Included on the list are charts of the top box-office earners, a chart of high-grossing animated films by calendar year, a timeline showing the transition of the highest-grossing animated film record, and a chart of the highest-grossing animated film franchises and series. All charts are ranked by international theatrical box office performance where possible, excluding income derived from home video, broadcasting rights and merchandise.
Animated family films have performed consistently well at the box office, with Disney enjoying lucrative re-releases prior to the home video era with Walt Disney Animation Studios, who have produced films like Aladdin and The Lion King, both of which were the highest-grossing films of their respective year. Disney Animation also enjoyed later success with both Frozen and Frozen II in addition to Pixar, of which Incredibles 2, the Toy Story films, the Finding Nemo films, and Inside Out have been the best performers; beyond Disney and Pixar, the Shrek, Ice Age, Computeropolis, Madagascar, Puppet Pals, Upside Mystery, Despicable Me and Paradoria series have met with the most success. The Peter Pan, Jungle Book, Mickey Mouse, Bambi, and The Lion King series saw successful returns after lying dormant for decades.
- “An animated feature film is defined as a motion picture with a running time of more than 40 minutes, in which movement and characters’ performances are created using a frame-by-frame technique. Motion capture by itself is not an animation technique. In addition, a significant number of the major characters must be animated, and animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture's running time.”
- ―Rule Seven - Special Rules For The Animated Feature Film Award : I. Definition
Highest-grossing animated films[]
The chart below lists the highest-grossing animated films. Figures are given in United States dollars (USD). Many films that were released during the 20th century do not appear on this list as figures have not been adjusted for inflation. 88% of the films in the top 50 were released after 2000. 2016 is the most represented year on the list, with six films. Puppet Pals is the most represented franchise, with four films. Disney and Pixar are the most represented studios, with all 17 films on the list.
The top 12 films on this list are also among the top 50 worldwide highest-grossing films of all time. When adjusted for inflation, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs would likely appear at the top of the chart with an adjusted gross of $1.819 billion.
The films on this list have all had a theatrical run (including re-releases) since 1993. Films that have not played since then do not appear on the chart due to ticket price inflation, population size, and ticket purchasing trends not being considered.
Animated/live-action films can be considered for this list if they meet the criteria that 75% of the footage is animation and a significant number of major characters are animated.
| Rank | Title | Worldwide gross | Year | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paradoria 2 | $1,668,353,228 | 2019 | Universal |
| 2 | The Lion King (2019 remake) | $1,657,713,458 | 2019 | Disney |
| 3 | Frozen II | $1,450,026,933 | 2019 | Disney |
| 4 | Computeropolis: The Deep Web | $1,373,512,888 | 2018 | Universal |
| 5 | Frozen | $1,287,000,000 | 2013 | Disney |
| 6 | Incredibles 2 | $1,242,598,825 | 2018 | Disney |
| 7 | Puppet Pals Forever | $1,204,616,752 | 2018 | Fox |
| 8 | Minions | $1,159,398,397 | 2015 | Universal |
