There is something magical about animated movies that they manage to charm audiences of all ages. This broad appeal has enabled animated movies to achieve impressive box office performances. In that spirit, let’s take a look at the highest-grossing animated movies of all time.
Topping the list is The Lion King, the 2019 remake of the 1994 animated classic of the same name. It is also one of the most expensive Disney movies ever made, with an estimated budget of USD 260 million.
Meanwhile, Inside Out 2, released in June 2024, has proven the naysayers wrong. The theatrical experience is not dead, after all, and even in the age of streaming, people would venture out of their homes to the cinemas if the movie is great and marketed well. It is the highest-grossing movie of 2024 so far with a worldwide gross of USD 724.38 million, according to Box Office Mojo. It surpassed Dune: Part Two‘s USD 711.84 million haul, which held the title earlier.
Despite it being 2024’s biggest movie, Inside Out 2 is yet to make its place in the list of top 10 highest-grossing animated movies in the history of cinema. But since it is still in theatres, that might change in the near future.
Earlier, animated movies were thought to be children’s entertainment, but over the years, thanks mainly to Pixar and Ghibli movies as well as the global penetration of Japanese anime, they have evolved to offer richer storytelling and more complex themes. Let’s take a look at some of the highest-grossing animated movies of all time.
All the box office figures in this article, including Inside Out 2 and Dune: Part Two above, are from Box Office Mojo.
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Global box office haul: USD 1.028 billion
IMDb rating: 7.2
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94 per cent
Directed by: Andrew Stanton
Voice cast: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill
Movie duration: 1 hour 37 minutes
Synopsis: A spinoff of the absolute phenomenon that was Finding Nemo (2003), this movie centres around the amnesiac blue tang fish called Dory (DeGeneres). She has a sudden realisation that she has parents and goes off on a journey to the Californian coast to find and reunite with them, along with her friends Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence), the two main characters of the original movie. They encounter a bunch of interesting characters, some friendly and others not too much and undergo various adventures.
Why it is great: The movie does not have the novelty factor of the original, but the quality of Pixar’s animation improved vastly in the intervening years. As a result, Finding Dory is gorgeously detailed and watching it on the bigger screens is quite an experience. The themes of self-discovery, friendship and family are common to nearly every Pixar movie, but that doesn’t make them any less relatable.
Global box office haul: USD 1.034 billion
IMDb rating: 6.2
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 58 per cent
Directed by: Pierre Coffin, Kyle Balda
Voice cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker
Movie duration: 1 hour 29 minutes
Synopsis: In many ways, Despicable Me movies are the antithesis of Pixar films, as unlike the latter, these movies are more irreverent and take a comedic approach to the story and characters. Think Bugs Bunny compared to Mickey Mouse. This movie continues the (mis)adventures of the reformed supervillain Gru (Carell). He faces an all-new adversary Balthazar Bratt (Parker). He also learns he has a long-lost twin brother called Dru (also Carell). Taking the help of his loyal Minions, Gru must choose whether he wishes to return to being a villain or stay in his newfound role as a hero.
Why it is great: While weaker than the previous instalments, Despicable Me 3 has the same zany humour and delightfully wicked characters (like Gru) that you root for, anyway. Also, for many film buffs who find Pixar films too saccharine, movies like Despicable Me 3 are a nice change of pace.
Global box office haul: USD 1.066 billion
IMDb rating: 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98 per cent
Directed by: Lee Unkrich
Voice cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, John Morris
Movie duration: 1 hour 43 minutes
Synopsis: Another emotionally resonant and action-packed adventure in the franchise that launched Pixar into the stratosphere of animated cinema. Woody (Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Allen) find themselves in a daycare, but it isn’t as idyllic as it seems. Meanwhile, Andy (Morris) is preparing to go to college and, thus, has to say goodbye to his toys, though he is still unaware that they are sentient. This movie was a poignant send-off to the franchise (until the fourth movie was announced, that is).
Why it is great: With its rich storytelling and unforgettable characters, Pixar’s Toy Story 3 also explores themes of growing up and letting go. It is a very grown-up movie in many ways, though nothing here would harm the psyche of, say, a four- or five-year-old. It will make many grown-ups teary-eyed, though, so there’s that.
Global box office haul: USD 1.073 billion
IMDb rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97 per cent
Directed by: Josh Cooley
Voice cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Madeleine McGraw
Movie duration: 1 hour 40 minutes
Synopsis: Many of us thought we were done with the Toy Story franchise after the fairly definitive ending of Toy Story 3. But Pixar’s owner, Disney, wanted more, and as it turns out, we did too. We get reintroduced to Bonnie (McGraw), the new owner of Andy’s toys like Woody (Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Allen). She creates a new toy out of a disposable spork, called Forky. Not surprisingly, it is sentient like all the other toys. But he is suffering from an existential crisis, much like Buzz earlier, and Woody decides to guide him through what it means to be a sentient toy.
Why it is great: I think the chance to see Woody and other beloved characters was enough for us to be on board with a sequel that, rationally speaking, was not necessary. And it was well-written and emotion-laden and fun much like the previous movies. Thus, even the most cynical of us were convinced.
Global box office haul: USD 1.159 billion
IMDb rating: 6.4
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 56 per cent
Directed by: Pierre Coffin, Kyle Balda
Voice cast: Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton
Movie duration: 1 hour 31 minutes
Synopsis: Did you ever wish to know how Gru came to control the cute yellow creatures, called Minions or where they come from? Whether you want to know the answers to these two questions, Minions has them covered. We undergo a journey through time, right from the Mesozoic Era (the age of dinosaurs and other such creatures) to the present. Along the way, the Minions serve masters such as Napoleon, Count Dracula, an unknown Egyptian Pharaoh and even a T-Rex before ending up with Scarlet Overkill (Bullock), the world’s first female supervillain.
