BEIJING, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Disney's "Zootopia 2" has ignited China's year-end box office, delivering a burst of momentum after a relatively sluggish post-National Day period and bringing the industry's ambitious 50-billion-yuan (about 7.07 billion U.S. dollars) annual revenue target clearly within reach.

The sequel, which opened day-and-date with North America on Nov. 26, signaled its blockbuster potential early by setting China's all-time presale record for an animated film, raking in over 300 million yuan, according to ticketing platform Maoyan.

Its box-office performance then surged dramatically. On Nov. 29 -- its fourth day in release -- the film posted a staggering single-day gross of more than 738 million yuan, becoming the highest-earning imported film in a single day in China, surpassing "Avengers: Endgame." Notably, it is the only film outside China's peak Spring Festival season to ever cross the 700-million-yuan mark in a single day.

By the afternoon of Dec. 1, its sixth day in theaters, the film's cumulative total had raced past 1.96 billion yuan. This already surpasses the first "Zootopia," which had a final total of 1.538 billion yuan, making the sequel the highest-grossing imported animated film in China's history. It is also the first imported title to cross the 1-billion-yuan mark in China since 2022's "Avatar: The Way of Water."

In a significant development underscoring China's pivotal role, the film's performance has achieved a major milestone. According to the latest data from Maoyan, as of Nov. 30, "Zootopia 2" has generated higher box office revenue in China than in North America during its debut week, making China the film's number one global market.

Industry projections for the film's final China run are now sky-high. Maoyan forecasts a final total of approximately 4.25 billion yuan for "Zootopia 2." Should it reach that level, it could put the film on par with "Avengers: Endgame" and position it to challenge the title of highest-grossing imported film ever in China. Film data platform Beacon also projects strong momentum, estimating the film could surpass 3.8 billion yuan.

"The super-powered performance of 'Zootopia 2' has given the current year-end movie season an inspiring and uplifting start," Lai Li, a market analyst at Maoyan, told Xinhua. With its strong momentum, China's annual box office total has now reached 48.2 billion yuan.

"It now appears not only likely that we will hit the 50-billion-yuan target, but this strong year-end performance is also a powerful shot in the arm for the entire industry," Lai added. Similar optimism was expressed by several film critics and analysts, including Beacon's Chen Jin, in separate comments to Xinhua.

The stage is now set for a packed December slate to carry this momentum across the symbolic 50-billion-yuan annual landmark. ■