• Disney's 3D animation "Zootopia" is a big hit in China.

Disney's 3D animation "Zootopia" is a big hit in China. (Photo : YouTube)

Disney's animated film "Zootopia" is set to cross the $100-million mark in the Chinese movie market on its 10th day of release in the country, with numbers on Sunday indicating that the film has grossed $89 million so far, as reported by Deadline.

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The film is already the biggest ever Disney animated film of all time in the Chinese market, exceeding the record previously held by "Big Hero 6," which grossed a total of $83.5 million.

Directed by Bryan Howard and Rich Moore, "Zootopia" tells the story of a bunny cop and a con artist fox who discover a conspiracy together.

The popularity of the film is being fueled by strong word of mouth, giving it a shot at overtaking Oriental DreamWorks's "Kung Fu Panda 3," which has grossed about $152 million as of Sunday, as the top animated film of all time in the People's Republic of China.

"Zootopia" was one of the Hollywood films that China's box-office regulators allowed to open on a Friday. Previously, Friday releases were reserved for domestic films to give them an advantage, with foreign films often being relegated to Sundays or weekdays.

Last Saturday, the film grossed an impressive $25 million, the highest single-day gross ever for an animated film in the country, beating the record previously held by "Kung Fu Panda 3."

Industry analysts believe that the draw of the film to Chinese audiences lies in its fun and contemporary ways of incorporating technology. Its local campaigns also used social media, as well as various tech platforms, to its advantage.

While "Zootopia" is also doing well in other countries, including France, South Korea and Russia, China is leading all other overseas markets.

"The word of mouth has been extraordinary in every market, and the China business is no exception," said Dave Hollis from Disney. "People are responding to the world, the great story and memorable characters. There is something timeless and timely in all three that make this movie work for audiences of all ages and all geographies."