Animated movie “Zootopia 2” hopped to the top of the box office in a big weekend for family-friendly films.

The sequel to the 2016 film from Walt Disney Co. brought in $156 million in the U.S. and Canada over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, according to studio estimates. The film’s production budget was estimated at $175 million to $200 million.

In total, “Zootopia 2” collected $556 million in global box office revenue, including $272 million in China, a once-massive market for Hollywood films that has cooled in recent years. The haul for “Zootopia 2” in China marked that country’s highest opening ever for a nonlocal animated movie.

The movie probably benefited from its strong franchise recognition in China; Disney opened a “Zootopia”-themed land at Shanghai Disneyland in 2023 and embarked on an extensive marketing campaign before the film’s release. The original film had a total box office haul in China of $236 million.

Universal Pictures’ “Wicked: For Good” came in second at the domestic box office with a five-day total of $93 million.

The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas has traditionally been an important time for studios and theaters to attract moviegoers with family-friendly fare or blockbusters, which can provide a big chunk of the year’s box office revenue.

“Zootopia 2” and “Wicked: For Good” were seen as two of the major films released toward the end of the year that could drive massive ticket sales. The third — Disney’s 20th Century Studios’ “Avatar: Fire and Ash” — will be released in theaters next month.

The reception for “Zootopia 2” and “Wicked: For Good” also points to the demand for family films. Though the overall box office has been uneven this year, films geared toward children and families have largely performed.

Disney’s live-action adaptation “Lilo & Stitch” brought in more than $1 billion in global box office revenue and Warner Bros.’ “A Minecraft Movie” wasn’t far behind, with nearly $958 million.

Thousands of people are expected to converge in downtown L.A. as this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show wraps up on Sunday. The event at the Los Angeles Convention Center is one of the oldest and largest auto exhibitions in the nation and features hundreds of new vehicles and concept cars, including the latest in EVs.

EVs always feature prominently at the L.A. Auto Show, and this year there were again new ones available for purchase in addition to those that carmakers are still planning. The show has long leaned on California’s reputation as a climate leader to launch the latest in electric technology. This year it comes at an important moment. The Trump administration has ended rebates that lowered the price of EVs, aiding the oil industry. It’s unclear what effect that will have on sales.

Electrifying vehicles is one of the main ways governments, including California’s, address climate change. The state has committed to 100% decarbonization by 2045 and has prioritized the transition away from smog- and pollution-forming combustion engines.

Among the EVs exhibited this year are the 2026 version of the Nissan Leaf, which now offers an estimated 303 miles of range on a charge, and the Chevy Bolt, which offers an estimated 255 miles of range. The Bolt is returning due to “popular demand,” after being discontinued in 2023, company officials said. The starting retail price for both cars is around $29,000.

The auto show also saw new models debut, including the 2026 Jeep Recon — a Wrangler-style EV advertised by the company as “the only fully electric Trail Rated SUV” — that offers 230 miles of range starting at $65,000. The range for the new Hyundai Ioniq 6 N has not yet been announced but is expected to land around 257 miles when the car comes to market early next year.

Luxury EVs on display include the $77,000 Rivian RIS and the $80,000 Lucid Gravity, with estimated ranges up to 410 and 450 miles, respectively. (Rivian also displayed its upcoming R2 — a smaller SUV with a promised price of $45,000 that is expected to offer more than 300 miles of range.)

In addition to canceling rebates on new and used EVs, the Trump administration has moved to block California’s landmark ban on the sale of gas-powered cars, prompting a lawsuit from the state in return.

The administration’s actions pushed many consumers to snap up EVs before the federal incentives expired, with California reporting a record number of zero-emission vehicle sales in the third quarter of 2025 — just shy of 126,000, or about 29% of new car sales.

However, the headwinds coming out of Washington, D.C., also appear to be giving some automakers pause. Brands such as Acura, Ford and GM in recent months have announced plans to discontinue some electric models and scrap plans for new ones. The climate reporting website Heatmap noted that there was an absence of enthusiasm for EVs at press events surrounding this year’s L.A. Auto Show, and that “fanfare over the electric future was decidedly tamped down.”

In October, the first full month after the repeal of the federal tax credit, EVs accounted for just 5.2% of new vehicle retail sales in the U.S., according to consumer insights company J.D. Power. The number represented a notable tumble from the all-time high of 12.9% in September.

The forecast for November is mostly the same, with EVs expected to represent about 6% of national car sales.

Still, many in the industry believe the lull will amount to little more than a bump in the road.

“The strong will survive, so the ones who make really good EVs that are priced right, you’ll see them bounce back,” said Ed Loh, head of editorial with Motor Trends, in an interview with Fox Business at the L.A. Auto Show.

The show also comes as California continues to ramp up its EV charging network. The state in September surpassed 200,000 fully public and shared EV charging ports — an increase of about 20,000 since March, according to the California Energy Commission. There are now more charging ports than gas pumps.

Gov. Gavin Newsom also reaffirmed the state’s commitment to electric vehicles with a June executive order on reducing vehicle emissions and funding for clean manufacturers, among other items.

What’s more, the global picture for EV remains bright. The International Energy Agency reported 17 million electric car sales worldwide in 2024, a roughly 25% increase over the year prior.

Sales in 2025 are expected to exceed 20 million, or more than a quarter of cars sold worldwide.

By Molly Bedford, Gabriel Blanco, Laura Salaberry, Rebecca Lieberman, Veronica Majerol and Ashwin Seshagiri

November 28, 2025