Fans of all ages love animated movies. Through the use of breathtaking technology, animation takes us to fantasy worlds we all want to visit. Beginning in the early 1900s, animated films have also turned out to be a phenomenon at the box office. Moreover, some of the biggest successes are animated.

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Every year, many animated films make it to the theaters, and some of them become blockbusters. Disney and its Pixar studios are the most successful when it comes to making money from animated movies. But, besides it, Universal Studios and others too have had considerable success in the industry. However, few hits have crossed the $1 billion mark.

10 Zootopia Took Fans To The World Of Animals And Grossed $1,023,784,195

Nick and Judy from Zootopia

As kids, many have wondered about a world where animals replace humans – from talking and driving to studying and doing office work; they do everything humans do. Disney brought this to the big screens through Zootopia, where fans witness an unlikely alliance of a rabbit cop and a red fox con.

Calling the movie worth the money would be an understatement. Zootopia had everything a good animated film should have. Made on a budget of almost $150 million, the film crossed the billion-dollar mark at the box office. Yet, six years later, fans still wonder whether a sequel is in the cards or not.

9 Finding Dory Brought In A Solid $1,028,570,942

Hank and Dory tape together in a scene from Finding Dory.

A direct sequel to Finding Nemo, Finding Dory was a worthy successor to an all-time classic animated film. No one knew they needed a sequel to the 2003 movie until they got this brilliant movie from Pixar. While the film wasn't very original and had almost similar arcs, its emotional and touching screenplay covered it up.

It took more than $200 million to create Finding Dory, and it didn't disappoint at the box office. The movie made more than a billion dollars at the box office, making 2016 the first year to feature two animated films breaking the billion threshold. The other one was Zootopia.

8 Despicable Me 3 Grossed $1,034,800,131 Worldwide

Dru and Gru in the Minions franchise

Gru is one of the most iconic animated characters of all time. Thus, fans were beyond excited when it was announced that Despicable Me 3 will also feature his long-lost brother Dru. The movie follows a great dynamic between the twins where Dru wants to learn how to become a villain while the former super-villain brother is reluctant to teach him so.

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Add in the cute minions, and it's the recipe for a great movie. While the film didn't get universal acclaim as its two predecessors did, it was still praised for its pros. Made on a budget of $80 million, Despicable Me 3 turned out to be a blockbuster at the box office as it crossed a billion dollars during its lifetime run.

7 Toy Story 3 Became The First Animated Movie To Earn More Than A Billion With $1,066,970,811

Andy hands Woody over to Bonnie

Toy Story 2 was released in 1999, and it took 11 years for the franchise to return with Toy Story 3. Fans eagerly awaited the movie, and a few knew they were in for a treat. It was beyond emotional to see Andy as a grown-up individual like everyone who had grown up watching the franchise.

The movie was emotional and was maybe more mature than anyone ever thought. This emotional ride took more than $200 million to create, making Toy Story 3 one of the highest-budget animated movies of all time. It made a billion at the box office and deserved every bit of it.

6 Toy Story 4 Narrowly Outperformed Its Predecessor And Grossed $1,073,394,593

woody and bo peep in Toy Story 4

Toy Story 3 was such a fitting end to the iconic franchise that not many fans were thrilled when another installation was announced. However, all doubts were shut for good when the movie was released as it was yet another instant classic film featuring iconic toys. Bo Peep in the lead was something fans didn't know they needed until they got it.

While the film certainly had its flaws, its positives outweigh them. Buzz Lightyear not getting enough screen time was one of the problems fans had with the movie. Nonetheless, it had its emotional moments that stand toe-to-toe with some other emotional moments of the series. It, too, was made on a hefty budget of around $200 million but more than made up for it, becoming a smash hit.

5 In Terms Of Money, Minions Earned A Lot Of Money As It Brought In $1,159,444,662

Minions In Minions

Minions were loved by fans of all ages upon their introduction in Despicable Me. There would hardly be anyone who didn't like the cuteness of these characters. In an era of countless spin-offs, an exclusive movie for these tiny yellow creatures was inevitable. Minions was the answer to fans' desire to watch more of these creatures.

While the movie was humorous and a nice one-time watch, it didn't reach the critical response set by other films in the franchise. The movie proved that while Minions are an integral part of the franchise, they are better as sidekicks, rather than having their solo film. While the movie may be a regular occurrence among the worst movies to make a billion, that doesn't change the fact that it did make a billion, and that too on a budget of $74 million.

4 Incredibles 2 Was Worth The Long Wait And It Grossed $1,243,089,244 At The Box Office

Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone are forced to do Screenslaver's bidding

The Incredibles was released in 2004 and became an instant classic. It gave fans a fresh look at superhero movies, showing a family dynamic between a family of superheroes. However, it took fourteen years for Pixar to release its sequel, which is deemed one of the best sequels by Pixar.

Incredibles 2 was a crazy ride, much like its predecessor. It maintained the family dynamic while focusing more on characters and had various adrenaline-boosting moments. It was made on a hefty budget of $200 million and didn't disappoint the makers.

3 Frozen Gave Fans A Great Princess Story And Made $1,281,508,100

Anna and Elsa hold hands at the end of Frozen

Disney and Princesses are a never-ending story as fans may never get tired of the House of Mouse dropping yet another movie featuring any of the princesses. While it's a debate whether Anna and Elsa are Disney princesses, it doesn't matter much as their story made billions of dollars at the box office, starting with Frozen.

It was a movie better than anyone could have expected. From emotions to the storyline, the film maintained its high quality throughout the movie. And, of course, nobody can forget "Let It Go," the song used in the movie that even went on to win an Oscar.

2 Frozen II Is The Bigger Grosser Of The Two Movies, With $1,450,026,933

Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Sven, Frozen 2

Disney returned to the Frozen franchise in 2019 with Frozen II. While some feel that it entirely failed to recapture the aura of the original movie, others think it was a dazzling movie no less than its predecessor. While fans may carry this debate to eternity, a thing Frozen II did better than the 2013 film was earnings at the box office.

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The movie made almost half-a-billion dollars, around ten times its $150 million budget. The film had a more significant role for Elsa than the first, and it was a welcome decision.

1 The Lion King Is The Highest Grossing Animated Movie With $1,663,250,487

Simba and Mufasa in the Lion King (2019)

A remake of the 1994 movie of the same name, The Lion King, brought fans back to the world of animals led by its rightful king Mufasa. Even though the movie is rendered entirely through hyper-realistic computer animation, Disney refuses to call it an animated movie. Nonetheless, it is regarded as the highest-grossing animated movie of all time.

The movie follows a young cub named Simba and his journey from an afraid child who blamed himself for his father's death to a king who assumes the role of a leader, much like what his father wanted him to be. Of course, it's hard not to talk about Scar, who quickly cemented his place as one of the smartest Disney villains. It was made on a budget of $260 million and is the highest-budget animated movie alongside Tangled.

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