By Sophie Riand
Thread
Your changes have been saved
Email is sent
Email has already been sent
Please verify your email address.
You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.
Manage Your List
Follow
Followed
Follow with Notifications
Follow
Unfollow
Link copied to clipboard
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.
✕ Remove Ads
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.
✕ Remove Ads
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
- 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.
✕ Remove Ads
Related
10 Highest-Grossing Actors of the 2000s at the U.S. Box Office
What follows are the highest-grossing stars (domestically) from the year 2000 to the year 2009.
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
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
✕ Remove Ads
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.
✕ Remove Ads
7 The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
$369,094,830
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.
✕ Remove Ads
Related
12 Best Netflix Animated Movies to Watch Right Now
Going from hit to hit, Netflix Animation is proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Here are the studio's best movies, ranked.
6 Frozen (2013)
$400,953,009
Frozen
PG
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.
✕ Remove Ads
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
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.
✕ Remove Ads
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
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.
✕ Remove Ads
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
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.
✕ Remove Ads
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
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.
✕ Remove Ads
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
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.
✕ Remove Ads
Related
10 Iconic Superheroes Who Were Originally Created for TV
Not all superheroes and villains have comic book lore for screenwriters to study. Some were created from scratch.
2
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.
✕ Remove Ads
- Movie Lists
- Animation
- Box Office
Your changes have been saved
Email is sent
Email has already been sent
Please verify your email address.
You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.
Manage Your List
Follow
Followed
Follow with Notifications
Follow
Unfollow