Zootopia registers best Disney animation debut

Yes, 2015 was a great year at the box office, but 2016 has hit the ground running. Disney's “Zootopia” premiered in theatres this week to nearly universal critical acclaim, and audiences seem to have listened. The animated feature definitively won the box office during its opening weekend. However, beyond merely garnering the number one spot, the tale of Nick Wilde and Judy Hopp also set an all-time box office record for Disney animation. A new report from ComicBook.com indicates that the film's $73.7 million opening weekend box office debut makes it the best ever opening for Disney animation (the film has already gone on to haul $200 million globally). Prior to the release of “Zootopia”, Disney's animated superhero feature “Big Hero 6” held the three-day record with $56 million. Behind that, “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Tangled” both came in with roughly $50 million during their respective opening weekends. “Frozen”, the now-legendary tale of Elsa and Anna premiered to a paltry $250,000 in a single theatre, but then went on to garner close to $67 million the following week when it experienced a wide release.

Outside the realm of Disney movies, “Zootopia” managed to break yet another record as well. Over the course of its three-day premiere it managed to dethrone the previous record holder for highest grossing animated March premiere, “The Lorax”, which hit cinemas in 2012.

What makes this accomplishment even more impressive is the fact that “Zootopia” managed to do something no other movie has been able to accomplish in the last three weeks: taking down “Deadpool:, which had recently gone on to become not only the highest grossing R-rated comic book movie of all time, but managed to garner numerous other records during its short run.