It might surprise you to know how high the box office was for Disney films. Disney has always known how to rake in money with a shovel. Over the years, the company has produced some of the finest films in history. While there has been a tendency to associate the film industry mainly with action and special effects (films that Disney knows a lot about), children's cinema has always been a success, and it seems to remain the same.
Of course, films for children come in a variety of forms and styles, but we want to open the curtain of Disney Studios and take a closer look at the most successful animation work. The mouse company has long cornered the animation market and while there are some strong competitors (eg DreamWorks), it's safe to say that Disney will remain the leader for years to come. We went through the most popular works and is in a hurry to report that the box office is really impressive.
While there are some conflicting figures when considering inflation, we have tried to compare films of the past with modern works as closely as possible. Thanks to this, the overall picture will be visible. It was interesting to find out that some early films even surpass modern works in terms of the number of collections. Piracy and streaming are plummeting the box office, but Disney movies don't usually suffer from piracy.
You will see Disney thriving in new circumstances. Take Moana, for example, which dropped out of this list. Moana is not even the most popular cartoon of the year, however, grossing almost $ 640 million. Let's take a look at the list, where you will surely find your favorite cartoon from the Disney studio.
Here are the 15 highest grossing Disney cartoons of all time.
15. Sleeping Beauty (1959) - $ 642 million
It may not be fair, but Sleeping Beauty only made the list because the film was re-released several times in theaters. In fact, the first screening practically ruined Disney. In 1959, The Sleeping Beauty became the company's most expensive film.
The cost of making a cartoon was three times that of any other, so the box office was a disappointment. The studio barely got its money back, let alone no profit. Because of this setback, Disney took a long hiatus in the creation of fabulous cartoons. However, over the years, the film has become a classic and has been re-released several times with increasing success.
Adjusted for inflation, the film grossed about $ 642,000,000. Incredible, since we're only based on domestic gross and doesn't include overseas sales.
14. City of Heroes (2014) - $ 658 million
From the very beginning, City of Heroes seemed doomed to fail. At first glance, the film did not have that captivating magic that is so characteristic of the work of Disney. However, in addition to animation, the film contained elements of "action", which made it possible to attract viewers of all ages. Few would have imagined that City of Heroes would become one of the most successful films of all time.
Even knowing how good he is, we are still very impressed. As a result, City of Heroes ranks 16th in the list of the highest grossing cartoons (excluding inflation). It also sits at the 102nd best selling of all time (again excluding inflation). While many Disney cartoons may seem childishly fun to adults, the themes covered in this film can be thought-provoking.
13. Fantasy (1941) - $ 734 million
As with Sleeping Beauty, Fantasia's overseas sales figures are unknown. Therefore, the very fact that the film earned $ 734 million at home is impressive. Fantasy ranks 23rd on the list of highest grossing films of all time, ahead of Jurassic World. Although the work has been re-released many times, it only peaked in the late 60s, when teens began recommending the film as a free drug effect.
In total, the film was re-released 9 times (1942, 1946, 1956, 1963, 1969, 1977, 1982, 1985 and 1990). For a film that contains essentially disparate elements, Fantasy is a real miracle. On top of that, the film has helped bring the forgotten Mickey Mouse back to life for generations.
12. Up (2009) - $ 735 million
Few dare to challenge the power of Up. When he was nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, he was only second, yielding that honor to Beauty and the Beast. Ranking # 83 on the list of highest grossing films of all time, Up has proven to be one of the most critically acclaimed films ever.
They claimed it was one of the finest Disney and Pixar works. Many applauded the authors for the risks it took to create the so-called children's cinema. The film not only found a new audience, represented by adults, but also refined to address him directly. This makes the financial success even more amazing.
11. Monsters University (2013) - $ 744 million
Compared to most of the films on this list, Monsters University did not receive very well, but it was still a huge box office success. To capitalize on the popularity of the original Monsters, Inc., the studio created a regular sequel without taking big risks. For this and some other reasons, critics disliked the job, but you can't say that they hated it either.
About 65% of global sales come from outside North America, a significant advantage over other films on the list. We will not judge the work for the form of the sequel, because it is not the only one on the list. So, $ 744 million allows the film to take 81 lines in the list of the highest grossing films of all time.
10. Puzzle (2015) - $ 858 million
From Monster University, we jump $ 100 million and land on the 54th best-selling film line in history. Here we find the "Puzzle". To say that the film was a masterpiece in many ways would not be an exaggeration. He is brave in plot, gentle in interpretation and charming in animation. The film was a wild success, receiving acclaim from almost every writer around the world.
Indeed, the film is close to perfection and deserves to be one of the most stunning animated films of all time. In total, Puzzle won 15 Best Picture awards at various awards ceremonies and 40 Best Animated Feature Film awards, including Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
9. Finding Nemo (2003) - $ 940 million
Having earned $ 940 million worldwide, Finding Nemo confidently took the 38th line in the list of best-selling films. At the time of its release, the film was the highest grossing ever (highest!), Surpassing many "giants" and paving the way for a new era of animated cinema.
