"Problematic" Update Given After Disney's 'Zootopia 2' Release

Zootopia 2 is a runaway success, and there’s no denying the momentum behind it.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday stretch, the film pulled in a massive $59.2 million domestically since its Tuesday night debut. That includes $19.7 million on Thanksgiving Day alone and another $38.5 million on Black Friday. The movie is projected to make between $140–$156 million across the five-day holiday window.

Internationally, it’s breaking even more records. In China, Zootopia 2 became the first Hollywood movie to surpass the $100 million mark in a single day, outpacing the record previously held by Avengers: Endgame. Globally, the sequel has already reached $133.2 million and is expected to bring in another $135–$145 million in the coming days.

The numbers are jaw-dropping, and for Disney’s bottom line, this is a huge win. But for anyone paying attention to the bigger picture—it’s also a sign of something much deeper. And possibly much more troubling.

Sequels Are Winning—Original Stories Aren’t

Let’s face it. Disney has had a rough go when it comes to creating successful original content over the last few years. Wish, the movie that was supposed to be a celebration of Disney’s 100th anniversary, bombed. Despite its nostalgic messaging and heavy marketing, audiences just didn’t show up.

It wasn’t alone. Lightyear was meant to breathe new life into a beloved Toy Story character, but the execution fell flat with many fans. Strange World didn’t even stand a chance—it came and went without ever really catching fire.

All three films had politically tinged marketing pushes and storytelling decisions that didn’t land well with large portions of the audience. And when the stories themselves aren’t particularly strong, that’s a recipe for failure.

So now, Disney is leaning hard into the one thing it knows works: sequels.

A Growing Dependence on the Familiar

Zootopia 2 is just the beginning of what looks like a larger shift in strategy. Moana 2 was already a massive success at the box office, and a live-action version of the original is on the way. Toy Story 5 is already in development. Frozen 3 has been confirmed. Disney has already confirmed The Incredibles 3, as well, and Pixar is openly embracing sequels again as it tries to recover from its recent slump.

This approach isn’t shocking—audiences are clearly eager to see more from these beloved characters and worlds. But what happens between the sequel drops? What’s left for the years where there’s no familiar face to draw in the crowds?

That’s where Disney’s current model starts to look fragile.

Creativity Has Taken a Backseat

There was a time when Disney and Pixar were known for creating original, emotionally resonant films that left a lasting impact. From The Lion King to Big Hero 6, and from Inside Out to Coco, the studios set the bar for storytelling across the entire animation industry.

Now, that spark seems dimmed. There’s an ongoing struggle to craft compelling new characters and narratives that connect on the same level. And instead of figuring out how to solve that problem, the fallback plan has been to dig deeper into the sequel vault.

That strategy might work for now, but it’s risky long-term. Every successful sequel sets expectations higher, and audiences can turn quickly when those expectations aren’t met. More importantly, over-relying on nostalgia puts a ceiling on how much Disney can grow creatively—and how well it can future-proof its storytelling pipeline.

The Road Ahead

Disney has all the talent and resources in the world to create bold new films. But the current trend sends a loud message: original stories aren’t resonating, and that’s a huge concern for a company that used to define innovation.

Of course, fans want to see Frozen 3. Of course, they were lining up for Moana 2 when it was released in 2024 and will be Toy Story 5 when it comes out next year. But those films alone can’t carry Disney through the next decade. What’s needed is a rebalance—a recommitment to building new worlds, introducing new characters, and telling stories that haven’t been told before.

Until that happens, every successful sequel is going to carry a shadow. A reminder that while Disney can still strike gold, it hasn’t figured out how to mine anything new lately.