.6M | $225M |
* Avatar: Fire and Ash is Still in theatrical release as of January 19, 2026
10. Superman
Global Box Office: $616.8 Million
DC Studios made its boldest move in years with Superman, a complete reboot that finally buried the old continuity for good. Written and directed by James Gunn, the film brought Clark Kent back to basics, wrestling with his alien ancestry and human ideals in a world that feared the very power it needed him to wield.
David Corenswet took over the cape, flanked by Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The performances brought earnest energy to a story that critics described as emotionally coherent, though some noted the narrative felt crowded within its two-hour runtime. Drawing heavily from the comics’ early tone while reworking its framework for modern audiences, the film laid the foundation for a ten-year cinematic strategy.
Superman finished with $354.2 million from North America and $262.6 million internationally. It became the highest-grossing superhero film of 2025 and the first DC project to outperform all Marvel titles in the same calendar year since The Dark Knight in 2008. Warner Bros. quickly approved a sequel, Man of Tomorrow, scheduled for July 9, 2027.
Estimated Budget: $225 million
Domestic: $354.2M | International: $262.6M | Total: $616.8M
9. F1
Global Box Office: $631.7 Million
Formula 1 roared onto screens with F1, a sleek standalone drama that traded franchise formulas for full-throttle character storytelling. Brad Pitt played a veteran racer haunted by past glories, while Damson Idris delivered raw ambition as the hungry newcomer. Their charged chemistry pushed the story into high gear, with racing sequences pulled straight from the real F1 calendar featuring official teams and drivers, including producer Lewis Hamilton.
Unlike every other top-grossing film of 2025, F1 wasn’t based on pre-existing intellectual property. That made it the only original title among the year’s highest earners. Fueled by a $300 million budget, the film raced to $631.7 million globally, with $189.6 million from North America and $442.1 million internationally. It became Apple Studios’ highest-grossing film, proving original storytelling could still compete in a franchise-dominated landscape.
Estimated Budget: $300 million
Domestic: $189.6M | International: $442.1M | Total: $631.7M
8. How To Train Your Dragon
Global Box Office: $636.4 Million
DreamWorks reimagined its most beloved animated saga in live-action form, turning dragons, Vikings, and sky-soaring emotion into a tactile world rendered with scale and sincerity. The plot follows Hiccup, a young Viking who secretly befriends a Night Fury dragon named Toothless in a village where people believe dragons are dangerous enemies.
To capture lifelike chemistry between human characters and dragon counterparts, puppets were used during filming to inform eye lines and body movement. VFX teams later replaced them with detailed CG creatures that retained the emotion and energy of grounded performances. Forbes reported that Universal spent over $50 million during pre-production alone, with the total budget reaching $150 million.
The live-action remake earned $263 million in the United States and Canada and $373.4 million from other territories, reaching a global total of $636.4 million. As DreamWorks’ first live-action adaptation, it meant that the studio’s animated properties still attract strong theatrical interest. A sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2, is scheduled for 2027.
Estimated Budget: $150 million
Domestic: $263M | International: $373.4M | Total: $636.4M
7. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle
Global Box Office: $780 Million
Demon Slayer made its theatrical return with Infinity Castle, the first in a trilogy meant to conclude the anime’s story through theatrical releases. As a direct continuation of the fourth season, the film plunges the Demon Slayer Corps into Muzan Kibutsuji’s sprawling fortress, where every clash is driven by finality and sacrifice.
The combat sequences had razor-sharp animation choreography and large-scale visuals, with Ufotable’s animation team developing new sequences with more detailed motion and deeper colour. Critics awarded it 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, praising the fight direction, musical cues, and framing as “a stirring beginning to this franchise’s bloody climax.”
The film opened in Japan on July 18, 2025 with the biggest single-day gross in Japanese cinema history. Its U.S. opening of $70 million set records for both international films and R-rated animated features. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle earned $780 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing Japanese film and anime film of all time. It earned $134.5 million domestically and $645 million internationally, with two more films expected to complete the trilogy by 2027.
Estimated Budget: $20 million
Domestic: $134.5M | International: $645M | Total: $780M
6. Jurassic World Rebirth
Global Box Office: $869.1 Million
Thirty-two years after Steven Spielberg’s original roared through theatres, Jurassic World Rebirth returned the franchise to its primal roots with fresh faces and revised terrain. Scarlett Johansson headlined as Zora Bennett, a hardened mercenary hired to lead a mission into dinosaur territory, tasked with retrieving DNA samples from the planet’s largest living predators.
