The following is a list of the highest-grossing opening weekends for an animated films. The list is dominated by recent films due to steadily increasing marketing budgets, and modern films opening on more screens. Another contributing factor is inflation not being taken into account.
An animated feature film is defined as a motion picture with a running time of more than 40 minutes, in which movement and characters’ performances are created using a frame-by-frame technique. Motion capture by itself is not an animation technique. In addition, a significant number of the major characters must be animated, and animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture’s running time.
—Rule Seven - Special Rules For The Animated Feature Film Award : I. DefinitionBiggest worldwide openings for an animated film since 2002[edit]
This list charts films that had openings in excess of $100 million worldwide. Since animated films do not open on Fridays in many markets, the 'opening' is taken to be the gross between the first day of release and the first Sunday. Figures prior to the year 2002 are not available.
Figures are given in United States dollars (USD). Sixty-eight percent of the films in the top 22 were released after 2010. 2013 is the most represented year, with four films. The Ice Age franchise is the most represented franchise with 3 films each. DreamWorks Animation and are the most represented studios with 7 films on the list. This list does not take into account country-by-country variations in release dates. Therefore, in some cases opening weekend grosses from many, or even most countries may not be included.
Biggest opening weekend in U.S. and Canada for an animated film since 1982[edit]
This list charts films the top 50 highest-grossing animated opening weekends in U.S. and Canada for an animated film since 1982.
Figures are given in United States dollars (USD). Ninety-eight percent of the films in the top 50 were released after 2000. 2012 & 2015 is the most represented year, with six films each. and are the most represented franchises with four films each.
Opening weekend record holders in U.S. and Canada since 1982[edit]
These are the films that, when first released, set the opening three-day weekend record after going into wide release.
At least 13 animated films have held the record of highest-grossing animated film at different times. Two of these were in the DreamWorks animations franchise. Disney and Pixar held the record three times each as of 2015.
Biggest opening week in U.S. and Canada for an animated film since 1976[edit]
This list charts films that had openings in excess of $70 million in their first week.
Figures are given in United States dollars (USD). 43.3% of the films in the top 30 were released after 2010, 2012 is the most represented year, with four films. and Despicable Me, are the most represented franchises with three films. all films in the Main series Cars and Despicable Me are on the list. Pixar are the most represented studio with 12 films on the list.
Biggest opening day in U.S. and Canada for an animated film since 1992[edit]
This list charts films that had openings in excess of $16 million in their first day in U.S. and Canada for a animated film since 1992. Figures are given in United States dollars (USD). 51.9% of the films in the top 27 were released after 2010. 2008 is the most represented year on the list with 4 films
All films in the main series Cars, Despicable Me and Monsters, Inc. these are also the most represented franchise with 2 films each. Pixar is the most represented studios with 11 films on the list.
Biggest opening weekends overseas for an animated film since 2002[edit]
has the biggest opening overseas for an animated film since 2002This list charts films of Biggest opening weekends overseas for an animated film since 2002. Figures are given in United States dollars (USD). 80% of the films in the top 15 were released after 2010. 2011 are the most represented years on the list with 4 films each. films must excuses $50 million.
DreamWorks Animation and Blue Sky and the most represented studios with 4 films on the list.
Timeline of biggest overseas openings for an animated film since 2001[edit]
At least 6 animated films have held the record of highest-grossing animated film at different times. Pixar, Blue Sky and Disney are the only studio to held the record on two different times.
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images.