Why it is great: It is fun and entertaining but do not expect anything particularly profound here. Temper your expectations and watch it just to enjoy a delightful virtual romp through history. Minions remain lovable, the animation is nice and the slapstick humour… well, slaps (as they say in the United States).
Global box office haul: USD 1.242 billion
IMDb rating: 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93 per cent
Directed by: Brad Bird
Voice cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Samuel L. Jackson, Catherine Keener
Movie duration: 1 hour 58 minutes
Synopsis: Picking up right where we left off, the Parr family of superheroes — Bob or Mr. Incredible (Nelson) Helen Parr or Elastigirl (Hunter) and their children — battles a supervillain called the Underminer and the resulting destruction forces the government to shut down financial assistance to the “supers”. Bob becomes a stay-at-home dad while Helen does the superheroics. Meanwhile, a new village called Screenslaver (Keener) wishes to enslave the world by brainwashing the people through screens. The Parr family has to pull up their socks to face the new threat.
Why it is great: A worthy successor to the original, it has exhilarating action, wit and fun family dynamics — all in equal measure. The stunning animation and visuals are complemented ably by the stellar voice cast, particularly Nelson.
Global box office haul: USD 1.280 billion
IMDb rating: 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 90 per cent
Directed by: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck
Voice cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff
Movie duration: 1 hour 42 minutes
Synopsis: In the fantasy land of Arendelle (somewhere in Scandinavia), Princess Anna (Bell) goes on a journey to find her elder sister and Queen Elsa, who ran away from her coronation after discovering that she has mysterious magical powers of ice and snow. Initially, these powers were suppressed by her parents, using the help of trolls. One day, she accidentally lost control of them and nearly killed Anna. On her quest to find and bring back Elsa, Anna joins forces with a lowly iceman Kristoff (Groff), his trusty and cheerful reindeer Sven and a snowman called Olaf who is somehow alive.
Why it is great: While not a Pixar movie, Frozen has many themes like belonging and self-empowerment that will be familiar to Pixar fans. It is also a modernised fairy tale and an answer to Disney’s own classic movies. For instance, the usual true love’s kiss trope is there but is redefined rather than being a man saving a woman by kissing her while she is asleep. The soundtrack is outstanding, and perhaps, it alone is worth watching the movie.
Global box office haul: USD 1.361 billion
IMDb rating: 7
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 59 per cent
Directed by: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc
Voice cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black
Movie duration: 1 hour 32 minutes
Synopsis: Not the first adaptation of Nintendo’s time-honoured video game franchise, but the only one we will acknowledge. American-Italian plumbers from Brooklyn Mario (Pratt) and Luigi (Day) are transported to the Mushroom Kingdom and Dark Lands, respectively, on a bad day at work. Mario wishes to be reunited with his brother, but first, he has to team up with Princess Peach (Taylor-Joy) to stop the evil monster and king of the Koopas Bowser (Black) from taking over her Peaches’ world. He (Mario) unlocks exciting special powers to face the powerful Bowser.
Why it is great: This movie is not perfect by any means, but there is enough verve and nostalgic charm borrowed from the classic game series to satiate at least those who played the games. Visually also, the movie is quite eye-popping with ample use of colour to bring different worlds to life.
Global box office haul: USD 1.450 billion
IMDb rating: 6.8
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 77
Directed by: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck
Voice cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad
Movie duration: 1 hour 43 minutes
Synopsis: A couple of years after the first Frozen, a mysterious voice from the wilderness appears to be calling Elsa (Menzel), and she is torn between that undeniable call and her responsibilities as the queen of her kingdom. Unable to resist, she goes after the voice and uncovers the truth behind her powers. Along with her are Anna (Bell), Kristoff (Groff), Olaf (Gad) and Sven. The adventure will test the bonds of the two sisters and reveal secrets about their parents and the kingdom’s history.
Why it’s great: Frozen II fills in a lot of the blanks from the first movie. It also takes the adventure away from Arendelle, which is refreshing. The animation is again-notch. While the songs are not as catchy as in the original, they are still pretty hummable.
Global box office haul: USD 1.663 billion
IMDb rating: 6.8
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 52 per cent
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Voice cast: Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones, Billy Eichner
Movie duration: 1 hour 58 minutes
Synopsis: This photorealistic animated remake of the beloved 1994 animated classic follows pretty much the same plot. A young lion in Tanzania’s Pride Lands called Simba (Glover) loses his father, the wife Mufasa (Jones), thanks to treachery by his uncle Scar (Ejiofor), who also banishes him from the kingdom. With the help of his carefree new friends Timon (Eichner), a meerkat, and Pumbaa (Rogen), a warthog, Simba realises his strengths and goes on an adventure to defeat Scar and regain his kingdom and family.
Why it is great: I am not sure it is, really. It was billed as the latest of Disney’s live-action remakes of its animated classics. But since the entirety of this movie, including characters and environments, is computer-generated imagery (CGI), it is really an animated movie, though extremely photorealistic. It has its appeal (the details are astonishing), but similar to Netflix’s live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender, it essentially robs the story of the magic and artistry that was present in the 2D original. Still, it is clear that most fans loved it because it remains the highest-grossing animated movie in history.
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This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India
(Hero and Featured image: Courtesy of Photo by Disney/Disney – © 2013 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved/ IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
'The Lion King (2019)', the photorealistic remake of the 1994 animated film of the same name, is the highest-grossing animated film of all time with USD 1.66 billion in box office receipts.
While it is difficult to say which is the #1 movie so far, James Cameron’s 'Avatar' (2009) remains the highest-grossing overall movie of all time. Its worldwide box office collection is USD 2.923 billion.
