What Zootopia 2's $1.7 Billion Reveals About Disney's Untouchable Moat

Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) CEO Bob Iger revealed a stunning statistic during the company's first-quarter net telephone connected Monday morning. Of the 60 films that person generated astatine slightest $1 cardinal successful container bureau receipts, Disney's studios are liable for 37 billion-dollar blockbusters. That's much than 60% of each billion-dollar films and 4 times Disney's nearest competitor.

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Zootopia 2 is 1 of the latest billion-dollar films from Disney, grossing $1.7 cardinal successful summons income and cementing its presumption arsenic the top-grossing animated movie of each time. Disney's films generated $6.5 cardinal successful cumulative container bureau income successful 2025, its third-best twelvemonth ever.

Disney has a beardown lineup for 2026 arsenic well, with Toy Story 5 and Avengers: Doomsday headlining its merchandise schedule. While the institution volition apt person different large twelvemonth astatine the container office, the worth of its movie franchises extends good beyond summons sales.

Zootopia 2, the latest Avatar movie, and galore of Disney's different caller blockbusters aren't disposable connected the Disney+ streaming work yet. However, those movies are inactive driving viewership. Iger noted that the anterior Zootopia and Avatar movies that are disposable are racking up streams and viewing hours.

These are aged movies. The archetypal Zootopia came retired successful 2016, and the archetypal Avatar movie was released successful 2009. Despite their age, the occurrence of the latest iterations of these franchises astatine the container bureau is driving viewers to Disney+ and astir surely contributing to subscriber gains. Disney stopped disclosing subscriber counts, but streaming gross roseate by 11% twelvemonth implicit twelvemonth successful the archetypal quarter.

The occurrence of Zootopia 2 besides contributed to Disney's parks business. Disney Shanghai has Zootopia Land, and Iger noted that a important percent of visitors travel to the parkland solely for Zootopia. The World of Frozen, based connected Disney's wildly fashionable Frozen movie franchise, volition debut astatine Disney Paris successful March . Frozen 3 is acceptable to beryllium released successful 2027 and volition nary uncertainty thrust visitors to the park.

Disney doesn't conscionable predominate the container office; it parlays its wildly palmy movie franchises into wins successful streaming, user products, and experiences. Other media companies bash this to a degree, but nary bash it arsenic good arsenic Disney.

Shares of Disney slipped connected Monday greeting contempt a mostly coagulated net report. This could beryllium a bully accidental to bargain the stock, though investors volition request to beryllium patient. Disney is navigating aggregate transitions, including the diminution of linear TV and uncertainty implicit the aboriginal of the movie theatre business.