Hollywood cannot survive without animation

Currently, animation is experiencing an unprecedented string of successes - Photo: Pixar

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie from Universal and Illumination became the first film to surpass the $1 billion global box office mark in 2026. Pixar's Hoppers achieved the highest opening revenue for an original Pixar film since Coco in 2017. Meanwhile, Toy Story 5 easily crossed the $1 billion mark.

Inside Out 2 and Zootopia 2 topped the box office in 2024 and 2025 respectively - marking the first time animated films have dominated the box office for two consecutive years. Zootopia 2 also became the highest-grossing Hollywood animated film of all time.

Excluding the 2020 and 2021 seasons, when the pandemic left theaters almost devoid of family-oriented works, animation has accounted for about 20% of the top 10 highest-grossing films each year for the past decade.

Yet, the artists behind these films rarely feel that they are valued accordingly. At the end of last July, Pixar underwent a major staff reduction as more than 100 employees had to leave the company.

In May 2024, Pixar cut 14% of its staff, equivalent to about 175 people. In 2023, Netflix restructured its animation department, cutting staff and halting development on two projects that were in the pre-production stage.

Zootopia is a winner at both the box office and in merchandise sales - Photo: Disney

An animator shared bluntly: "You cannot imagine how frustrating it is to constantly read press releases praising how much money our animated films make and how many nominations they receive; then the studio turns to the people who have worked here for years and says: 'We don't need you anymore'".

However, some of those holding the future of the animation industry also admit that this disregard partly stems from the industry itself. Pete Docter, Pixar's Chief Creative Officer, who directed Oscar-winning films like Up, Inside Out, and Soul, said: "A lot of people in the world still think animation is for children, and we ourselves have contributed to that.

You look at 90% of Hollywood films, they are funny, silly, and somewhat like babysitting tools. As an industry, we can raise the bar."

The adventurous journey of the Disney princess and her new companions in Moana 2 brings in billion-dollar revenue for Disney - Photo: Disney

Even so, box office performance alone should have been enough for animation to receive more respect. 

"If my figures are correct, Moana 2 (2024) earned more than the combined total revenue of all films nominated for Best Picture" - said Jim Morris, who has served as president of Pixar for 21 years. "Animation is propping up a lot of studios right now".

In 2025, Ne Zha 2 became the first animated film to surpass the $2 billion global box office mark. That stability gives studios something very important: the freedom to take risks. When original live-action films struggle, it is animated franchises that help bring audiences back to theaters. That buffer allows studios to boldly bet on new projects.

The animated film Ne Zha 2 dominates the Chinese box office - Photo: Sohu

So what does one of the aforementioned works need to do to win Best Picture at the Oscars? That remains a lingering question for the industry. Since the Best Animated Feature category was established in 2001, it has been both a recognition and a barrier: it is a place to honor animated works, but it also separates them from the most important award race.

Only three animated films have ever been nominated for Best Picture: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Up (2009), and Toy Story 3 (2010). The fan community argues that this list should have been much longer. Hopefully, one day, the Academy will see what those in animation have known for a long time: animation is not a genre inferior to live-action cinema. It is cinema itself.