To date,54 movies have made more than $1 billionat the worldwide box office and of those, more than 20 percent are animated. Animated movies are big business and no longer just something to entertain the kids for a couple of hours. They are cleverly crafted stories stuffed with memorable visuals and music as well as witty dialogue and jokes that are definitely aimed at more mature viewers.
Animation gives creators the freedom to stretch the boundaries of imagination and offer audiences something mesmerizing and fantastical. It also triggers those nostalgic memories of childhood when all of life’s lessons seemed to revolve around whatever cartoon character was the flavor of the month. Most people have at leastone animated movie on their favorites listand here are the ten best that broke the billion dollar mark.
10’Finding Dory' (2016)
Worldwide Box Office $1,029,266,989
Following in the wake of Disney’sFinding NemocameFinding Dory,the backstory of the wide-eyed, blue-tangled fish with a terrible memory. The one thing Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) can remember is that she somehow became separated from her parents as a child. With help from her friends Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence), Dory embarks on an epic adventure to find them which, after a few bouts of forgetfulness, she of course does.
TheFinding Dory,story is one that’s been told countless times; an abandoned child finding their long-lost parents against all odds. But, it still deserves its place in thebest Pixar movies rankingsand not just because baby Dory is the cutest critter ever to swim in the ocean. The movie delivers the warm and fuzzies just as expected, but the addition of Hank the grumpy octopus (Ed O’Neill) provides a level of complexity that’s both entertaining and compelling.
9’Despicable Me 3' (2017)
Worldwide Box Office $1,034,800,131
Despicable Me 3is yet another hilarious tale of super villain turned good guy, Gru (Steve Carell). After getting fired from the Anti-Villain League, Gru and his family, including his loyal Minions, travel to Freedonia to meet his long-lost twin brother Dru (Carell). While Gru’s wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) gets to grips with being a new mom, he and Dru work together to take down Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker), a former 80s child star out for revenge on a world that shunned him.
The film includes a sweet side story about young Agnes (Nev Sharrel) finally getting to see a real life Unicorn - ‘He’s so fluffy!’ - but the real appeal is the 80s nostalgia. Anyone who lived through the decade of decadence can’t help but smile at the retro music and images scattered throughout the movie and Bratt’s keyboard guitar and signature mullet are just the icing on the cake. The two dance fight scenes between Gru and Bratt are a riot and make this one of thebest Illumination moviesever made.
Despicable Me 3
8’Toy Story 3' (2010)
Worldwide Box Office $1,067,316,101
InToy Story 3, Andy is heading out to college, so his cherished childhood toys Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and the rest of the troupe are boxed up ready to be stored in the attic, but end up being donated to a day-care center instead. At first, the toys are thrilled at the prospect of being played with again, but that soon fades when they find out the excitable kids don’t ‘play nice’. Hindered by the villainous stuffed bear, Lotso (Ned Beatty), Woody and the gang struggle to make their escape.
While its sequel did a little better at the box office,Toy Story 3leaps out in front with regard to sheer entertainment value. It hits every primal desire an audience wants from a great movie; laughter, tears, friendship and mortality. The unspoken bond between the characters in the furnace scene is palpable and makesToy Story 3one of the most rewatchable Pixar moviesof all time.
Toy Story 3
7’Toy Story 4' (2019)
Worldwide Box Office $1,073,841,394
Five years ago,Toy Story 4hit theaters and audiences were treated to more antics from Woody (Hanks), Buzz (Allen) and the rest of the gang. This time, they all head off on a road trip with their owner, Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw) and her new hand-made toy, Forky (Tony Hale), who literally thinks he’s trash. An unexpected detour leads to Woody reuniting with Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and the two of them join forces to rescue Forky, while contemplating the meaning of their toy life.
Toy Story 4was considered by many to be an unnecessary sequel, with everything already being nicely rounded off in the third movie of the series. There was also a mixed reception to the bitter-sweet ending, when Woody chooses to stay with Bo and parts company with all of his other toy pals. Regardless, this movie is a fun watch and has just the right blend of playfulness and sophisticated humor audiences have come to expect. Fans will be excited to hear thatToy Story 5is in the worksand scheduled for release in 2026.
Toy Story 4
6’Minions' (2015)
Worldwide Box Office $1,159,457,503
Minionstakes viewers back to the humble beginnings of those lovable little yellow dudes with a language all their own. In their relentless quest to find and serve the most despicable master they can, Kevin, Stuart and Bob (all voiced byPierre Coffin), cross paths with overly ambitious supervillain Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock). With the help of hubby Herb (Jon Hamm), Scarlet persuades theMinionsto help steal the crown of England and things just fall to pieces from there.
