Animation is generating unprecedented box office revenue for Hollywood while the artists behind it face layoffs and persistent industry condescension, according to a Variety report. Films such as "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," Pixar's "Hoppers" and "Toy Story 5" have posted huge commercial results in 2026, yet animation professionals say the medium is still widely dismissed within the industry as mere children's entertainment rather than a serious creative and financial pillar of the business.

Universal and Illumination's "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" became the first film to cross $1 billion worldwide this year, while "Toy Story 5" opened to $160 million domestically ($312 million globally) and has since reached $879 million worldwide. Animated films have topped the annual US box office in two consecutive years for the first time, with "Zootopia 2" becoming the highest-grossing animated film ever domestically, and animated releases have made up roughly 20% of the year's top ten films over the past decade. Despite this, Pixar cut 14% of its workforce (around 175 jobs) in May 2024 and Netflix restructured and scaled back its animation division in 2023, prompting animators and executives, including Laika's Travis Knight and Pixar's Pete Docter, to criticise the industry's persistent view of animation as a lesser art form.