From franchise hits like « Toy Story » and « Minions » to musicals like « Frozen, » here are the highest-grossing animated movies of all time.
Animated movies have always been big box office earners. From Disney classics like « The Lion King » to a slew of Pixar titles, animated movies have wide appeal, often making ideal outings for the whole family.
This was evident in a post-pandemic world, as titles like « Minions: The Rise of Gru » and « The Super Mario Bros. Movie » got families to return to the theaters in droves after a dry period that was devastating to theater owners.
Animation’s power to devour the box office continued in the summer of 2024, when « Inside Out 2 » crossed the $1 billion mark in 19 days, the fastest rate ever for an animated movie.
It joins titles like « Toy Story », « Despicable Me », and « Frozen » in sharing the distinction of being one of the highest-grossing animated movies of all time.
Below are the top 15, not adjusted for inflation.15. “Minions: The Rise of Gru” (2022)
Worldwide gross: $940,203,765
Chronicling the antics of a young Gru turned out to be box office gold. Minions: The Rise of Gru » earned over $100 million at the domestic box office in its opening weekend, even though audiences were still hesitant to return to movie theaters following the pandemic.14. “Finding Nemo” (2003)
Worldwide gross: $941,637,960
Pixar had already grabbed the attention of kids thanks to « Toy Story », but when this aquatic story hit screens, the animation studio became even more beloved.13. “Despicable Me 2” (2013)
Worldwide gross: $970,766,005
That’s right — you’ll see a lot of movies involving Minions on this list. The beloved « Despicable Me » franchise from Illumination has only grown in popularity over the decades.
