Who doesn’t like animated films? Be it kids, adults, or sometimes even senior citizens, nobody is immune to the charms of the world of animation. The collection these films have earned is a testament to their popularity and fan following worldwide. So, today, we are bringing you the highest-grossing animated films ever!
You might even find one of your favorite movies in that list. These movies have earned billions and millions worldwide and made room in many people’s hearts.
When a new animated film hits the screen, the excitement is evident in their reviews and the money they are ready to spend watching that film. These movies take you through an emotional ride, making you feel happy, sad, liberated, and thrilled simultaneously.
So many movies have been in our hearts, but today, we will talk about the top 12 highest-grossing animated films in this article.
Top 12 Highest-Grossing Animated Films:
Check this list out and spot your favorites; you will be astonished to know the gross these films have collected and even continue to collect with their perfect storylines and characters. Get lost in the magic of animation; happy Reading!
1. Frozen 2:
- Total Gross: $1.453 billion
- Year of Release: 2019
The second Frozen movie had big shoes to fill after the success of the first one. People were really curious to see if it could match up. In Frozen II, we follow Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf as they adventure in an enchanted forest to uncover Elsa’s past.
Now, while it’s true that Frozen II was a good movie, it didn’t capture everyone’s hearts like the first one did. But here’s the thing: it still made a ton of money, like $1.453 billion! That’s more money than any other animated movie ever.
And guess what? They’re making a third Frozen movie! So, even if not everyone loved the second one as much, it’s still a huge success and part of a super-popular trilogy by Disney.
2. The Super Mario Bros. Movie:
- Total Gross: $1.355 billion
- Year of Release: 2023
Illumination’s Super Mario Bros. Movie, featuring the most famous video game character ever, Mario, was a huge hit. In the movie, Mario goes to the Mushroom Kingdom to help Princess Peach against the bad guy, Bowser, who’s got his brother.
Some people didn’t agree on how good the movie was. Some said it was just okay and didn’t bring anything new. But here’s the exciting part: It made a ton of money at the box office! It was the highest grossing animated film in 2023 and came close to being the highest-grossing animated movie ever. So, even if not everyone loved it, it was a major success!
3. Frozen:
- Total Gross: $1.284 billion
- Year of Release: 2013
Can you believe it’s been a whole decade since Frozen came out? It feels like just yesterday! Remember that catchy song every kid couldn’t stop singing and driving their parents crazy? Frozen is a movie like a story by Hans Christian Andersen called The Snow Queen. It’s about two sisters trying to fix their kingdom when it gets stuck in a never-ending winter.
Frozen was a big surprise at the movies back in the 2010s. It did even better than cool movies like Big Hero 6, which few people talk about. Frozen was so good that they even made a sequel six years later. But the first one is still amazing and one of Disney’s best from that time.
4. Incredibles 2:
- Total Gross: $1.242 billion
- Year of Release: 2018
Incredibles 2 was the sequel that all the fans were super excited about! The first time we met the superhero family of five was in 2004 in The Incredibles, and people loved it. In the sequel, Elastigirl returns to being a superhero while Mr. Incredible takes care of the kids at home.
Some people didn’t think it was as amazing as the first one, but it was still really good. We had to wait 14 years, but it was worth it.
Incredibles 2 did great at the movies, making over a billion dollars! It also got nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, although it didn’t win.
Funny enough, it lost to another superhero-themed movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. But overall, Incredibles 2 was a big hit with critics and audiences.
5. Minions:
- Total Gross: $1.157 billion
- Year of Release: 2015
You know those cute little yellow creatures called minions, right? They’re the ones who love bananas and have their funny language. Well, they showed up 13 years ago in a popular animated movie called Despicable Me. After that, they became a big deal!
They started a series of Despicable Me movies, including spin-off movies and short films. One of the spin-offs is called Minions, and it’s about these adorable guys looking for a leader before they meet Gru.
Minions did well at the box office. It made even more money than the original movies and showed that Illumination Entertainment could give Disney a run for its money in the animation world. Those little minions sure know how to make people laugh and have fun!
6. Toy Story 4:
- Total Gross: $1.073 billion
- Year of Release: 2019
Toy Story 4 continues the adventures of those lovable toys, and now they belong to a kid named Bonnie. Woody, the cowboy doll, and a new addition, Forky, made from a spork and pipe cleaners, find themselves on a wild journey when they jump out of an RV to rescue Bonnie’s new favorite toy.
Now, the ending of Toy Story 4 was a bit bittersweet. At first, it felt like a satisfying conclusion to the story, but later on, some people thought it was a bit of a trick. They weren’t sure if it was the end.
Despite the mixed feelings, Toy Story 4 did incredibly well at the movies. It made more than a billion dollars, which is a huge deal!
Critics and audiences mostly liked it, although some wondered if it was needed since the first three movies were already great. But guess what? Disney is making a fifth Toy Story movie, so the adventure is far from over!