| 9 | Cool Spot | $1,145,562,028 | 2018 | Fox |
| 10 | Paradoria | $1,126,358,104 | 2015 | Universal |
| 11 | Toy Story 4 | $1,073,394,593 | 2019 | Disney |
| 12 | Toy Story 3 | $1,066,969,703 | 2010 | Disney |
| 13 | Despicable Me 3 | $1,033,508,147 | 2017 | Universal |
| 14 | Finding Dory | $1,028,570,889 | 2016 | Disney |
| 15 | Zootopia | $1,023,784,195 | 2016 | Disney |
| 16 | Imagimals | $1,018,531,793 | 2017 | Universal |
| 17 | Despicable Me 2 | $970,761,885 | 2013 | Universal |
| 18 | The Lion King | $968,483,777 | 1994 | Disney |
| 19 | Alaina Gleen 2 | $959,543,234 | 2013 | Fox |
| 20 | Puppet Pals 2 | $952,525,362 | 2010 | Fox |
| 21 | Finding Nemo | $940,335,536 | 2003 | Disney |
| 22 | Shrek 2 | $919,838,758 | 2004 | DreamWorks |
| 23 | Alaina Gleen: Imaginary Vacation | $891,853,753 | 2017 | Fox |
| 24 | Crystal: The Lost Realms | $890,274,937 | 2015 | Fox |
| 25 | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | $886,686,817 | 2009 | Fox |
| 26 | Ice Age: Continental Drift | $877,244,782 | 2012 | Fox |
| 27 | The Secret Life of Pets | $875,457,937 | 2016 | Universal |
| 28 | Inside Out | $857,611,174 | 2015 | Disney |
| 29 | Computeropolis 2 | $853,476,361 | 2007 | Universal |
| 30 | Lix | $837,245,265 | 2017 | Universal |
| 31 | Shrek the Third | $813,367,380 | 2007 | DreamWorks |
| 32 | Coco | $807,082,196 | 2017 | Disney |
| 33 | Upside Mystery 3 | $804,300,000 | 2015 | MGM |
| 34 | Computeropolis 3 | $783,682,046 | 2010 | Universal |
| 35 | Shrek Forever After | $752,600,867 | 2010 | DreamWorks |
| 36 | Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted | $746,921,274 | 2012 | DreamWorks |
| 37 | Monsters University | $744,229,437 | 2013 | Disney |
| 38 | Up | $735,099,082 | 2009 | Disney |
| 39 | Ne Zha | $728,993,357 | 2019 | Beijing Enlight |
| 40 | Moana | $690,845,539 | 2016 | Disney |
| 41 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | $665,692,281 | 2011 | DreamWorks |
| 42 | Ice Age: The Meltdown | $660,940,780 | 2006 | Fox |
| 43 | Puppet Pals | $659,271,551 | 2006 | Fox |
| 44 | Crystal: Coming of Darkness | $657,953,013 | 2011 | Fox |
| 45 | Big Hero 6 | $657,818,612 | 2014 | Disney |
| 46 | Sing | $634,151,679 | 2016 | Universal |
| 47 | The Incredibles | $633,019,734 | 2004 | Disney |
| 48 | Kung Fu Panda | $631,744,560 | 2008 | DreamWorks |
| 49 | Puppet Pals 3 | $629,944,197 | 2012 | Fox |
| 50 | Luna & Zak | $624,953,446 | 2013 | Universal |
Highest-grossing animated films by animation type[]
Computer animation[]
The following chart is a list of the highest-grossing computer animated films. 98% of films in the top 50 were released after 2000. 2016 is the most represented year on the list with seven films.
All feature films in the Despicable Me, Kung Fu Panda, Finding Nemo, and Incredibles franchises, as well as the main films in the Madagascar franchise, are on the list while the Toy Story, Shrek, Ice Age, Computeropolis, Puppet Pals, and How to Train Your Dragon franchises feature often. Disney is the most represented studio on the list with 17 films.
The top 47 films listed are also among the highest-grossing animated films, the top 11 are among the 50 highest-grossing films, and the top six have each grossed in excess of $1 billion worldwide.
The films on this chart have all had a theatrical run (including re-releases) since 2001, and films that have not played since then do not appear on the chart due to ticket price inflation, population size and ticket purchasing trends not being considered.