If you had to poll the random animated movie fans, we're sure almost everyone on the list would have this movie as one of the masterpieces of animated movies. Watching this film will be a pleasure for people of all ages and in any mood.
8. The Jungle Book (1967) - $ 950 million
Last year, moviegoers were invited to an art remake of The Jungle Book and fans flocked to theaters to see the novelty. Grossing $ 966 million, the 2016 film landed at # 33 on the best-selling list. However, when inflation is taken into account, the box office of the original Jungle Book (1967) was very close to the sales of the "novelty." The total figures include overseas sales, although they are much lower than domestic sales.
Getting the exact numbers is no easy task, but we can still look at the film's popularity from a broader perspective. For example, in Germany, The Jungle Book is not only the best-selling animated film in history, but also the 3rd highest-grossing American film.With worldwide releases in 1967, 1978, 1984, and 1990, The Jungle Book had the opportunity to make some pretty good money off everyone.
7. The Lion King (1994) - $ 968 million
When The Jungle Book finally stopped selling, it stopped short of another Disney film on the list of the most successful. This is The Lion King. The film ranks 32, although earlier it could be found in higher positions. When the film was first released in 1994, it was the second most sold movie in history (excluding inflation). Only Jurassic Park was ahead of him.
In fact, it was only with the release of Finding Nemo in 2003 that The Lion King finally gave up. But the fight doesn't end there. In 2011, the film was re-released and sales exceeded Finding Nemo's box office. Still considered one of the finest Disney films ever produced, The Lion King is not a thing of the past as we hear of sequels, prequels and feature remakes coming soon to the big screens.
6.11 Dalmatians (1961) - $ 1,000,000,000
As is the case with some other films that took inflation into account, the world earnings of 101 Dalmatians are very difficult to calculate. With re-releases in 1969, 1979, 1985 and 1991, most of the funds were raised after the initial show. The film was a significant success, and it was a help for the studio, because it took pennies to create, and the profits were incredible. We are moving the figure closer to $ 1 billion, although it could be much higher, since a disproportionate part of the amount is accounted for by domestic sales.
5. Zootopia (2016) - $ 1,023,000,000
We have crossed the line with box office sales, so Zootopia's incredible sales may not be all that impressive. Of course, we do not want to take anything away from this truly outstanding work. But times are changing. While The Lion King was the second best-selling film of all time in 1994, Zootopia was only fourth on the 2016 list.
Incredibly, in 2016 Disney had an absolute success with all five films released. The directors of the film faced serious difficulties, but they managed to cope with it "excellently"! In the list of all-time bestsellers, Zootopia ranked 27th. Inflation aside, Zootopia will be the fifth grossing film in history.
4. Finding Dory (2017) - $ 1,028,000,000
Finding Dory has a unique feature as the only part of the franchise. Keep both the original and the sequel on our list today. It is surprising that both works are among the top ten highest grossing animated films of all time (excluding inflation).
If we take into account all types of films, then this work is ranked 24th. And if you look closely at the number of sales within the country, the numbers are impressive, because several records have been broken! In 2017, the film became the highest grossing animated film released in North America.
3. Toy Story 3 (2016) - $ 1,067,000,000
No one should be surprised to see Toy Story 3 here. You need to be surprised that the film is not located higher in the list. Toy Story 3 is ranked 19th best-selling film of all time and 3rd highest grossing animated film (excluding inflation). 11 years after the second part was shown, Toy Story 3 is released and has an incredible response from the viewer.
Like Up and Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story 3 won an Oscar for Best Picture. Sequels often do well, but this third movie made more money than the previous two combined!
Toy Story 3 proved the power of animated films when it hit the $ 1 billion mark for the first time ever! (Although since 2010, several animated films have done the same). The ratings of the film on review sites are off the charts and clearly demonstrate that Toy Story 3 is more than just funny pictures.
2. Frozen (2013) - $ 1,287,000,000
If you have children, or at least have seen a child in your life, then it will be natural for you to see "Frozen" in such a high position. Earning a whopping $ 1.287 billion, Frozen becomes the 9th highest grossing film in history. In the list of the best-selling animated films, he is the undisputed leader and takes 1 position. Although this list does not take inflation into account, as we do.
The accolades don't end there. Frozen is the 3rd highest grossing film ever in Japan. Considering all the spin-offs associated with the film, it's safe to say that Disney doubled the amount it earned in sales. Obviously, this is the studio's most lucrative and independent work at the moment.
1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - $ 1,800,000,000
There has been a lot of controversy about how much income should be adjusted to bring the sales of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs closer to today's global economy. The 2015 Guinness World Records did not provide reliable figures, but their figures show that sales exceeded $ 1,800,000,000. The first show took place in 1937, followed by re-releases in 1944, 1952, 1958, 1967, 1975, 1983, 1987 and 1993. on which the film made very good money.
Domestically, the film ranks 10th in sales for the entire history (adjusted for inflation). The film is considered a world treasure. This film is one of the earliest full-length animation works and symbolizes the founding of animated cinema.
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