Disney animation "Zootopia 2" has started its box office success by surpassing 360,000 advance ticket sales on its opening day. According to the Korea Film Council's integrated ticketing system as of 8 a.m. on the 26th, "Zootopia 2" recorded 365,689 advance ticket sales with a reservation rate of 66.2%. This figure exceeds those of the current box office top contenders "Wicked: For Good" (7.5%) and "Now You See Me 3" (4.3%). "Zootopia 2" is the sequel to the 2016 release "Zootopia," telling the story of protagonists Judy and Nick chasing a mysterious snake character, Gary, into a new world.

On its release day, the 26th, "Zootopia 2" exceeded 360,000 advance ticket sales, signaling a takeover of the year-end theater market. While the musical film "Wicked: For Good" has seen a slowdown in its momentum, overseas animated intellectual properties (IP) are leading the theater dominance. As of 8 a.m. on the 26th, "Zootopia 2" maintained the number one spot in real-time reservation rates with 369,424 advance ticket sales and a reservation rate of 66.3%. The investigative chemistry between Judy and Nick has been further strengthened in the much-loved second installment of the "Zootopia" series.

As of four days before release on the 22nd, "Zootopia 2" recorded 120,052 advance ticket sales, surpassing the same period pre-sales of "Inside Out 2," which attracted 8.79 million viewers last year, and "Moana 2," which drew 3.55 million viewers. Director Byron Howard described this work as "the largest-scale film in Disney animation history." New characters and an expanded universe are attracting global audience interest.

Notably, "Zootopia 2" features a reptile character, a type Disney has never previously centered as a protagonist. The rattlesnake character Gary is the lead, and the way the animal ecosystem is used to metaphorically reflect and project the human world is drawing attention. The chemistry between Nick and Judy and their new challenges serve as key viewing points.

Before release, the box office situation was not favorable. According to the integrated ticketing system on that day, "Wicked: For Good," which topped the box office last weekend, saw its momentum wane entering its second week. On the 25th, "Wicked: For Good" dropped to second place, overtaken by "Now You See Me 3." "Now You See Me 3" recorded 29,897 viewers the previous day, while "Wicked: For Good" had 28,700 viewers. The cumulative audience numbers for the two films are 1,072,587 and 596,258, respectively.

The Japanese animation "Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reze Arc" ranked third at the box office even two months after its release, attracting 8,438 viewers. Its cumulative audience number is 3,293,046.

"Zootopia 2" is directed by Byron Howard, with Jared Bush, who directed "Encanto" and contributed to the screenplays of "Zootopia" and "Moana," also participating. Actors who voiced the original characters, including Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy and Jason Bateman as Nick, have reunited to delight fans. Additionally, Academy Award-winning Best Supporting Actor Key Hoi Kwan takes on the new role of Gary, adding freshness to the film.

"Zootopia 2" will be screened in theaters starting on the 26th.