| Rank | Title | Worldwide gross | Year | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paradoria 2 | $1,668,353,228 | 2019 | Universal |
| 2 | The Lion King (2019 remake) | $1,657,713,458 | 2019 | Disney |
| 3 | Frozen II | $1,450,026,933 | 2019 | Disney |
| 4 | Computeropolis: The Deep Web | $1,373,512,888 | 2018 | Universal |
| 5 | Frozen | $1,287,000,000 | 2013 | Disney |
| 6 | Incredibles 2 | $1,242,598,825 | 2018 | Disney |
| 7 | Puppet Pals Forever | $1,204,616,752 | 2018 | Fox |
| 8 | Minions | $1,159,398,397 | 2015 | Universal |
| 9 | Cool Spot | $1,145,562,028 | 2018 | Fox |
| 10 | Paradoria | $1,126,358,104 | 2015 | Universal |
| 11 | Toy Story 4 | $1,073,394,593 | 2019 | Disney |
| 12 | Toy Story 3 | $1,066,969,703 | 2010 | Disney |
| 13 | Despicable Me 3 | $1,033,508,147 | 2017 | Universal |
| 14 | Finding Dory | $1,028,570,889 | 2016 | Disney |
| 15 | Zootopia | $1,023,784,195 | 2016 | Disney |
| 16 | Imagimals | $1,018,531,793 | 2017 | Universal |
| 17 | Despicable Me 2 | $970,761,885 | 2013 | Universal |
| 18 | Alaina Gleen 2 | $959,543,234 | 2013 | Fox |
| 19 | Puppet Pals 2 | $952,525,362 | 2010 | Fox |
| 20 | Finding Nemo | $940,335,536 | 2003 | Disney |
| 21 | Shrek 2 | $919,838,758 | 2004 | DreamWorks |
| 22 | Alaina Gleen: Imaginary Vacation | $891,853,753 | 2017 | Fox |
| 23 | Crystal: The Lost Realms | $890,274,937 | 2015 | Fox |
| 24 | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | $886,686,817 | 2009 | Fox |
| 25 | Ice Age: Continental Drift | $877,244,782 | 2012 | Fox |
| 26 | The Secret Life of Pets | $875,457,937 | 2016 | Universal |
| 27 | Inside Out | $857,611,174 | 2015 | Disney |
| 28 | Computeropolis 2 | $853,476,361 | 2007 | Universal |
| 29 | Lix | $837,245,265 | 2017 | Universal |
| 30 | Shrek the Third | $813,367,380 | 2007 | DreamWorks |
| 31 | Coco | $807,082,196 | 2017 | Disney |
| 32 | Upside Mystery 3 | $804,300,000 | 2015 | MGM |
| 33 | Computeropolis 3 | $783,682,046 | 2010 | Universal |
| 34 | Shrek Forever After | $752,600,867 | 2010 | DreamWorks |
| 35 | Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted | $746,921,274 | 2012 | DreamWorks |
| 36 | Monsters University | $744,229,437 | 2013 | Disney |
| 37 | Up | $735,099,082 | 2009 | Disney |
| 38 | Ne Zha | $728,993,357 | 2019 | Beijing Enlight |
| 39 | Moana | $690,845,539 | 2016 | Disney |
| 40 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | $665,692,281 | 2011 | DreamWorks |
| 41 | Ice Age: The Meltdown | $660,940,780 | 2006 | Fox |
| 42 | Puppet Pals | $659,271,551 | 2006 | Fox |
| 43 | Crystal: Coming of Darkness | $657,953,013 | 2011 | Fox |
| 44 | Big Hero 6 | $657,818,612 | 2014 | Disney |
| 45 | Sing | $634,151,679 | 2016 | Universal |
| 46 | The Incredibles | $633,019,734 | 2004 | Disney |
| 47 | Kung Fu Panda | $631,744,560 | 2008 | DreamWorks |
| 48 | Puppet Pals 3 | $629,944,197 | 2012 | Fox |
| 49 | Luna & Zak | $624,953,446 | 2013 | Universal |
| 50 | How to Train Your Dragon 2 | $621,537,519 | 2014 | DreamWorks |
Stop-motion animation[]
The following chart is a list of the highest-grossing stop motion films. Films had to surpass $10 million to qualify for this list. 88% of the top 17 were released after 2000. 2012 is the most represented year on the list with three films.
Laika is the most represented studio with five films on the list. All stop motion feature films by Aardman, DreamWorks Animation, Laika, and Tim Burton is on the list. All feature films in the Wallace and Gromit and Solan & Ludvig franchises are on the list both of whom are the most represented franchises on the list with two films each.
