Disney+'s Franchise With 9.8 Billion Minutes Viewed This Year Is So Popular, A Third Movie Is On The Way

Disney+ is home to some of the biggest franchises around, and one has been so popular this year that Disney has confirmed plans for a third movie. As the streaming service for one of Hollywood's most iconic studios, there is never a shortage of popular IP for subscribers to find and enjoy on Disney+.

Every show and movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is available at an instant (other than Spider-Man: Brand New Day). The complete collections for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Avatar, Toy Story, and other franchises can also be found with a search and click of a button. In many cases, Disney's biggest franchises dominate their charts as new entries come to theaters or streaming and viewers look to catch up.

That's no different in 2026, as the studio has seen new movies become incredibly popular on Disney+. The Devil Wears Prada, Toy Story, and MCU are a few franchises that have seen new and old titles find new life on streaming, but none are responsible for Disney+'s most-viewed movie this year. That belongs to a recent Walt Disney Animation Studios phenomenon that is destined for a trilogy.

Zootopia & Zootopia 2 Are Disney+'s Two Biggest Movies Of 2026

The Zootopia movies have been far and away the most popular films for Disney+'s subscribers in 2026. With the year over halfway done, Nielsen reported viewership data for all streamers from January through June. Their data gave Zootopia 2 6.535 billion minutes viewed, with Zootopia accumulating an impressive 3.358 billion minutes, too.

This made Zootopia 2 the most-watched movie across every streaming service, not just Disney+. What makes this all the more impressive is that the sequel didn't go to streaming until March 11. The 2016 original's performance was good enough to be No. 2 on Disney+ for the year so far, ahead of the remaining top 5 titles: Cars (2.718 billion), Hoppers (2.435 billion), and Frozen (2.365 billion).

Collectively, that gives the Zootopia franchise 9.893 billion minutes viewed in the first half of 2026. The next closest franchise for Disney+ is Toy Story, which had 4.314 billion minutes across the first and third installments. So, subscribers had more than double the interest in Zootopia's movies than anything else Disney has to offer.

Zootopia 3's Announcement Makes Even More Sense After The Franchise's Disney+ Views

It's no surprise, then, that Disney has already confirmed plans for Zootopia 3. The studio used D23 2026 to announce the trilogy will be completed. Development is still early on, but Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), and Gary De'Snake (Ke Huy Quan) will all be back. The story will pay off Zootopia 2's post-credits scene and bring birds into the mix.

A third movie was inevitable thanks to Zootopia 2's box office performance. The sequel made $1.8 billion to become the highest-grossing American animated movie ever. Since the first movie also made over $1 billion, Disney was always going to make another certain $1 billion hit. But their reasoning for doing so is even stronger now.

There is now crystal clear evidence that the Zootopia franchise is one Disney fans will follow on the big screen and then return to again and again on streaming. With the franchise even getting a placement at Walt Disney World recently, the value it brings to Disney is multifaceted. Zootopia 3 is sure to continue this whenever it comes out; no release date is set currently.

Zootopia 3 Could Be The Biggest Movie In The Franchise After Disney+ Success

The excellent viewership data for both Zootopia movies bodes well for Zootopia 3's path to success, too. There does not seem to be a world where the third film is anything other than a $1 billion smash hit. It could even wind up topping Zootopia 2's box office now.

It is reasonable to assume that everyone who watched Zootopia 2 on Disney+ didn't make it to the theater. However, anyone who has now become a fan of the franchise through its availability on streaming could then be in a position to see Zootopia 3 on the big screen when it comes out.

After all, these movies will continue to find more viewers and build a larger fan base in the years ahead as everyone waits for the third film. It just points to the Zootopia franchise increasing its popularity for years to come and becoming one of Disney's most reliable franchises.