Zootopia 2 fueling IP shopping bonanza

Disney's Zootopia 2 has become a major box-office performer in China, setting off a wave of intellectual property (IP)-driven consumer spending across e-commerce platforms.

Since its release on Nov 26, the movie has topped the box-office charts in the country and is now the highest-grossing foreign animated feature film in Chinese cinema history.

As of 14:50 on Thursday, Zootopia 2 had generated more than 2.2 billion yuan ($311.2 million) in ticket sales in China, said Lighthouse Professional Edition.

The film's momentum is spilling into retail. On Dewu app, searches for "Zootopia" surged 60 percent on opening day, with blind boxes, premium co-branded collectibles and household goods ranking among the most popular categories.

Collectible toy producer Pop Mart has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries. Its co-branded lineup — including blind box figurines, action figures and keychains — has seen strong demand. The hidden edition "Finnick Fox with a Cart" from the MOLLY x Zootopia 2 series has been trading at 234 yuan, more than three times its 69-yuan retail price.

On Taobao and Tmall, search volumes for "Zootopia" jumped more than 1,000 percent after the film's debut. Blind boxes, gold jewelry and trendy collectibles topped sales rankings.

According to Dewu, Chow Tai Fook's premium gold series has become the most expensive Zootopia 2 collaboration to date. A carrot-shaped gold pendant inspired by character Judy Hopps retails for 3,275 yuan, while Nick-and-Judy-themed lucky beads sell for 2,075 yuan, setting a new price benchmark for IP-linked jewelry.

The movie has a large fan base in the country, evidenced by Zootopia Land at Shanghai Disneyland. "Zootopia 2 isn't just a film — it's a nostalgia-driven consumption moment for a fan base, which is now entering peak spending power," said a trend-toy executive at Dewu, who declined to be named. "Emotional value products have become one of the fastest-growing categories among young consumers."

The film's protagonists, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, have quickly returned as major attractions among Gen Z consumers, sparking a wide range of co-branded launches. According to Dewu, Disney's Zootopia-themed thermoses sold 26,000 units and garnered 55,000"want" marks and a pet cross-body bag sparked strong demand among pet owners. Blind boxes from Miniso, 52Toys, Toptoy, and trading cards from Jika Club have seen sold out merchandise in many markets.

To date, Zootopia-related IP has partnered with 98 brands to release more than 14,000 co-branded products across toys, fashion, household goods, electronics, foods and beverages, and pet supplies — covering nearly every aspect of young consumers' lifestyles, said Dewu.