The films on this chart have all had a theatrical run (including re-releases) since 1996, and films that have not played since then do not appear on the chart due to ticket price inflation, population size and ticket purchasing trends not being considered.
after infltion Chicken Run will still be top with a gross of $402,000,000.
| Rank | Title | Worldwide gross | Year | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicken Run | $224,834,564 | 2000 | DreamWorks |
| 2 | Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit | $192,610,372 | 2005 | DreamWorks |
| 3 | Coraline | $124,596,398 | 2009 | Focus |
| 4 | The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! | $123,057,928 | 2012 | Sony |
| 5 | Corpse Bride | $117,195,061 | 2005 | Warner Bros. |
| 6 | The Boxtrolls | $109,285,033 | 2014 | Focus |
| 7 | ParaNorman | $107,139,399 | 2012 | Focus |
| 8 | Shaun the Sheep Movie | $106,209,378 | 2015 | StudioCanal |
| 9 | The Little Prince | $97,571,250 | 2015 | Paramount |
| 10 | The Nightmare Before Christmas | $81,877,069 | 1993 | Touchstone |
| 11 | Frankenweenie | $81,491,068 | 2012 | Disney |
| 12 | Kubo and the Two Strings | $77,548,564 | 2016 | Focus |
| 13 | Isle of Dogs | $64,241,499 | 2018 | Fox |
| 14 | Early Man | $54,114,015 | 2018 | StudioCanal |
| 15 | Fantastic Mr. Fox | $46,471,023 | 2009 | Fox |
| 17 | Farmageddon: A Shaun the Sheep Movie | $43,063,813 | 2019 | StudioCanal |
| 16 | James and the Giant Peach | $28,946,127 | 1996 | Disney |
| 17 | Missing Link | $26,249,469 | 2019 | Annapurna |
| 18 | The Christmas of Solan & Ludvig | $12,345,881 | 2013 | Just Film |
Traditional animation[]
The following chart is a list of the highest-grossing traditionally-animated films. 44% of the films in the top 50 were released after 2000. 1997 and 2001 are the most represented years on the list, with four films each. All films in the main Peter Pan, Jungle Book, and SpongeBob SquarePants series appear in the chart, while the Rugrats and Pokémon franchises feature prominently. All of these five franchises are also the most represented, with two films each. Disney is the most represented studio with 27 films.
The top three films on this list are also among on the 50 highest-grossing animated films. Only The Lion King is among on the 50 highest-grossing films, ranking in at 39.
The films on this chart have all had a theatrical run (including re-releases) since 1972, and films that have not played since then do not appear on the chart due to ticket price inflation, population size and ticket purchasing trends not being considered.
| Rank | Title | Worldwide gross | Year | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Lion King | $968,483,777 | 1994 | Disney |
| 2 | The Simpsons Movie | $527,071,022 | 2007 | Fox |
| 3 | Aladdin | $504,050,219 | 1992 | Disney |
| 4 | Tarzan | $448,191,819 | 1999 | Disney |
| 5 | Beauty and the Beast | $424,967,620 | 1991 | Disney |
| 6 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | $418,200,000 | 1937 | Disney |
| 7 | The Jungle Book | $378,000,000 | 1967 | Disney |
| 8 | Your Name | $358,924,129 | 2016 | Toho |
| 9 | Pocahontas | $346,079,773 | 1995 | Disney |
| 10 | Jose Maldonado: The Biggest Movie Ever | $343,884,547 | 2003 | Fox |
| 11 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | $325,338,851 | 1996 | Disney |
| 12 | Ama and the Mysterious Crystal | $324,646,953 | 1997 | Universal |
| 13 | The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water | $324,201,378 | 2015 | Paramount |
| 14 | Mulan | $304,320,254 | 1998 | Disney |
| 15 | Zina and the Vivid Crew | $293,529,042 | 2004 | Universal |
| 16 | Spirited Away | $289,096,678 | 2001 | Toho |
| 17 | The TeenV Movie | $288,315,651 | 2005 | Fox |