7. Toy Story 3:
- Total Gross: $1.068 billion
- Year of Release: 2010
The Toy Story gang from Pixar is truly iconic! They first appeared in 1995, and since then, characters like Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Slinky, Hamm, Rex, and the Potato Heads have been making people of all ages smile. This franchise has four movies already, and there’s a fifth one on the way.
These films take us on amazing adventures with the toys over many years. Among them, Toy Story 3 is considered one of the saddest. In that one, the toys get accidentally donated to a daycare center and have to return to their owner, Andy.
Even though Toy Story 3 was a big hit, it’s been surpassed by its sequel in terms of box office earnings. Still, it’s one of the top animated movies, ranking 6th highest-grossing animated film. It shows how much people love these toys and their incredible stories!
8. Despicable Me 3:
- Total Gross: $1.032 billion
- Year of Release: 2017
In the third Despicable Me movie, Gru and Lucy, voiced by Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig, join forces with Gru’s long-lost brother, Dru. Together, they must deal with Balthazar Bratt, a former child actor causing trouble in Hollywood.
This movie had the biggest budget of all three in the series, costing $80 million. And guess what? It made a ton of money, over $1.032 billion worldwide! That’s more than double what the first movie made and a bit more than the second.
Critics didn’t think it was as great as the earlier movies, but it’s still fun. So, even though it might not be the absolute best in the series, it did well at the box office and kept us entertained with those hilarious Minions!
9. Finding Dory:
- Total Gross: $1.025 billion
- Year of Release: 2016
Finally, after a long wait, the sequel to Finding Nemo, called Finding Dory, swam onto screens in 2016. This time, we follow Dory, the forgetful Blue Tang fish voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, as she journeys to find her parents and discover her origins.
Like the first movie, Finding Dory was a big hit with critics and audiences. It made a ton of money and is the 8th highest-grossing animated movie ever!
But here’s a surprising twist: It didn’t get an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, even though the first movie did and even won the award.
Sometimes, the Oscars can be a bit unpredictable. Nonetheless, Finding Dory was a huge success and a heartwarming addition to the underwater adventures of these beloved fish characters.
10. Zootopia:
- Total Gross: $1.002 billion
- Year of Release: 2016
In 2016, Disney brought us a charming story about a young rabbit named Judy who moves to Zootropolis and joins the police. Even though she’s small and a rabbit, she’s determined to prove herself. When predators disappear in the city, she gets her chance to shine.
With the help of a clever fox named Nick Wilde, voiced by Jason Bateman, Judy goes on an exciting journey to solve the mystery and bring the missing animals back to their families.
People loved Zootopia! It got an almost perfect score of 98% on the Tomatometer, which is impressive. It was one of the best movies in 2016 and even won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
This movie is one of Disney’s highlights from the 2010s, and they’ve confirmed there will be a sequel, Zootopia 2. So, more adventures with Judy and Nick are on the way!
11. The Lion King:
- Total Gross: $986 million
- Year of Release: 1994
Ah, the 90s Disney classic we all know and love! This movie is a big part of many childhoods from the 1990s and early 2000s, and it still has a special place in our hearts even after almost 30 years. The story is about a young lion cub who goes through tough times but eventually becomes the King of Pride Rock. It’s a bit emotional, but it’s also really heartwarming and inspiring.
What makes this movie so unforgettable? Well, it’s got catchy music, characters you can’t help but love, and a message we should all remember: “Hakuna Matata,” which means no worries. The Lion King was a huge success, making nearly a billion dollars at the box office while having a budget of just $45 million.
And it gained a whole new generation of fans when they released a remake in 2019, which also did well at the box office. So, it’s safe to say that the circle of life for The Lion King is still going strong!
12. Despicable Me 2:
- Total Gross: $975 million
- Year of Release: 2013
The Despicable Me series is one of the biggest animated franchises out there. In the second movie, Despicable Me 2, Gru gets recruited by a secret agent named Lucy Wilde to solve a theft in the Arctic Circle.
They end up facing off against the villain, El Macho. But what made Despicable Me 2 stand out was its awesome soundtrack, especially Pharrell’s catchy song “Happy,” which got an Oscar nomination.
The movie did incredibly well at the box office, almost doubling what the first one made, and it also got nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
But perhaps the most important thing is that it solidified Despicable Me as a major franchise. From there, Gru and his minions became big players in animated entertainment. They’ve been dominating ever since!
Conclusion:
All these movies have been such crucial parts of our childhood and, in some ways, even our adulthood. These highest grossing animated films have proven that animation has a fan following, and people don’t hesitate to show their love! So, the next time you are confused about what to watch, you can pick up a good animated film and fill the void.
Hi! I am Nabieha Khusro, a content writer and voracious reader with a passion for creating compelling and engaging content. I have 3 years of experience writing for various industries, including fashion, education, and creative content writing. When I am not writing, I enjoy playing my ukulele and trying new cuisines.
