Disney’s “Frozen II” is set to hit theaters in China on Nov. 22, day and date with the US. The first installment, “Frozen,” grossed $48.2 million in China in 2014, at a time when the country had fewer screens and lower expectations for animated fare.
Animation hasn’t always been a huge hit at the Chinese box office, since viewers commonly think of the genre as for children. That’s increasingly changing, however, particularly after the recent success of local animation “Nezha,” which grossed $709 million (RMB4.97 billion) to become the country’s second-highest-grossing film of all time.
“Abominable,” the U.S.-China co-production between DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studios, is currently still in Chinese theaters but has made only $15.2 million (RMB107 million) in the mainland after almost a month on screens.
In the past, Disney animated fare like “Zootopia” and “Coco” have hit home in the territory. The former is the most successful foreign animated title in China and ranks as the 31st top-grossing title of all time on the back of $215 million (RMB1.52 billion) in earnings, while the latter grossed $171 million (RMB1.21 billion) and screened despite an informal ban in the country on content featuring ghosts.
“Frozen II” is directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, and features the voices of returning talent Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad. It is the sequel to 2013’s “Frozen,” which won the Academy Awards for best animated feature film and best original song, the popular “Let It Go.”