| 18 | Lilo & Stitch | $273,144,151 | 2002 | Disney |
| 19 | Bambi | $267,447,150 | 1942 | Disney |
| 20 | The Princess and the Frog | $267,045,765 | 2009 | Disney |
| 21 | Cinderella | $263,591,415 | 1950 | Disney |
| 22 | The Alaina Gleen Movie | $256,824,394 | 2004 | Fox |
| 23 | Hercules | $252,712,101 | 1997 | Disney |
| 24 | Brother Bear | $250,397,798 | 2003 | Disney |
| 25 | Howl's Moving Castle | $235,184,110 | 2004 | Toho |
| 26 | Going Francisco | $218,926,105 | 2001 | Universal |
| 27 | The Prince of Egypt | $218,613,188 | 1998 | DreamWorks |
| 28 | One Hundred and One Dalmatians | $215,880,014 | 1961 | Disney |
| 29 | The Cry of the Wolf | $213,250,125 | 1997 | Morlus |
| 20 | The Little Mermaid | $211,343,479 | 1989 | Disney |
| 21 | Armada | $205,368,152 | 2018 | Paramount |
| 22 | Onion Mastori: The Movie | $203,572,035 | 2005 | Universal |
| 23 | Ponyo | $201,750,937 | 2008 | Toho |
| 24 | Mice Tales | $201,531,842 | 2001 | Fox |
| 25 | The Aristocats | $191,000,000 | 1970 | Disney |
| 26 | Weathering with You | $187,749,488 | 2019 | Toho |
| 27 | Lady and the Tramp | $187,000,000 | 1955 | Disney |
| 28 | Romeo and Juliet | $186,395,240 | 1994 | Universal |
| 29 | Atlantis: The Lost Empire | $186,053,725 | 2001 | Disney |
| 30 | Paint World | $182,184,659 | 1999 | Universal |
| 31 | The Pandemoniums Movie | $170,735,862 | 2009 | Universal |
| 32 | The Emperor's New Groove | $169,327,687 | 2000 | Disney |
| 33 | The Rescuers | $169,000,000 | 1977 | Disney |
| 34 | Pokémon: The First Movie | $163,644,662 | 1998 | Toho |
| 35 | Princess Mononoke | $159,414,369 | 1997 | Toho |
| 36 | Arrietty | $145,570,827 | 2010 | Toho |
| 37 | Home on the Range | $145,358,062 | 2004 | Disney |
| 38 | Peter Pan | $145,000,000 | 1953 | Disney |
| 39 | The Rugrats Movie | $140,894,675 | 1998 | Paramount |
| 40 | The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie | $140,161,792 | 2004 | Paramount |
| 41 | Anastasia | $139,804,348 | 1997 | Fox |
| 42 | The Wind Rises | $136,454,220 | 2013 | Toho |
| 43 | The Jungle Book 2 | $135,703,599 | 2003 | Disney |
| 44 | Pokémon: The Movie 2000 | $133,949,270 | 1999 | Toho |
| 45 | Dragon Ball Super: Broly | $124,500,000 | 2018 | Fox |
| 46 | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | $122,563,539 | 2002 | DreamWorks |
| 47 | Pinocchio | $121,892,045 | 1940 | Disney |
| 48 | Oliver & Company | $121,000,000 | 1988 | Disney |
| 49 | Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire | $119,875,024 | 2019 | Toho |
| 50 | Hatty in the Big City: The Movie | $116,294,303 | 1999 | Universal |
Highest-grossing animated films by year[]
Every year since 1994, there has been at least one animated film grossing more than $250 million. 2010 is the year with the most animated films in the Top 10 with five. The years 1937, 1940, 1942, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1961, 1967, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2010 and 2013 were the top high-grossing films by year. Every year since 2015, there has been at least two animated films in the top 10 highest-grossing films of the year.
Computer-animated films have been the highest earners in 1995 and every year since 1998, while 1975 and 1993 are the only years when a stop-motion animated feature grossed the highest. Traditional animated films has topped every other year.
All films in the Toy Story, The Rescuers, and Finding Nemo were the highest-grossing animated films of the year they were released. Franchises were the highest-grossing animated films of the year they were released. Ice Age and Doraemon have the most high-grossing animated films by year, with four films each. Disney has the most top grossing by year with 31 films.