The story abandoned the previous trilogy’s continuity entirely, launching a new storyline filled with territorial showdowns and bioengineered chaos. Set pieces leaned into suspense and claustrophobia, with jungle chases and containment breaches recalling the franchise’s earlier survivalist instincts. The imagery called back to earlier entries, but the script traded glossy spectacle for grounded tension and reduced emphasis on corporate subplots.
Rebirth earned $339.6 million in the United States and Canada and $529.5 million internationally, for a global total of $869.1 million. It became the first Jurassic World entry to fall short of the billion-dollar mark, but turnout still pointed to strong audience curiosity. The franchise showed it could pull a crowd, even without record-breaking numbers.
Estimated Budget: $200 million
Domestic: $339.6M | International: $529.5M | Total: $869.1M
5. A Minecraft Movie
Global Box Office: $958.3 Million
The internet tore into A Minecraft Movie long before release, with early trailers mocked for uncanny visuals and a storyline that looked cribbed from a dozen other scripts. Based on the bestselling sandbox video game, the story centres on a makeshift band of builders and explorers navigating a blocky open world where every obstacle must be mined, crafted, or avoided through strategy.
Jack Black and Jason Momoa took on lead roles, playing eccentric characters who inhabit the world with mismatched energy and chaotic charm. Their chemistry provided much of the film’s humour, supported by a script that stitched comedic timing into pixelated set pieces. Audience reaction evolved quickly, as the film’s ironic hype turned into widespread attendance driven by viral engagement and curiosity.
A Minecraft Movie grossed $424 million in the United States and Canada and $534 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $958.3 million. That made it the second-highest-grossing video game film of all time, with the sequel now in development. Critics remained divided on its storytelling and adherence to source material, though many praised its visual presentation for effectively capturing the original game’s style.
Estimated Budget: $150 million
Domestic: $424.1M | International: $534.2M | Total: $958.3M
4. Lilo & Stitch
Global Box Office: $1.04 Billion
With remake burnout hanging over the release calendar, Lilo & Stitch tore through expectations with a disarming crowd-pleaser that gave Disney its first real pulse in months. The film retells the 2002 animated story of a young Hawaiian girl who forges an unlikely bond with an alien creature engineered for destruction, while government agents and galactic enforcers try to tear them apart.
Character design adapted Stitch’s animated features into a textured digital model, with movement captured through practical puppetry during filming. Disney retained much of the first film’s dialogue, updating key scenes with subtle tonal adjustments and expanded character beats. The narrative balances familial loyalty and emotional growth with comic science fiction chaos, mirroring the original’s tone while reworking its structure for new audiences.
The project faced early doubt stemming from Snow White’s poor box office performance, but interest grew after favourable preview screenings and a surge in nostalgic engagement online. Lilo & Stitch set the biggest Memorial Day opening ever at $146 million, eventually earning $423.8 million domestically and $614.2 million internationally for a worldwide total of $1.04 billion. Disney announced that a sequel based on Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch was in development.
Estimated Budget: $150 million
Domestic: $423.8M | International: $614.2M | Total: $1.04B
3. Avatar: Fire And Ash
Global Box Office: $1.32 Billion
Avatar: Fire and Ash widened the scope of James Cameron’s sci-fi saga while returning to its earliest conflicts, revisiting the Sully family’s fight for survival through newly scorched territory. Set after The Way of Water, the film finds Jake Sully and Neytiri preparing their family for full-scale war against Colonel Quaritch and the newly introduced Ash People, a Na’vi tribe that’s rejected Eywa and allied with the RDA.
Production moved forward only after years of technological hurdles, as underwater motion capture pushed timelines and the franchise ballooned into a five-film saga with planetary ambition. With a reported production cost of at least $350 million, Fire and Ash became one of the most expensive films ever released. The film is dedicated to producer Jon Landau, who passed away in 2024.
Critical reception proved more mixed than its predecessors at 69% on Rotten Tomatoes, with consensus noting it “repeats the narrative beats” while delivering “one-of-a-kind thrills.” The film opened December 19, 2025 to a thunderous international response, earning over $760 million within its first two weekends. Still in theatrical release as of January 2026, Avatar: Fire and Ash has earned $367.4 million domestically and $955.3 million internationally for a worldwide total of $1.32 billion.
