Box office: Finding Dory has the best animated opening ever

Disney films hit a couple of significant milestones this week.

First, Finding Dory had the biggest debut in the history of animated films.

The film, a sequel to Pixar’s classic Finding Nemo, earned an estimated $136.2 million this weekend, beating the $121.6 million that Shrek the Third opened to in 2007.

The last time a Disney-Pixar film held this record was when Finding Nemo opened to $70.3 million in 2003. That record was broken by Shrek 2, which opened to $108 million in 2004, and then Shrek the Third broke that film’s record in 2007.¹

The previous best opening for a Pixar film was the $110.3 million that Toy Story 3 opened to in 2010. Finding Dory has also made more money in one weekend than the last Pixar film, The Good Dinosaur, made in its entire theatrical run.

The other big Disney news this week is that Captain America: Civil War became the first film this year to gross over $400 million in North America.

The film — which ranked tenth in its seventh week — has earned $401.3 million so far in North America and another $743.6 million overseas, for a global total of $1,144.9 million, which makes it the 12th-highest-grossing film of all time worldwide.

The other major wide release this week was Central Intelligence, an action comedy starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. It grossed an estimated $34.5 million.

That’s the tenth-best opening for a film with Dwayne Johnson, but it’s the fourth-best opening for a Dwayne Johnson film that wasn’t a sequel, and it’s the second-best opening for a non-sequel in which he had a lead role, behind San Andreas.

Central Intelligence also has the fifth-best opening for a film with Kevin Hart, and it’s his best opening overall outside of the Scary Movie and Ride Along franchises.

Meanwhile, in other box-office news…

The Conjuring 2 earned $15.6 million and ranked third in its second week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $71.7 million. The film has earned another $116.2 million overseas for a global total of $187.9 million.

Now You See Me 2 earned $9.7 million and ranked fourth in its second week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $41.4 million. The film has earned another $49.7 million overseas for a global total of $91.1 million.

Warcraft earned $6.5 million and ranked fifth in its second week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $37.7 million. The film has earned another $339.9 million overseas for a global total of $377.6 million.

X-Men: Apocalypse earned $5.21 million and ranked sixth in its fourth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $146.1 million. The film has earned another $364.1 million overseas for a global total of $510.1 million.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows earned $5.2 million and ranked seventh in its third week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $71.9 million. The film has earned another $70.8 million overseas for a global total of $142.7 million.

Me Before You earned $4.2 million and ranked eighth in its third week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $46.4 million. The film has earned another $36 million overseas for a global total of $82.4 million.

Finally, Alice through the Looking Glass earned $3.6 million and ranked ninth in its fourth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $69.3 million. The film has earned another $166.7 million overseas for a global total of $236 million.

Now for a bit of extra data on Zootopia’s ranking among animated films:

In North America, the film still ranks eighth:

• 2004 — Shrek 2 (DreamWorks) — $441.2 million
• 1994 — The Lion King (Disney) — $422.8 million
• 2010 — Toy Story 3 (Pixar) — $415.0 million
• 2013 — Frozen (Disney) — $400.7 million
• 2003 — Finding Nemo (Pixar) — $380.8 million
• 2013 — Despicable Me 2 (Universal) — $368.1 million
• 2015 — Inside Out (Pixar) — $356.5 million
• 2016 — Zootopia (Disney) — $339.5 million
• 2015 — Minions (Universal) — $336 million
• 2007 — Shrek the Third (DreamWorks) — $322.7 million

Overseas, the film still ranks fifth:

• 2013 — Frozen (Disney) — $875.7 million
• 2015 — Minions (Universal) — $823.4 million
• 2012 — Ice Age: Continental Drift (Fox) — $715.9 million
• 2009 — Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Fox) — $690.1 million
• 2016 — Zootopia (Disney) — $672.5 million
• 2010 — Toy Story 3 (Pixar) — $648.2 million
• 2013 — Despicable Me 2 (Universal) — $602.7 million
• 1994 — The Lion King (Disney) — $564.7 million
• 2003 — Finding Nemo (Pixar) — $555.9 million
• 2012 — Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (DreamWorks) — $530.5 million

And worldwide, the film still ranks fourth:

• 2013 — Frozen (Disney) — $400.7 + 875.7 = 1276.5 million
• 2015 — Minions (Universal) — $336.0 + 823.4 = 1159.4 million
• 2010 — Toy Story 3 (Pixar) — $415.0 + 648.2 = 1063.2 million
• 2016 — Zootopia (Disney) — $339.5 + 672.5 = 1012.0 million
• 1994 — The Lion King (Disney) — $422.8 + 564.7 = 987.5 million
• 2013 — Despicable Me 2 (Universal) — $368.1 + 602.7 = 970.8 million
• 2003 — Finding Nemo (Pixar) — $380.8 + 555.9 = 936.7 million
• 2004 — Shrek 2 (DreamWorks) — $441.2 + 478.6 = 919.8 million
• 2009 — Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Fox) — $196.6 + 690.1 = 886.7 million
• 2012 — Ice Age: Continental Drift (Fox) — $161.3 + 715.9 = 877.2 million

Next week brings us Independence Day: Resurgence, the Civil War movie Free State of Jones, and the thrillers The Shallows and The Neon Demon.

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1. Shrek the Third held the top-animated-opening record for nine years (2007-2016) — longer than any other film in Box Office Mojo’s archives. Prior to that, the record was held by: Shrek 2 (2004-2007), Finding Nemo (2003-2004), Monsters Inc. (2001-2003), Toy Story 2 (1999-2001), The Lion King (1994-1999), Aladdin (1992-1994), Beauty and the Beast (1991-1992), The Land Before Time (1988-1991), An American Tail (1986-1988), The Black Cauldron (1985-1986), The Care Bears Movie (March-July 1985), The Last Unicorn (1982-1985) and The Secret of NIMH (July-November 1982) — though those last few films might have had smaller openings than some earlier film that Box Office Mojo hasn’t noted. This list is based on first weekends in wide release, and it does not include Who Framed Roger Rabbit.