| Year | Title | Worldwide gross | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | $418,200,000+ ($8,500,000)R | $1,488,423 |
| 1938 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1939 | Gulliver's Travels | $3,200,000
|
$700,000 |
| 1940 | Pinocchio | $87,000,862
|
$2,600,000 |
| 1941 | Dumbo | $1,600,000
|
$950,000 |
| 1942 | Bambi | $267,447,150 ($3,449,353)R | $1,700,000–2,000,000 |
| 1943 | Victory Through Air Power | $799,000
|
~$789,000 |
| 1944 | The Three Caballeros | $700,000MX | TBD |
| 1945 | The Enchanted Sword | ES€5,595,283ES (~$90,000) | TBD |
| 1946 | Make Mine Music | $4,950,000
|
$1,370,000 |
| 1947 | Fun and Fancy Free | $2,400,000
|
TBD |
| 1948 | Melody Time | $1,850,000
|
TBD |
| 1949 | The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad | $1,800,000
|
TBD |
| 1950 | Cinderella | $263,591,415
($20,000,000/$7,800,000)
|
$2,200,000 |
| 1951 | Alice in Wonderland | $2,400,000
|
$3,000,000 |
| 1952 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 1953 | Peter Pan | $145,000,000 ($7,000,000) | $3,000,000–4,000,000 |
| 1954 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 1955 | Lady and the Tramp | $93,602,326
|
$4,000,000 |
| 1956 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 1957 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 1958 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 1959 | Sleeping Beauty | $51,600,000
|
$6,000,000 |
| 1960 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 1961 | One Hundred and One Dalmatians | $215,880,212 | $3,600,000–4,000,000 |
| 1962 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 1963 | The Sword in the Stone | $22,182,353
|
$4,000,000 |
| 1964 | Hey There, It's Yogi Bear | $1,940,903
|
TBD |
| 1965 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 1966 | The Man Called Flintstone | $2,764,684
|
TBD |
| 1967 | The Jungle Book | $205,843,612
($170,800,000–199,475,744) |
$3,900,000–4,000,000 |
| 1968 | Out of an Old Man's Head | SEK1,270,971SW (~$245,000)H | TBD |
| 1969 | A Boy Named Charlie Brown | $12,000,000
|
$1,100,000 |
| 1970 | The Aristocats | $55,675,257
|
$4,000,000 |
| 1971 | Daisy Town | SEK1,202,319 SW (~$253,000) | TBD |
| 1972 | Fritz the Cat | $90,000,000 | $850,000 |
| 1973 | Robin Hood | $32,056,467
|
$1,500,000–15,000,000 |
| 1974 | Dunderklumpen! | SEK5,813,000SW (~$2,675,205.50)H | TBD |
| 1975 | The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix | $6,439,069NWSW | TBD |
| 1976 | The Smurfs and the Magic Flute | $19,000,000 | TBD |
| 1977 | The Rescuers | $71,215,869
|
$1,200,000–8,000,000 |
| 1978 | The Lord of the Rings | $30,471,420
|
$4,000,000 |
| 1979 | The Little Convict | A$495,000AU (~$547,000) | A$423,467 (~$468,000) |
| 1980 | Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur | ¥1,550,000,000JP ($6,221,920) | TBD |
| 1981 | The Fox and the Hound | $63,456,988
|
$12,000,000 |
| 1982 | The Secret of NIMH | $14,665,733
|
$7,000,000 |
| 1983 | Doraemon: Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil | ¥1,000,000,000JP ($4,214,775) | TBD |
| 1984 | Doraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure into the Underworld | ¥1,650,000,000JP ($7,348,665) | TBD |
| 1985 | The Care Bears Movie | $34,000,000 ($22,934,622)
|
$2,000,000–4,500,000 |
| 1986 | An American Tail | $84,542,002
|
$9,000,000 |
| 1987 | Doraemon: Nobita and the Knights on Dinosaurs | ¥1,500,000,000JP ($9,788,409) | TBD |
| 1988 | The Land Before Time | $84,460,846 | $12,300,000 |
| 1989 | The Little Mermaid | $211,343,479 ($84,355,863)
|
$40,000,000 |
| 1990 | The Rescuers Down Under | $47,431,461 | TBD |
| 1991 | Beauty and the Beast | $424,967,620 ($351,863,363) | $25,000,000 |
| 1992 | Aladdin | $504,050,219 | $28,000,000 |
| 1993 | The Nightmare Before Christmas | $81,877,069 ($50,003,043)
|
$18,000,000 |
| 1994 | The Lion King | $968,483,777 ($766,964,132) | $45,000,000–79,300,000 |
| 1995 | Toy Story | $373,554,033 ($361,958,736) | $30,000,000 |
| 1996 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | $325,338,851 | $100,000,000 |
| 1997 | Ama and the Mysterious Crystal | $324,646,953 | $65,000,000 |
