Many successful animated movies seem to get a sequel, which is usually because they make a lot of money. Animated films account for 21 of the 100 highest-grossing films of all time, 14 of which are sequels. Many factors can determine the success of a movie, but usually it’s box office receipts.
Unfortunately, studios often focus on quantity over quality and rush a sequel to capitalize on the success of the original film. While some fail to capture what made the first movie great, others are just as good or even better than the original. Like any movie franchise, it can be hard to strike gold twice, but some animated movies just keep getting better with each installment.
10 Cars is Pixar’s most unequal series
Set in a world that is completely populated by anthropomorphic talking cars and other vehicles, cars follows the Lightning McQueen car race and his friends from Radiator Springs. the cars The franchise is easily Pixar’s least well received by critics and fans. While the first and third movies were good, the second entry, which is often cited as Pixar’s worst movie, ruins the series overall.
Despite this, the cars The franchise has grossed a total of $1.4 billion. While that’s an insanely large number, it’s not even where this franchise makes most of its revenue. Marketing has brought an additional $10 billion into this franchise, which isn’t bad for talking cars.
9 Finding Nemo and Finding Dory are among Pixar’s best
Finding Nemo takes place under the sea and centers on a widowed clownfish named Marlin and a blue fish named Dory. The pair swim to Sydney to find Marlin’s missing son, Nemo. The film was a huge success for Pixar and was given a sequel, Finding Dorymore than a decade later.
When Finding Dory was released, it achieved what few sequels achieve, and surpassed its predecessor. Both films were very well received and earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, which Finding Nemo it won in 2003. Together, the films grossed a little over $1.9 billion at the box office and are considered some of Pixar’s best films.
8 Wreck-It Ralph offered Disney fans something new
Wreck it Ralph is a Disney computer-animated film that tells the story of the arcade game’s titular villain who rebels against his “bad guy” role and dreams of becoming a hero. The film is filled with multiple video game references and self-aware humor that made it feel fresh and original.
Wreck it Ralph it was a critical and commercial success, grossing close to $500 million at the box office and receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature. A sequel titled ralph breaks the internet it was released six years later and met with similar success. the Wreck it Ralph the films have grossed over $1 billion and spawned related comics and video games.
7 Incredibles 2 doubled the box office of its predecessor
The Incredibles takes place in a universe where superheroes co-exist with civilians and are occasionally forced to act despite a government-issued ban. When The Incredibles came out in 2004, it was a huge hit for Pixar, grossing a staggering $630 million and winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Its sequel, Incredibles 2, was twice as profitable, grossing $1.2 billion. This does Incredibles 2 Pixar’s highest grossing film to date. The sequel was also nominated for Best Animated Feature but did not win. Both films are considered to be two of the best animated films ever made.
6 Ice Age kept making more and more money with each installment.
the Ice Age The films are set during the prehistoric Pleistocene era and center around a woolly mammoth, a sloth, and a saber-toothed tiger trying to survive the ice age. The first film in the series met with positive critical reception, the only film in the series to do so, and did well enough at the box office to earn a sequel.
While the quality of the movies certainly dropped with each installment, their box office returns certainly didn’t. With each subsequent installment doing better than its predecessor, the Ice Age series has amassed a total gross of over $3.2 billion, making Ice Age the fourth highest-grossing animated film series of all time.
5 Kung Fu Panda shows no signs of slowing down
Kung Fu Panda it was the first installment in what would become one of DreamWorks’ most popular series. The films are set in a version of ancient China that is populated by anthropomorphic animals. Kung Fu Panda centers on an overweight panda who surprisingly is chosen as the protector of the kingdom and given the title of Dragon Warrior.
The franchise consists of three TV series and three movies, with a fourth in development for a 2024 release. The franchise also includes video games, a live show, theme park rides, and tons of animated shorts. The films alone have grossed more than $2 billion through box office and DVD sales. the Kung Fu Panda All of the films have received positive critical reception, with an average Rotten Tomatoes score of 84 across all three films.
4 Despicable Me is the highest grossing animated series of all time.
My favorite villain It was the first Illumination movie and it was a success in every sense of the word. The film tells the story of a supervillain who adopts three orphaned girls and devises a plan to steal the Moon with the help of his henchmen. The film did well critically and commercially, spawning a franchise that would become a global media powerhouse.
While the My favorite villain movies are extremely successful in their own right, their spin-off movies, minions Y Minions: The Origin of Gru, made this franchise the highest-grossing animated film series of all time. The movies grossed over $4.5 billion in total, which is impressive for characters who mostly just speak in gibberish.
3 Shrek is DreamWorks’ most commercially successful film series
When DreamWorks launched Shrek in 2001, it marked a major change in animation because the film was aimed at both adults and children. Set in a fairy tale world, Shrek centers on the titular ogre who goes on a quest with a talking donkey to rescue a princess. It was a huge success both critically and commercially, and won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Shrek Since then, it has spawned three sequels, spin-off movies, theme park rides, and even a Broadway musical. Shrek is the most successful DreamWorks franchise. The studio’s four highest-grossing films are Shrek movies, which have grossed $3.5 billion.
two How to Train Your Dragon is DreamWorks’ most critically successful film series
Weather Shrek may be DreamWorks’ most commercially successful film series, How to Train Your Dragon it is the most successful from a critical point of view. Each film has been nominated for Best Animated Feature and has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 90% or higher. In total, the three films have raised more than 1.6 billion dollars, with the second installment being the one that has obtained the most income.
The film series is set in the mythical world of Vikings and wild dragons. How to Train Your Dragon follows a teenage Viking, Hiccup, as he befriends a rare dragon. Part of the success of the films is how beautifully animated they are, thanks in part to legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, who worked as a visual consultant on the first film.
1 Toy Story remains the gold standard for animation
toy story It was Pixar’s first animated film and it was an absolute turning point that revolutionized the world of animation. It was the first popular computer-animated film, and it raised the bar for what an animated film could be. However, what really marks the toy story franchise apart from the rest is the quality of its films.
Since 1995, toy story It has remained the gold standard for storytelling, voice acting, and animation, only getting better with each installment. The series is set in a world where toys come to life when humans are not around. the toy story The franchise has a total of four films and has grossed over $3.3 billion, making it the third highest-grossing animated franchise of all time.