10 Highest-Grossing Animated Movies of the 2010s (2024)

The Digital Era of animation has allowed the industry to flourish beyond any expectations. For instance, the 2010s have resulted in some of the most iconic and beautifully-animated films of all time. Not only have these films become staples in the media and pop culture, but they have also shattered box office records and the standards set for animated films. Computer and software advancements of the era allowed animators to communicate visually in ways that were previously impossible.

As a result, the decade features a number of impressive stories that now have become a vital part of animation history. Though many of them are sequels, the films are still almost, if not more, impactful than their original films. The box office records are only another accolade for these brilliant and award-winning films.

10 Zootopia (2016)

$341,268,248

Zootopia

PG

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Release Date

February 11, 2016

Cast

Ginnifer Goodwin , Jason Bateman , Idris Elba , Jenny Slate , Nate Torrence , Bonnie Hunt

Runtime

108

Main Genre

Animation

Studio

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Directed by animators Rich Moore and Byron Howard, who were also responsible for Bolt, Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, and many more Disney films, Zootopia is a poignant retelling of the prejudice that exists in society through anamorphic characters. Making over 340 million at the U.S. Box office, Zootopia comes in just behind the original Inside Out. The film's earnings have also surpassed classic animated films of the prior decade, including Up and Monsters, Inc. Worldwide, Zootopia made over a billion dollars after its release. Due to Zootopia's overwhelming success, a sequel was announced at D23, where they released a short teaser.

Part of the film's success can be attributed to the cast and their chemistry. Zootopia featured Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde, Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps, and Jenny Slate as Bellweather. On top of this spectacular cast, the themes of the film helped reveal the harms of stereotyping, and Zootopia did this in a way that easily catered to all ages and made it an extremely memorable film for Disney.

9 Inside Out (2015)

$356,461,711

Inside Out

PG

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See Also

The 50 Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time: Your Top Box Office Earners Ever WorldwideThe 15 Highest Grossing Movies of All Time - IGNThe 10 Highest-Grossing Movies of 20237 Highest-Grossing Movies of 2000s Worldwide: Avatar, The Dark Knight and more

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Release Date

June 9, 2015

Director

Pete Docter , Ronaldo Del Carmen

Cast

Amy Poehler , Phyllis Smith , Richard Kind , Bill Hader , Lewis Black , Mindy Kaling

Runtime

94

Main Genre

Animation

From Pete Docter,Inside Outis yet another deeply creative and impactful addition to his impressive filmography. The chief creative officer of Pixar has also contributed to box-office hits such asInside Out 2, theToy Storyfranchise,Monsters University, and Up. Worldwide,Inside Outmade over 850 million dollars.

The film's exploration of the subconscious, family dynamics, emotions, and memories, made Inside Out a surprisingly profound addition to the animated films of the 2010s. Like Zootopia, its clever delivery of heavy themes meant that all audiences could relate in some way, even if it was through the parents' emotions, rather than Riley's. The film's success led to its sequel, Inside Out 2, which is now the highest-grossing animated film of all time as of 2024.

8 Despicable Me 2 (2013)

$368,065,385

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Despicable Me 2

PG

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Crime

Family

Sci-Fi

Release Date

June 26, 2013

Cast

Steve Carell , Kristen Wiig , Benjamin Bratt , Miranda Cosgrove , Russell Brand , Ken Jeong , Elsie Fisher , Dana Gaier , Pierre Coffin

Runtime

98 minutes

Studio(s)

Universal Pictures

In this addition to the Despicable Me franchise, the newly reformed Gru, played again by Steve Carell, must take down the supervillain El Macho. To help him, Gru teams up with Lucy Wilde, who is played by Kristen Wiig. Directed by the original creator of the franchise, Pierre Coffin, the film is another engaging and fun installment to the franchise.

Though Illumination is the underdog when it comes to popularity, this hasn't stopped the animation company from having multiple box-office hits, which include Sing and The Secret Life of Pets. Domestically, even Despicable Me 4 and Minions: The Rise of Gru, have made it into the top 20 highest-grossing animated films of all time.

Though it's expected for such a long-running franchise to eventually dry up, each Despicable Me installment has been shockingly good, with even the recent 4th film being one of the best in the franchise, according to critical reviews. With quirky humor, an excellent soundtrack, and convincing voice performances, Despicable Me 2 easily became a box-office success, much like its counterparts.

7 The Secret Life of Pets (2016)

$369,094,830

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The Secret Life of Pets

PG

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Release Date

June 18, 2016

Cast

Lake Bell , Kevin Hart , Ellie Kemper , Albert Brooks , Jenny Slate , Steve Coogan

Runtime

91

Main Genre

Animation

Studio

Universal Pictures

Though not nearly as ground-breaking or innovative as other films on the list, Chris Renaud's mildly entertaining The Secret Life of Pets was a surprisingly big box-office hit. The film follows the premise of what pets might do while their owners are away from home. In the film, an animal gang called the Flushed Pets fight against domestication and recruit strays. This leaves the newly lost pets, Max and Duke, to become wrapped up in the chaos.

The Secret Life of Pets was praised by most audiences. However, film's reviews note the lack of creativity. Compared to the Despicable Me franchise and other Illumination productions, The Secret Life of Pets fails to do anything special. Despite the reviews, the film was still largely successful with general audiences, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 2016.