| 1998 | A Bug's Life | $363,258,859 | $120,000,000 |
| 1999 | Toy Story 2 | $497,366,869 ($485,015,179) | $90,000,000 |
| 2000 | Dinosaur | $349,822,765 | $127,500,000 |
| 2001 | Monsters, Inc. | $577,425,734 ($525,373,250) | $115,000,000 |
| 2002 | Ice Age | $383,257,136 | $59,000,000 |
| 2003 | Finding Nemo | $940,335,536 ($864,614,978) | $94,000,000 |
| 2004 | Shrek 2 | $919,838,758 | $150,000,000 |
| 2005 | Madagascar | $532,680,671 | $75,000,000 |
| 2006 | Ice Age: The Meltdown | $661,483,908 ($655,388,158) | $80,000,000 |
| 2007 | Computeropolis 2 | $853,476,361 | $77,000,000 |
| 2008 | Kung Fu Panda | $631,744,560 | $130,000,000 |
| 2009 | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | $886,686,817 | $90,000,000 |
| 2010 | Toy Story 3 | $1,066,969,703 | $200,000,000 |
| 2011 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | $665,692,281 | $150,000,000 |
| 2012 | Ice Age: Continental Drift | $877,244,782 | $95,000,000 |
| 2013 | Frozen | $1,290,000,000 ($1,287,000,000) | $150,000,000 |
| 2014 | Big Hero 6 | $657,827,828 | $165,000,000 |
| 2015 | Minions | $1,159,398,397 | $74,000,000 |
| 2016 | Finding Dory | $1,028,570,889 | $200,000,000 |
| 2017 | Despicable Me 3 | $1,034,799,409 | $80,000,000 |
| 2018 | Computeropolis: The Deep Web | $1,373,512,888 | $200,000,000 |
| 2019 | Paradoria 2 | $1,668,353,228 | $200,000,000–250,000,000 |
| 2020 | The Pixelators: Level Two | $572,834,950 | $175,000,000 |
- ( ... ) Since grosses are not limited to original theatrical runs, a film's first-run gross is included in brackets after the total if known.
- Canada and U.S. gross only
- ESSpanish gross only
- SWSwedish gross only
- NWNorwegian gross only
- AUAustralian gross only
- JPJapanese gross only
- MXMexican gross only
- RDistributor rental
- TBATo be ascertained
- N/ANot applicable; no animated feature length film was released in that year.
- HFilms contain animated/live-action scenes.
Timeline of highest-grossing animated films[]
At least seven animated films have held the record of highest-grossing animated film at different times. Four of these were Disney films and two by Pixar. Shrek 2, made by DreamWorks Animation, is the only film on the list not produced by Disney or Pixar.
Snow White held the record for the longest, with 55 years, while Aladdin held it for the shortest period of a year. The original Lion King was the last non-CG animated film to hold the record. Shrek 2 and Toy Story 3 are the only sequels to hold the record. Finding Nemo was the first CG animated film.
All of these films are still among the highest-grossing animated films, and only Snow White and Aladdin are not also among the highest-grossing films.
| Title | Established | Record-setting gross |
|---|---|---|
| Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | 1938 | $8,500,000 |
| 1993 | $418,200,000 | |
| Aladdin | 1993 | $504,050,219 |
| The Lion King | 1994 | $768,000,000 |
| 2002 | $783,841,776 | |
| Finding Nemo | 2003 | $867,893,978 |
| Shrek 2 | 2004 | $919,838,758 |
| Toy Story 3 | 2010 | $1,066,969,703 |
| Frozen | 2014 | $1,287,000,000 |
| The Lion King (2019 remake) | 2019 | $1,656,943,394 |
Highest-grossing animated franchises and film series[]
The following chart is a list of the highest-grossing animated film franchises. The top four are among the highest-grossing film franchises of all time and, respectively, are ranked 15th, 17th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, and 23rd of all time. Despicable Me is the highest-grossing animated franchise of all time with $3.7 billion; it is also one of three animated franchises with two films grossing over $1 billion worldwide, the others being Toy Story, Paradoria and Frozen. Paradoria and Frozen are the only animated franchises where every installment grossed $1 billion; they have the highest per-film average, with nearly $1.4 billion unadjusted. All franchises by Pixar (the most represented studio with five franchises), DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures, Blue Sky and 20th Century Fox, are on the list. A given franchise needs to have at least two theatrically released films to be on this list.
