“Zootopia,” an animated movie about animals who live in a mammal metropolis, was Disney Animation’s best opening weekend ever, notching $73.7 million in U.S. box office sales.



This soars past analyst expectations: Eric Handler of MKM Partners projected that “Zootopia” would dominate the weekend with a $60 million opening. It also surpassed the opening weekend numbers for Disney’s (DIS) last animated blockbuster, “Frozen,” which raked in $67.4 million in its first three days in theaters back in 2013.



With a critics’ rating of 99% (higher than audience’s rating of 96%) on movie site Rotten Tomatoes, the success of “Zootopia” might not seem so surprising, but Piper Jaffray analyst Stan Meyers says it’s not so simple. The movie doesn’t have a single human protagonist that children could fully identify with. The central character of the movie, Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), is the first rabbit to join the police force, and the film documents the challenges she faces while trying to do her job and working with a cynical fox named Nick Wilde (played by Jason Bateman).



Despite the human interest-focused themes, Hopps is no Elsa. Meyers says “Frozen’s” lasting popularity can be attributed to two things: it’s a musical (“Let it Go” has 706.3 million views on YouTube) and there’s a princess involved. In a sense, it harkens back to the old-school Disney film template.



The billions of opportunity

Of course, the real opportunity for Disney is licensing merchandise tied to hit movies. “Frozen,” which grossed $440 million domestically and $1.2 billion worldwide, brought in another $6 billion in merchandise sales, according to Meyers. And the Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) disclosed that entertainment properties generated $241.5 billion in retail sales globally in 2014, including $107.2 billion from the licensed merchandise business.



Meyers says he initially estimated Zootopia to hit $180 million domestically, but now expects the film to cross the $220 million mark, and the merchandising opportunities are in plain view.



Disney has really been revamping its strategy when it comes to long-term marketability. Before a movie comes out, the company figures out the array of products it will push out. “It’s about getting in early, way in advance, expanding the categories and being innovative,” Meyers says.



Zootopia already has a slate of toys for sale, like a $10 carrot recorder pen modeled after Hopps’ ticket recorder and a $17 Meter Maid play set that’s essentially a mini moped for kids.



Beyond toys, Disney is expanding its physical footprint. Orlando’s Epcot’s Frozen Ever After ride is set to open this spring and Star Wars Land will open in Orlando and Anaheim, though dates haven’t been announced yet.



Meyers recently upgraded Disney from neutral to buy, primarily because he’s bullish on the parts of the company that aren’t related to cable or ESPN. He notes that 50% of Disney’s revenue comes from consumer products, studio and theme parks.



The fact that ‘‘Zootopia” cracked “Frozen’s” record on a non-holiday weekend (the latter came out over Thanksgiving weekend in 2013), may be an indicator that the animal flick has staying power. But the big movie to watch out for and that could have “Frozen”-like success is “Moana,” a tale about a Polynesian princess, scheduled for a November release. It’s the first time since 2002 that Walt Disney Studios will release two feature films in the same year.



No matter which way you look at it, Disney’s in full force in 2016 and its dreams sure seem to be coming true.













