6 Frozen (2013)

$400,953,009

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Frozen

PG

See Also

The highest-grossing Disney animation movies of all time

Animation

Action

Romance

Mystery

Musical

Fantasy

Family

Comedy

Adventure

Thriller

Release Date

November 20, 2013

Cast

Kristen Bell , Idina Menzel , Jonathan Groff , Josh Gad , Santino Fontana , Alan Tudyk

Runtime

108

Main Genre

Animation

Studio

Walt Disney Animation

Based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen (if you didn't know, "Hans-Kristoff-Anna-Sven"), Frozen is one of the most wildly popular animated films of all-time. With breathtaking visuals, memorable songs, and a heartwarming story of two sisters, Frozen has become iconic for Disney as a whole. At the worldwide box office, Frozen is still one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, coming over 200 million below Inside Out 2.

Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, Frozen was never expected to reach the level of success that it did, and it resulted in Frozen 2, which was even more financially successful than the first film. The film performed better than a number of Disney-Pixar classics, including Finding Nemo, Up, and The Incredibles.

5 Toy Story 3 (2010)

$415,004,880

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Toy Story 3

G

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Fantasy

Release Date

June 16, 2010

Cast

Tom Hanks , Tim Allen , Joan Cusack , Ned Beatty , Don Rickles , Michael Keaton

Runtime

103

Main Genre

Animation

Directed by Pixar legend, Lee Unkrich, Toy Story 3 is one of the most popular outputs of the animation studio. Its quality even surpasses the original two films, with a brilliant story about growing up, and the memories that are left behind. The film contained brilliantly executed messages about nostalgia, which, in turn, appealed to a wide range of viewers and audiences. On top of this, the majority of the original cast, featuring Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, returned to the film to reprise their roles.

Though the film wasn't as financially successful as Toy Story 4, many agree that Toy Story 3 should have been the natural end to the Toy Story franchise. Regardless, Toy Story 3 is still one of Pixar's greatest achievements when it comes to storytelling, and the sheer quality of the film has set a standard in the animation industry.

4 Toy Story 4 (2019)

$434,038,008

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Toy Story 4

G

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Release Date

June 19, 2019

Cast

Tom Hanks , Joan Cusack , Patricia Arquette , Kristen Schaal , Laurie Metcalf , Annie Potts

Runtime

89

Main Genre

Animation

Studio

Disney Pixar

Toy Story 4 introduces a wide variety of characters into the franchise as the film tries to revive the originality of the original trilogy. Arguably, the film succeeds in this by creating a somber, character-driven look into the aftermath of Woody's and Buzz's time with Andy, Bonnie, and what their future holds. Again, this film feels like a natural sense of closure. However, there is yet another sequel expected to come out in 2026.

Though the franchise is dampening slightly with each new release, the box office doesn't reflect this in the slightest. Each Toy Story film has easily surpassed the next, making the 5th one likely a hit as well. Toy Story 4 is still the 7th highest-grossing animated film of all time in the U.S., and it's ahead of all the other films in the franchise.

3 Frozen 2 (2019)

$477,373,578

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Frozen 2

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Fantasy

Release Date

November 20, 2019

Cast

Kristen Bell , Idina Menzel , Josh Gad , Jonathan Groff , Sterling K. Brown , Evan Rachel Wood

Runtime

104

Main Genre

Animation

Studio

Disney

Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee quickly returned to direct the long-awaited sequel to the Frozen franchise. In the sequel, Elsa continues to explore her powers, and she finds out the origin of her abilities. While doing so, Elsa and Anna realize the danger of outside elemental and magic forces that have put Arendelle in danger.

Though not as critically-acclaimed as the first film, Frozen 2 is still an entertaining and beautiful adventure, and a heartwarming tale of self-discovery for Elsa. On a global scale, Frozen 2 is also one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, and its place serves as a testament to the popularity of the franchise as a whole.

2 Finding Dory (2016)

$486,295,561

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Finding Dory

PG

Comedy

Animation

Adventure

Release Date

June 17, 2016

Cast

Ellen DeGeneres , Idris Elba , Michael Sheen , Eugene Levy , Ty Burrell , Kaitlin Olson , Albert Brooks , Diane Keaton , Ed O'Neill , Dominic West , Hayden Rolence

Runtime

97 Minutes

Studio

Directed by one of Pixar's pioneers, Andrew Stanton, Finding Dory is a surprisingly substantial sequel to Finding Nemo. Though it doesn't have the same level of originality or spectacle, Finding Dory is still a great character exploration into Dory and her life with memory loss. Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres also both return as Marlin and Dory and give brilliant performances yet again.

Unlike Finding Nemo, Finding Dory was able to surpass $1 billion at the box office. Domestically, Finding Dory is also the 4th highest-grossing animated film of all time, and it comes in slightly behind the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie.

1 Incredibles 2 (2018)

$608,581,744

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Incredibles 2

PG

Animation

Action

Adventure

Family

Release Date

June 14, 2018

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson , Sophia Bush , Holly Hunter , Jonathan Banks , Catherine Keener , Bob Odenkirk

Runtime

126

Main Genre

Animation

Studio

Walt Disney Pictures

The incredible Brad Bird, who also directed Ratatouille, returned to direct Incredibles 2 after almost 15 years since the original film, The Incredibles (2004). The film follows the Parr family once again during the midst of the "superhero comeback." Brad Bird successfully continues his exploration of family and values in the unique context of superhumans.

Domestically, Incredibles 2 is the second-highest-grossing film of all time. The film sits just behind Inside Out 2 by over 50 million dollars. The anticipation alone is what largely played a role in its success, as the sequel had been teased for years, as Brad Bird wanted to ensure that the film was just as good as the original, which it also arguably succeeded in doing.

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