Since they first burst onto the screen inDespicable Me, it was inevitable that these hilarious helpers would eventually break out with their own franchise. The slapstick antics of theMinionshave featured in six moviesso far, and they just keep getting funnier. Even while the end credits roll, viewers know to stick around for some extra entertaining horseplay.
5’The Incredibles 2' (2018)
Worldwide Box Office $1,243,225,667
The Incredibles 2starts where the first film left off, with the family dealing with baby Jack-Jack and his inexplicable array of new powers. Then mom, Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) is reenlisted into superhero active duty, leaving Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) to stay home and take care of the baby and two other kids, Violet (Sarah Vowell) and Dash (Huck Milner), which presents its own set of headaches. Meanwhile, cyber-criminal Screenslaver launches a dastardly plan of hypnotizing the world through computer screens and getting rid of Supers.
Superpowers aside, this is a story most viewers can relate to, as it’s ultimately about family coming together. This universal theme combined with Baby Jack-Jack’s escapades and everyone’s favorite ‘daaarling’ Edna “E” Mode (Brad Bird) seals the Incredible family’s place among thebest animated superhero movies.
The Incredibles 2
4’Inside Out 2' (2024)
Worldwide Box Office $1,267,918,459
InInside Out 2, Riley (Kensington Tallman) becomes a teenager which of course, means the introduction of a whole new range of emotions. Enter; Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adele Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). As she struggles to fit in at hockey camp, Riley’s new emotions wreak havoc but eventually, under Joy’s (Amy Poehler) expert guidance, all the emotions come together to recover and protect Riley’s sense of self.
This movie sets audiences on an emotional roller coaster while providing valuable life lessons everyone can learn from. At some point, every person is challenged by the angst of puberty and having to deal withevery emotion that appears inInside Out 2.To the delight of many, this amazing animation recently hit an epic milestone by becoming the highest grossing Pixar film of all time.
Inside Out 2
Worldwide Box Office $1,285,048,126
The movieFrozenwas inspired byHans Christen Anderson’s fairy story ‘The Snow Queen’. When the kingdom of Arendelle becomes trapped in perpetual winter, Princess Anna (Kristen Bell) joins forces with mountaineer Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and his reindeer sidekick, Sven, to find Anna’s sister, Snow Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel), and break the icy spell. On their epic journey, among other things, they encounter mystical trolls and a silly snowman called Olaf who can’t seem to keep his mouth shut. Still, despite every adversity, the heroes push on to save their kingdom from winter’s freezing grasp.
What adds to this movie’s appeal is thatFrozenhas one of the best animation movie scores.Featuring 8 songs co-written by husband and wifeRobert LopezandKristen Anderson-Lopezand 22 pieces composed byChristopher Beck, theFrozensoundtrack has sold more than ten million copies. Very few animated movies have had audiences singing along quite so loudly - ‘Let it Go! Let it Go!
2’The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ (2023)
Worldwide Box Office $1,361,992,475
Much like the incredibly popular Nintendo video game, the objective ofThe Super Mario Bros. Movieis for Mario (Chris Pratt) and his brother Luigi (Charlie Day) to rescue Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) from the evil clutches of Bowser (Jack Black). In fairness, the plot of the movie is much more in-depth as the couple of hapless plumbers adventure through the magical kingdom. Mario’s battle with Donkey Kong and Luigi’s prison stint with Lumalee, the happiest doomsayer ever, are fantastically funny.
While the concept of avideo game adapted into a movieis nothing new, this animated feature offers something unique and entertaining. The creative license afforded by animation, kept that fantasy land feel that just doesn’t translate into real life. This is probably why this movie was so much more commercially successful than the 1993Super Mario Bros.version staringBob Hoskins, which (pun intended) failed on a lot of levels.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
1’Frozen II' (2019)
Worldwide Box Office $1,453,683,476
Unusually for a Disney animation,Frozen IIdoesn’t feature a villain for the hero to overcome. Instead, the story revolves around Elsa’s (Menzel) voyage of self-discovery. After venturing through enchanted forests and dark seas with her sister Anna (Bell) and Kristoff (Groff), Elsa learns the origin of her magical powers and connection to the Elemental Spirits. In true fairy tale fashion, the story ends with Elsa taking her rightful place as protector of the enchanted forest, and Anna becoming the new Queen of Arendelle.
While some feel this sequel didn’t quite live up to expectations, the movie still deserves snaps for its charming and more traditional animation style and melodious soundtrack. Also, what child or parent, for that matter, didn’t fall in love with the adorable Olaf (Josh Gad) the chatty snowman, orSven, the lovable reindeer sidekick?
Next: [The 20 Best Movies to Gross Over $1 Billion, Ranked]