Estimated Budget: $350-400 million
Domestic: $367.4M | International: $955.3M | Total: $1.32B
2. Zootopia 2
Global Box Office: $1.71 Billion
Nearly a decade after the first film, Zootopia 2 barrels back into the bustling metropolis where mammals of every species coexist under one sprawling skyline. The sequel reunited Jason Bateman’s Nick Wilde and Ginnifer Goodwin’s Judy Hopps in a new case that pulled them into a citywide chase for Gary De’Snake, a venomous fugitive voiced by Ke Huy Quan.
Directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard reunited the original cast, including Shakira, Idris Elba, and Jenny Slate. New voices like Quinta Brunson as quokka therapist Dr. Fuzzby and Andy Samberg brought unfiltered chaos to a supporting cast already packed with quick gags and pointed social commentary. The film balanced fast-paced detective action with a subplot that further developed Nick and Judy’s reluctant partnership into a dependable alliance.
Zootopia 2 arrived November 26, 2025 and immediately became Disney Animation’s highest-grossing film ever. With an opening of $158.8 million in North America and $560 million globally, the film achieved the highest worldwide debut for an animated release and the fourth-highest for any film. Critics awarded it 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, praising its “crackerjack caper” and buddy dynamic. The sequel earned $378.8 million domestically and $1.28 billion internationally, making it the third-highest-grossing animated film of all time.
Estimated Budget: $150 million
Domestic: $378.8M | International: $1.28B | Total: $1.71B
1. Ne Zha 2
Global Box Office: $2.26 Billion
Ne Zha 2 pulled myth into motion, turning a domestic legend into a billion-dollar spectacle that unsettled old industry hierarchies and forced a recalibration of animated storytelling’s global reach. Released on January 29, 2025, the first day of Chinese New Year, director Jiaozi’s sequel follows the reincarnated warrior Ne Zha and Ao Bing as spirits struggling to rebuild their physical forms using the mystical Seven-Colored Precious Lotus, battling celestial forces and the Mangkwan clan.
The film was crafted with a budget of $80 million by over 4,000 artists across 138 animation studios. Through dense storylines filled with celestial politics and divine warfare, the sequel maintains an emphasis on narrative over visual spectacle, with critics highlighting the script’s efficiency and thematic clarity. Rotten Tomatoes scores reached 91% from critics and 98% from audiences, with consensus praising its “hyperactive sense of humour” and visual spectacle.
Ne Zha 2 accomplished what no non-American, non-English-language film had done before. It became the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time, the first animated film to cross $2 billion, and set records as the highest-grossing animated title, the top non-English-language release, and the biggest earner ever in a single market. The film earned 97-98% of its total from China alone, with 324 million admissions. It also became the highest-grossing IMAX animated release at $164 million.
The animated fantasy adventure shattered records at unprecedented pace. By day three, it had passed 1 billion yuan. By day 11, it broke the single-territory record previously held by Star Wars: The Force Awakens. On day 21, it became the highest-grossing animated film ever, surpassing Inside Out 2. By day 39, it crossed $2 billion. The English-dubbed version, distributed by A24 with Michelle Yeoh in the voice cast, released in August 2025.
With China closing in on the U.S. as the dominant box office force, the breakout success of Ne Zha 2 hints at a future where global blockbusters no longer rely exclusively on American productions. The film earned $23.3 million domestically and $2.24 billion internationally for a worldwide total of $2.26 billion.
Estimated Budget: $80 million
Domestic: $23.3M | International: $2.24B | Total: $2.26B
Wrap Up
Three of the top four earners were animated features, with Chinese animation claiming the crown. Disney led all studios with $6.58 billion worldwide and 27.5% domestic market share, its first year crossing $6 billion since 2019. However, Marvel struggled considerably, with 2025 marking the first year since 2020 without a Marvel title in the global top ten.
Warner Bros. achieved a remarkable turnaround with $4.4 billion worldwide, up 33% from 2024. The studio set an unprecedented record with seven consecutive films earning $40 million-plus domestic openings. Universal experienced a relative down year at $3.89 billion, while Sony found success through its Crunchyroll anime division, positioning anime as a theatrical pillar rather than alternative content.
The 2025 box office represents a watershed moment in global cinema. Ne Zha 2’s $2.2 billion means that non-Hollywood content can compete at the highest commercial level, something no non-English-language animated film had achieved before.
