'Super Mario Bros. Movie' record-breaking opening: Revisiting highest-grossing animated movies
What's the story
The Super Mario Bros. Movie based on the beloved eponymous videogame has come to life, and how! Released on Friday in India, the Illumination, Universal Pictures, and Nintendo production is likely to emerge as the biggest-ever animated movie opening with a $368M global collection. In anticipation of its potential to break the record previously held by Frozen II, we revisit the highest-grossing animated films.
#1
'The Lion King' (2019) - $1.66B
According to IMDb, 1994's The Lion King—a timeless classic that has captured the hearts of generations—is one of the highest-grossing animated films ever made. About 25 years after its release, Disney revisited the movie in a computer-animated format featuring realistic-looking CGI animals. Following the exact story as the original, the film offered a brilliant cinematic experience, coupled with the incredible African landscape.
#2
'Frozen II' (2019), 'Frozen' (2013) - $1.45, $1.28B, respectively
Frozen II, released in 2019, is currently the highest-grossing animated film of all time, with a worldwide box office collection of around $1.45B. A sequel to the 2013 film Frozen—which is also among the highest-grossing animated films with $1.28B—the film followed the story of Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven as they embark on a mission to discover the truth about their kingdom's past.
#3
'Incredibles 2' (2018) - $1.24B
The long-awaited sequel to The Incredibles (2004) was released in 2018 and smashed all box office records. Incredibles 2 became one of the highest-grossing animated films, with a total collection of over $1.24B. The movie follows the story of the Parr family, but this time leaving Mr. Incredible on the home front; it centered around the character of Helen, aka Elastigirl (Holly Hunter).
#4
'Minions' (2015) - $1.16B
Illumination Entertainment's Minions had an unexpectedly impressive opening and accumulated a staggering $1.16B at the box office. A spin-off from the Despicable Me franchise, animated or otherwise, Minions made it to the list of the top 25 highest-grossing films of all time, just behind Iron Man 3. Its sequel, Minions: The Rise of Gru, directed by Kyle Balda, was released in July 2022.