Weekend Box Office: ‘Zootopia’ in Box Office Utopia

Zootopia broke records at this weekend’s box office with a $75 million opening. The Walt Disney Animation Studios picture floored the weekend’s competition, with second place going to London Has Fallen at $21.6 million, and third being Deadpool with $16.7 million.

The film did its fair share of record breaking as well, garnering the largest opening weekend ever for a Disney animated feature, no small task by any means. Additionally, Zootopia nabbed the slot for ninth largest animated film debut of all time.

Zootopia has enjoyed a stellar reception, to say the least. Critics and audiences alike have praised the film for its wit, heart, and handling of more serious undertones. Critics came to a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a number unattainable for all but a select few masterpieces. In CinemaScore audience exit polls, the film received a much coveted A rating.

The success of the film can be at least partially chalked up to pure quality, as shown by various ratings systems. It was a fun and widely appealing film that was matched with ample substance. Of note is the presence of political undertones, many of which seem startlingly relevant in the midst of the 2016 US presidential election on the horizon. This, paired with a wonderfully clever marketing campaign, and the recently rising position of Walt Disney Animation Studios on the public’s radar, ensured the monetary success of Zootopia.

The success of Zootopia follows a string of wins for Walt Disney Animation Studios. After experiencing a bit of a downswing for most of the 2000s, the pendulum began to reverse for Disney with the success of Tangled in 2010. In 2013, Frozen became a box-office-smashing pop cultural phenomenon, solidifying Disney’s comeback. The massive success of Zootopia only serves to strengthen the wave of victory the studio has been riding.

Edited by: Kajsa Rain Forden