Some of the biggest animated films have made more than just a splash at the box office. A universal medium capable of succeeding on a global scale, the biggest animated movies of all time have proven more then capable of matching their live-action counterparts in terms of raw success. While Walt Disney Animation and its subsidiary Pixar have historically dominated the box office rankings for animated projects, other studios like Illumination have also done well. That’s on top of the sheer success of the Chinese film Ne Zha 2, which is already set to be one of the most successful films of 2025, even though it released in January.
Here’s a break down of the highest grossing animated films of all time, and where to find them on apps like Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+, and beyond!
Ne Zha 2 (2025)
The most successful animated film of all time at the box office, Ne Zha 2 has blown up on the global market in a way that few other films can match. The film takes inspiration from Xu Zhonglin's 16th-century novel, Investiture of the Gods, along with plenty of figures from Chinese mythology. The film follows Ne Zha and Ao Bing as they embark on an adventure to restore their bodies after the events of 2019’s Ne Zha.
At the time of writing, the film has earned $2,170,500,000 at the box office. Ne Zha 2 is already the fifth most successful film of all time, and the first animated film to reach $2 billion at the box office. The fact that most of these earnings were collected in China makes the success all the more impressive.
Inside Out 2 (2024)
Inside Out 2 is the sequel to Inside Out, which had a solid presence at the box office when it debuted in 2015. However, Inside Out 2 exceeded that success on a truly massive scale. The film revisits Riley and her internal emotions—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust—as she heads to a hockey camp. Torn between her friends and the girls she wants to impress, Riley's emotions are confronted by a new group of characters, led by the well-meaning Anxiety, who quickly throw their status quo out of whack.
An empathetic film that blends the best of Pixar's emotional and comedic impulses, Inside Out 2 was a massive win at the box office $1,698,863,816, making it the most successful animated film from an American film studio. The success was enough to earn Inside Out 2 the best global gross of any film released in 2024.
The Lion King (2019)
Quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon and a box office juggernaut, 1994's The Lion King stands out as one of the most iconic of the Walt Disney Animation roster of films. The animated musical about a lion cub who must realize his destiny and become the King he was born to be wasn't expected to be a smash hit by the studio, but the infectious songs, sharp animation, and strong writing make it one of the best animated films of all time.
However, the 2019 CGI remake, The Lion King, financially surpassed the beloved classic, earning $1,656,943,394 at the box office. The film remains a massive success for the studio, even if it holds the title as one of its most expensive films, too.
Frozen 2 (2019)
The 2019 sequel to Frozen might not have been able to match the critical heights of the previous film, but the anticipation leading up to its release helped it catapult beyond the first film in terms of raw box office success. Earning $1,450,026,933 by the end of its theatrical run, Frozen 2 expanded the scope of the original film by adventuring to beautiful new lands, establishing new powers, and reckoning with past crimes in their family line.
The stars of the first film return for the second with more complex motivations, as well as songs that may not have become as famous as “Let It Go” but are ultimately just as catchy. With Frozen 3 on the way, it remains to be seen if Frozen 2 will remain the most successful entry in the series.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Based on one of the most iconic video game franchises of all time, The Super Mario Bros. Movie took inspiration from the series and embraced the bright visuals and charming worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom to great success. Bolstered by an all-star cast including Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya-Taylor Joy, Seth Rogen, Jack Black, and Keegan-Michael Key, the film is a bright and often silly adventure across colorful worlds.
Although The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a mixed critical reception, the film was a huge success at the box office, earning $1,362,566,989 at the global box office. A somewhat slight but consistently entertaining film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is an absolute blast that also earned Illumination its best-ever box office results. That success also setting up more videogame adaptations from Nintendo, with a cinematic version of The Legend of Zelda and a The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 currently in development.
Frozen (2013)
When it debuted in theaters in 2013, Frozen became a genuine phenomenon in a way that few animated films ever have. A classic Disney princess musical produced with modern visual effects, Frozen’s true strength lies in the pitch-perfect casting of Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, who bring a wealth of humor and heart to the project. Menzel, in particular, was able to use her Broadway experience to deliver an all-time great soundtrack, with the signature song “Let It Go” becoming a globally recognized anthem of the year.
Earning a host of awards as well as $1,290,000,000 at the box office, Frozen is one of the biggest triumphs in Walt Disney Animation history. While two other films from the studio surpassed Frozen’s amazing box office, the impact the film had on the studio and culture at large makes it one of the most important animated films of the 21st century.
Incredibles 2 (2018)
The sequel to one of Pixar’s most critically acclaimed films, Incredibles 2 was able to build on the lingering legacy of that film to achieve massive success for the studio. The sequel revisits the superpowered Parr family, who now struggle with the ramifications of resuming their heroic activities. As the spotlight shifts to Elasti-Girl and away from Mr. Incredible, the film tackles a number of clever subversions of the superhero genre all while remaining witty, silly, and emotionally resonant.
While many of the Pixar sequels fail to match the critical heights of their predecessors, Incredibles 2 took in some of the best reviews of 2018. Earning $1,243,225,667 at the box office, as well as an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Incredibles 2 remains the second-highest grossing Pixar film of all time and is set to get another continuation in the form of the confirmed Incredibles 3.
Minions (2015)
One of two Illumination movies in the top ten grossing animated films of all time, Minions is the most successful of the Despicable Me franchise. While most of the films in the series focus on the supervillain-turned-unlikely-paternal-figure Gru and his adopted family, the breakout stars of the franchise are the Minions, a group of silly yellow goofballs working for Gru.
After becoming increasingly prominent in tie-in materials, the Minions got their own showcase in 2015’s Minions. The film earned $1,159,457,503 at the box office, ensuring more film appearances for the characters in both their own series, the base-line Despicable Me movies, and plenty of tie-in merchandise. While Minions has been overtaken by several other films, it’s worth noting that the Despicable Me series as a whole is among the most profitable single film franchises ever, earning a total gross of $5,619,819,622 over the course of six movies.
Toy Story 4 (2019)
Bringing back the Toy Story gang for a new feature-length adventure after a number of well-received TV specials, Toy Story 4 surged to an impressive haul at the box office. Earning $1,073,394,593 in 2019, Toy Story 4 confirmed that the major characters from Pixar still had a lot of life left in them. The film was designed as a true finale for the series, focusing on Woody and Buzz’s diverging paths after Woody gets lost alongside a newly created toy named Forky.
Of course, that hasn’t stopped Pixar and Disney from moving forward with another film in the series. An overall sillier film than most of the series, thanks in large part to scene-stealing supporting roles from Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, and Keanu Reeves, Toy Story 4 doesn’t reinvent the wheel but has a lot of fun playing with it
Toy Story 3 (2010)
The tenth highest-grossing animated film of all time, Toy Story 3 is also the only one of the films on this list to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The ending of an era for Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the iconic Pixar characters, Toy Story 3 focuses on the group coming to terms with Andy growing up and moving past them. It is also a jailbreak film, like The Great Escape, turning Buzz into a Latin charmer and featuring one of the most harrowing climaxes of any movie ever made.
Earning $1,066,970,811 at the global box office in 2010, Toy Story 3 initially seemed like an impressive and fitting conclusion to the franchise, only for Disney and Pixar to return to that same well nearly a decade later to more impressive results.
Where To Watch The Highest-Grossing Animated Films Of All Time
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