Animation movies aren’t just a way to entertain the kids for a couple of hours; they're part of a fascinating medium that showcases one of the most magical aspects of filmmaking. From Walt Disney to Hayao Miyazaki, the world’s greatest animators have captured the imagination of millions – and movie studios have (sometimes) made a pretty penny in the process. In this guide, you can find out the 10 highest-grossing animated movies of all time, and find out where you can watch them all on UK streaming services.
When it comes to animation, The Walt Disney Company has dominated the box office for decades with sequels, prequels and remakes of their biggest hits, often making even more money with every new installment. But in recent years, animated movies from studios other than Disney have found their way onto the list of highest-grossing animated movies as well. Whether you’re just curious about the most successful animated movies ever or simply looking for must-see titles that belong on your watchlist, here are the 10 highest-grossing animated movies of all time.
1. Ne Zha 2 (2025) - $2.12bn
The biggest surprise of all comes at the very top of this list, with this Chinese animated sequel taking the box-office by storm in 2025. Ne Zha 2 follows its predecessor from 2019, taking us back to this magical world of dragons, wizardry, and warriors for a far bigger and more ambitious story.
As you’d expect, the majority of this film’s success has come in its native homeland, with a record-breaking run in China. But Ne Zha 2 also thrived in the US, selling out theatres and raking in $7.2m in its opening weekend. At the time of writing, the movie stands at $2.12bn (equivalent to £1.62bn) and it still has time to extend its lead at the top of this list, too.
2. Inside Out 2 (2024) - $1.69bn
It’s quite remarkable how Ne Zha 2's box office compares to every other movie on this list, but let’s not pretend that the total gross for Inside Out 2 isn't absolutely phenomenal too. The 2024 Pixar sequel was far and away the top performer of last year, with worldwide takings of $1.69bn (equivalent to £1.29bn). Following on from Riley’s traumatic experiences in the first movie, Inside Out 2 shows us what happens when puberty hits and new, more complex emotions join the party. It’s not quite as emotional as the original, but it’s just as meaningful and was able to resonate with a bigger, older audience.
3. The Lion King (2019) - $1.65bn
This one’s a bit of an anomaly and a controversial entry in the list of the highest-grossing animated movies of all time. There's some debate as to whether The Lion King remake of 2019 is even technically animated, but the fact it was entirely rendered digitally allows it passage onto this list. Rather predictably, the so-called live-action remake was a massive success, with fans flocking to see what Disney came up with here. It made a whopping $1.65bn at the box-office (equivalent to £1.26bn), placing it ever so slightly behind Inside Out 2.
4. Frozen 2 (2019) - $1.45bn
Another pretty predictable winner for Disney was the move to make a sequel to the absolute monster 2013 hit, Frozen, with Frozen 2 making a killing at the box-office in 2019. The film was worth the six-year wait, with a surprisingly profound and emotional storyline, more brilliant songs, and plenty more fun, too. In terms of box office gross, Frozen 2 surpassed its predecessor by a fair distance, bringing in $1.45bn at the time, which is equivalent to £1.10bn. Now, we just have to wait to see what Frozen 3 can achieve, but it's highly likely to have an impact on this list.
5. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - $1.36bn
Creating a movie based on one of the most successful and recognisable video game characters of all time was always likely to give The Super Mario Bros. Movie a strong foundation for its own success, but no one truly saw this one coming. Still, Chris Pratt, who voiced Mario in the movie, is known to get bums in seats – something that was proven one year earlier with the Jurassic World franchise. The Super Mario Bros. Movie made $1.36bn (or £1.04bn) in 2023 and (rather unsurprisingly) we’ll be getting a sequel to the big hit next year, with the core voice cast returning for more plumbing, princess rescues, and catchy tunes.
6. Frozen (2013) - $1.29bn
We’ve already talked about Frozen 2, but we’re simply not ready to "let it go" just yet. When Elsa and Anna were introduced to the world in 2013, along with the lovable snowman Olaf, Disney produced movie magic. Loosely inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Snow Queen", Frozen became an instant Disney classic that has stood the test of time and remained a family favourite ever since. At the box office, Frozen brought in $1.29bn (£986m) and was the highest-grossing animated movie for six years before it was dethroned by Simba and The Lion King remake. It probably helped that kids and parents alike couldn’t get that iconic song out of their heads for months.
7. Incredibles 2 (2018) - $1.24bn
Incredibles 2 is another Disney effort that absolutely blew its predecessor out of the water. It became the highest-grossing animated movie domestically for some time, and was the fastest animated film to gross $1bn at the time of release – doing so in just 46 days. Incredibles 2 ended its theatrical run with a massive $1.24bn haul at the box-office (equivalent to £950m), eclipsing the $633m figures of The Incredibles. This sequel took things in a much darker, more sophisticated direction to the original, but it clearly struck a chord, and rode the wave of the superhero movie hype, too.
8. Minions (2015) - $1.15bn
Among all this Disney dominance, it’s refreshing to see something from another studio on the list, with Illumination’s Despicable Me franchise peaking with the 2015 spin-off, Minions. Focusing on the origins of Gru’s little yellow sidekicks, this rather simple, yet very effective and entertaining little flick hit all the right notes, with families turning out in their droves.
In the United States, Minions grossed a huge $115.2m in its opening weekend, the second-highest opening weekend for an animated film, behind Shrek the Third. But, ultimately, Minions had the legs to keep going and going, and finished up with $1.15bn (£886m). It was also the biggest opening weekend for a prequel, surpassing Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
9. Toy Story 4 (2019) - $1.07bn
Like us, you were probably wondering when Buzz and Woody would make it onto this list. And, in typical fashion, we’re getting two at once after waiting so long. Toy Story 4 is fractionally more successful than its predecessor, breaking the top five in 2019 with a healthy taking of $1.07bn (equivalent to £820m). Toy Story 4 has slipped down the list over the last few years, but it performed very well at the box office and proved that people still care about the iconic Pixar franchise – not bad for a movie that was deemed unnecessary by some fans at the time of release.
10. Toy Story 3 (2010) - $1.06bn
Toy Story 3 became the highest-grossing animated movie of all time back in 2010, and was the most successful film of the year, making even more than Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Inception. The film was obviously massively profitable in the United States, but also found a strong market in Japan, too, with a $126.7m haul there helping the movie reach its end total of $1.06bn (or £815m). It’s not surprising, really, given the quality of the film. Toy Story 3 is revered by critics and fans alike, with many claiming it to be the perfect end to a perfect trilogy. The movie was also nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, which is testament to just how great it is.
Check out our list below for options on where to watch all these amazing animated movies and see if they deserved the billions of dollars fans spent on cinema tickets, by catching them on streaming services like Disney Plus, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and more!
