Box Office: 'Zootopia' Roars to Record $25M Saturday in China, Nears $100M
Zootopia continues to dazzle in China.
On its second Saturday, the movie roared to $25 million, the biggest single-day gross ever for an animated film (that compares to $10.6 million on its first Saturday).
Zootopia has quickly passed Big Hero 6 to become the top-grossing title ever from Disney Animation Studios with $89 million, a feat achieved after only nine days in release in the Middle Kingdom.
The critically acclaimed film is headed for another milestone on Sunday, when it will hop across the $100 million mark in China.
It's still too early to say whether Zootopia can surpass recent player Kung Fu Panda 3's $146 million to become the biggest animated film in history at the Chinese box office.
Kung Fu Panda 3's performance was a key achievement for Jeffrey Katzenberg's DreamWorks Animation, as it's the first film from DWA's burgeoning Shanghai-based venture, Oriental DreamWorks, which was established in 2012 in partnership with two state-backed Chinese companies.
Buoyed by glowing reviews and strong word of mouth, Zootopia continues to beat expectations in China and around the globe. On Friday, the movie zoomed past the $100 million mark in North America and $300 million worldwide.
Zootopia will have no trouble staying at No. 1 in North America in its second weekend with expected earnings north of $47 million (some think it could fly as high as $50 million). And, among major markets, it's already Disney's biggest release of all time in Russia ($16.7 million).