06Animated films have long been a staple with movie-going audiences. While they’ve always had a huge following, it is only recently that animated films have started to break records and bring in insane amounts of money at the box office that rival live-action films.
The 2010s definitely saw a rise in animated films as Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, 20th Century/Blue Sky, and Universal/Illuminations all battled it out for the honors of being the highest-grossing animated films of their respective release year. The films that earned the honor of being the highest-grossing animated film of their year truly are a testament to the artform with their compelling stories and stunning art. Here are the highest-grossing animated films from each year of the 2010s.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
2010 has some amazing animated films released, including Tangled, which became the most expansive animated film ever made. However, even Tangled‘s insane budget couldn’t out-earn the highly-anticipated Toy Story trilogy’s conclusion.
Released in June of 2010, Toy Story 3 went on to earn $1.067 billion at the box office. In addition to being the highest-grossing animated film of 2010, Toy Story 3 also became the highest-grossing film of 2010 of all genres, and it’s the first-ever animated film to make $1 billion at the box office.
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
Coming out on top in 2011 is Dreamwork’s second film to the Kung Fu Panda franchise: Kung Fu Panda 2. Released in May of 2011, Kung Fu Panda 2 earned $665.7 million at the box office.
Kung Fu Panda 2 went on to be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2011 Academy Award but lost the Oscar to Rango despite bringing in more money at the global box office. Kung Fu Panda 2 also became the highest-grossing film directed by a woman.
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
20the Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios made a name for themselves with the Ice Age franchise, and, in 2012, they released the franchise’s fourth film Ice Age: Continental Drift. The film amassed $95 million at the box office.
Not only was Ice Age: Continental Drift the highest-grossing animated film of 2012, but it also landed in the top five of the highest-grossing film of any genre for 2012. However, despite being the highest-grossing animated film of 2012, the film was the lowest earned film of the series in North America.
Frozen (2013)
The Walt Disney Animation Studios have long since been a staple in the animated world, and they once again reigned supreme in 2013 when they released the musical princess film Frozen. The film went on to earn a whopping $1.280 billion.
Not only was Frozen the highest-grossing animated film of 2013, but it was also the highest-grossing film of the year. It went on to win two Academy Awards while also becoming the highest-earning film by a female director until Wonder Woman was released.
Big Hero 6 (2014)
Disney once again took home the honor of being the highest-grossing animated film of the year with their release of Big Hero 6. The film went on to earn $657.8 million to take the win.
Not only was the film the highest-grossing animated film of the year, but it also went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. In addition, Big Hero 6 is also the first Disney animated film to be based on a Marvel Comic.
Minions (2015)
Joining the ranks of the animation studio greats is Illumination Entertainment, a studio currently partnered with Universal. In 2015, Illumination Entertainment won the prize of being the highest-grossing animated film of the year with the release of Minions.
A spin-off to the Despicable Me franchise, Minions earned $1.159 billion at the box office to take home the win. Not only did Minions out-earn its parent franchise, but the film also became the highest-grossing non-Disney animated film of all time. Despite making a lot of money, the film was met with mostly mixed reviews from critics and fans alike.
Finding Dory (2016)
It only took Pixar six years to reclaim their title of being the highest-grossing animated film of the year. The highly anticipated sequel, Finding Dory, hit theaters in June of 2016 and brought in $1.029 billion for the powerhouse animation studio.
Finding Dory became a powerhouse at the box office, shattering several records. In addition to becoming Pixar’s second film to break the billion-dollar mark, Finding Dory also had the biggest opening for an animated film in North America, and it’s the ninth highest-grossing animated film of the 2010s.
Despicable Me 3 (2017)
After the success of the Minions, Illumination’s once again hit it out of the park with the release of the third film in the Despicable Me franchise. Earning $1.035 billion, Despicable Me 3 out-earned Pixar’s Coco and Cars 3.
While the film franchise once again was met with mixed reviews, they didn’t seem to affect audiences. In fact, thanks to Despicable Me 3, the franchise is the first animated franchise to have two films gross over $1 billion at the box office. It is also the highest-earning film in the franchise.
Incredibles 2 (2018)
While Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse might be considered the best animated film of 2018, it was Pixar’s Incredibles 2 that earned the title of being the highest-grossing animated film of 2018.
While Pixar fans might consider the franchise to be underrated, there’s nothing underrated about a film that grossed $1.243 billion at the box office. Incredibles 2 also set the record for the best opening weekend for an animated film, and it went on to become the third Pixar movie to earn over $1 billion.
Frozen 2 (2019)
Six years after its predecessor took home the prize of being the highest-grossing animated film of the year, the Frozen franchise did it again. The highly anticipated sequel grossed $1.450 billion at the box office to earn its title.
Despite grossing an incredible amount of money, Frozen 2 came in third place for highest-grossing films of 2019. Still, the film holds the record for the highest all-time opening for an animated film in the world! Despite Frozen 2’s success, it did not receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
