Nine years after its debut, Disney’s animated film Zootopia is finally getting a sequel. One week before its theatrical release on November 26, Disney held a global celebration for Zootopia 2 on November 18 at Shanghai Disney Resort. 36Kr was invited to attend the China premiere as part of the media and viewed the film in advance.
Even with the success of the first film setting a high bar, the sequel holds its own, according to 36Kr. Zootopia remains the colorful, joke-filled world audiences first encountered nine years ago. Disney has again created an intricate mammalian metropolis with broader species diversity and a larger sense of scale. Director Jared Bush also responds directly to fans’ hopes that Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps’ on-screen relationship might progress, weaving in humor and emotional beats that push their dynamic forward.
When the end credits song began and the stinger appeared, 36Kr noted that the audience at the Walt Disney Grand Theatre in Shanghai erupted into three rounds of whistles and applause.
Whether Zootopia 2 succeeds carries weight not only for Disney but also for the broader theatrical market. China’s annual box office has already surpassed the same period in 2024, but it still trails 2021 and 2023 and remains far below the four years before the pandemic. Nearly one-third of this year’s RMB 45 billion (USD 6.3 billion) box office comes from a single film: Ne Zha 2.
Testing China once again
How seriously is Disney taking the performance of Zootopia 2 in China? Signals emerged at the Shanghai premiere on November 18, when Disney CEO Bob Iger appeared in person. It is the only film in recent years for which the CEO has traveled internationally. His previous trip to Shanghai was in 2023 for the opening ceremony of Shanghai Disneyland’s Zootopia-themed land.
Joining Iger at the park were Jared Bush, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios; producer Yvett Merino; Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan, who voices the new character Gary De’Snake; and the film’s Chinese voice cast: Zhang Zhen (Nick Wilde), Ji Guanlin (Judy Hopps), Da Peng (Gary De’Snake), Fei Xiang (Brian Winddancer), Jin Chen (Nibbles Maplestick), and Wang Anyu (Pawbert Lynxley).
The CEO’s appearance is only one part of a broader promotional push. Disney began early promotions 18 months ago, screening teaser footage at D23 and releasing its first poster. Six months before release, Disney intensified the rollout with trailers and short videos. Several surpassed three million views on Bilibili and four million likes on Douyin. Disney also worked with Shanghai Animation Film Studio on a promotional short video.
One to three months before release, the campaign shifted toward immersion. Disney released a faster-paced, more emotionally driven final trailer. Shanghai Disneyland’s Zootopia land updated character costumes and interactions. Judy and Nick appeared in new outfits with more intimate greetings, fueling speculation about their relationship arc. Other Disney parks worldwide opened temporary experience zones marking the sequel’s arrival.
Shanghai Disneyland remains home to the world’s first and currently only land themed after Zootopia. Chinese audiences rated the first film 9.3 on Douban and contributed more than RMB 1.5 billion (USD 210 million) to its box office, making it the highest-grossing imported animated film in mainland China. It is arguably Disney’s most China-aligned animated IP in recent years.
Disney’s investment in Zootopia 2 also reflects Hollywood’s challenges in China. Imported films have entered a period where volume outweighs box office value. Between 2020–2022, fewer than 20 US films were imported each year. This year, the number rose to 32, but the results remain weak. From January to September, even with more US titles released, their collective box office share declined. Only Jurassic World: Rebirth surpassed RMB 500 million (USD 70 million).
Several Disney films also failed to pass China’s tightened import approvals, and those that did often underperformed, including The Little Mermaid, The Marvels, and Elemental.
Viewing preferences appear to be diverging between China and the US. Inside Out 2 was the world’s highest-grossing film of 2024 with around USD 1.7 billion globally. The US contributed USD 653 million, while China accounted for only USD 47.4 million. Similarly, Dune: Part Two ranked seventh globally with USD 714.6 million, including USD 282.1 million from the US but just USD 49 million from China.
In November, Lighthouse Research & Advisory published an online survey showing that 32% of Chinese audiences now prefer domestic films, nearly matching the 31% who prefer Hollywood titles. Meanwhile, 65% said they are watching more Chinese films, compared with only 35% who reported watching more Hollywood releases.
Have movie theaters found a savior?
For China’s movie theaters, Zootopia 2 could be the shot of energy they need.
According to Beacon Pro, the first ten months of the year were dominated by Ne Zha 2, which generated RMB 15.446 billion (USD 2.2 billion), accounting for nearly one-third of all box office revenue. Detective Chinatown 1900, in second place, trails far behind. Only seven films exceeded RMB 1 billion (USD 140 million) and only three surpassed RMB 2 billion (USD 280 million). Without Ne Zha 2, the theatrical landscape would look far weaker.
Meanwhile, the number of operating cinemas reached a record 13,400 nationwide, with 108 million screenings. Yet the number of films surpassing RMB 100 million (USD 14 million) is at its lowest in years. As more screens open and fewer hits emerge, theater owners face shrinking margins and tougher operating conditions.
A more concerning trend is the loss of younger viewers. According to TopCDB, in 2025 the share of viewers aged 25 and under dropped to a new low. Few films cater directly to younger audiences, and among those that surpassed RMB 500 million (USD 70 million), only The Legend of Hei 2 and Detective Chinatown 1900 had youth audiences making up more than 20%.
Shortform videos and dramas are drawing attention away from cinemas. TopCDB reported that the short drama market surged in the past two years, reaching RMB 48.46 billion (USD 6.8 billion) last year, more than triple its size from two years earlier.
When Zootopia premiered in 2016, a third-year middle schooler could enjoy it as a tween. Nine years later, that same viewer may now be an office worker with a stable income. Whether Zootopia 2 can bring younger audiences back to theaters may be the question exhibitors care about most.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Wang Yuchan for 36Kr.