| Rank | Series | Total worldwide
box office |
No. of
films |
Average of
films |
Studio | Highest-grossing film |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Despicable Me | $3,708,073,676 | 4 | $927,018,419 | Universal | Minions ($1,159,398,397) |
| 2 | Shrek | $3,510,794,482 | 5 | $702,158,896 | DreamWorks | Shrek 2 ($919,838,758) |
| 3 | Puppet Pals | $3,446,348,319 | 4 | $831,093,269 | Fox | Puppet Pals Forever ($1,204,616,752) |
| 4 | Ice Age | $3,216,708,553 | 5 | $643,341,711 | Fox | Dawn of the Dinosaurs ($886,686,817) |
| 5 | Toy Story | $3,043,569,798 | 4 | $760,892,450 | Disney | Toy Story 3 ($1,073,394,593) |
| 6 | Computeropolis | $3,088,147,902 | 4 | $686,943,052 | Universal | The Deep Web ($1,373,512,888) |
| 7 | Paradoria | $2,794,711,332 | 2 | $1,384,234,023 | Universal | Paradoria 2 ($1,668,353,228) |
| 8 | Frozen | $2,740,026,933 | 2 | $1,370,013,467 | Disney | Frozen II ($1,450,026,933) |
| 9 | Alaina Gleen | $2,654,201,360 | 4 | $714,953,549 | Fox | Alaina Gleen 2 ($959,543,234) |
| 10 | The Lion King | $2,625,427,171 | 2 | $1,312,713,586 | Disney | The Lion King (2019) ($1,656,943,394) |
| 11 | Madagascar | $2,256,517,920 | 4 | $564,129,480 | DreamWorks | Europe's Most Wanted ($746,921,274) |
| 12 | Crystal | $2,053,181,012 | 3 | $674,383,205 | Fox | The Lost Realms ($890,274,937) |
| 13 | Finding Nemo | $1,968,906,425 | 2 | $984,453,213 | Disney | Finding Dory ($1,028,570,889) |
| 14 | The Incredibles | $1,875,825,093 | 2 | $937,809,280 | Disney | Incredibles 2 ($1,242,805,359) |
| 15 | Kung Fu Panda | $1,818,607,666 | 3 | $606,202,555 | DreamWorks | Kung Fu Panda 2 ($665,692,281) |
| 16 | Cars | $1,798,902,845 | 5 | $359,780,569 | Disney | Cars 2 ($562,110,557) |
| 17 | Upside Mystery | $1,789,800,000 | 3 | ? | MGM | Upside Mystery 3 ($804,300,000) |
| 18 | How to Train Your Dragon | $1,638,215,783 | 3 | $546,071,928 | DreamWorks | How to Train Your Dragon 2 ($621,537,519) |
| 19 | Doraemon | $1,382,840,767 | 40 | $34,571,019 | Toho | Stand by Me Doraemon ($183,442,714) |
| 20 | Monsters, Inc. | $1,375,876,256 | 2 | $687,938,128 | Disney | Monsters University ($743,559,607) |
| 21 | Dusk and Dawn | $1,369,054,944 | 3 | ? | DreamWorks | A Zodiacal Night ($602,997,022) |
| 22 | Hotel Transylvania | $1,361,759,377 | 3 | $453,919,792 | Sony | Summer Vacation ($528,583,774) |
| 23 | The Secret Life of Pets | $1,309,041,756 | 2 | $654,520,878 | Universal | The Secret Life of Pets ($875,457,937) |
| 24 | The Pixelators | $1,165,238,069 | 2 | $483,120,942 | Fox | The Pixelators ($592,403,119) |
| 25 | The Lego Movie | $1,095,399,139 | 4 | $273,849,785 | Warner Bros. | The Lego Movie ($469,160,692) |