As of mid-May, Jumbo had been watched by more than 9.6 million people locally and earned more than US$20 million to overtake Frozen 2 and its classic character Elsa and become Indonesia's top-grossing animated film.

Released on March 31 and produced by Indonesian production company Visinema Pictures, the story about a bullied village boy who tries to stage a talent show has also become Southeast Asia's most-watched animated feature, entertainment website deadline.com reported last month.

"This is an incredible milestone. That it could surpass Frozen 2 is not just about numbers, but also proof that Indonesians are proud and love homegrown stories," Angga Dwimas Sasongko, Visinema Pictures' award-winning founder, told Reuters.

Though smaller in scale, the success of Jumbo is reminiscent of that of Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2, which beat Pixar Animation Studio's Inside Out 2 this year to become the highest-grossing animated film globally.

Many producers in Indonesia prefer to make live-action movies — mostly horror — because they know such films are popular with audiences and are less labor-intensive.

Animated features are more of an unknown quantity, said Daryl Wilson, chairman of the Indonesian Animation Industry Association.

But the success of Jumbo, which is due to be released in some 17 countries from June, could help energize Indonesia's fledgling animation industry at a time when global studios are showing more interest in the region and its talent.

"There's a lot of enthusiasm from creators to make animated films. But before Jumbo, investors were still doubtful because there hadn't been a success story that you could call a box office," Ryan Adriandhy, the writer-director of Jumbo, told Reuters, adding that its 420 crew, including animators and engineers, had spent five years making the film.

Ryan said the success of Jumbo reflected the timing of its release – during the Eid school holidays – as well as the story's broad appeal.

"I realized this may open the eyes of producers, production houses, film creators that there is a very thirsty audience for content that people of all ages can enjoy," he said.

Major local operator Cinema XXI said it recorded more than 14 million moviegoers in April, the company's highest ever. Corporate secretary Indah Tri Wahyuni told Reuters varied local film choices during the holidays, including Jumbo, were one reason.

ANIMATION INDUSTRY IN ASIA

Demand for animated content in the Asia Pacific has been rising as streaming giants such as Netflix step up commissioning and digital platforms proliferate, Research and Markets wrote in an April report, forecasting a CAGR for the industry of 6.88 percent from 2025 to 2030.

The report noted the appetite for productions from established powerhouses such as Japan, South Korea and China. But it also said global studios were turning to the region for outsourced production work such as visual effects due to "the availability of highly skilled animation talents at relatively lower costs compared to Western counterparts."

The US has since said it is exploring options to impose a 100 percent tariff on movies produced outside the country and the potential impact remains unclear, but Indonesia still lags other Asian production hubs, according to the country's animation association.

Revenues for Indonesia's screen industry, which includes animation and films, could grow by about 20 percent by 2027, according to 2023 findings by PricewaterhouseCoopers and researchers at the University of Indonesia, citing technological advances and investment in cinemas, among other reasons.

For the most part, the industry currently makes money by providing services such as concept artists and graphic designers, rather than developing more lucrative intellectual property (IP) with original stories and characters, the association said.

Angga said Jumbo was part of an effort by Visinema to create its own IP. The company has earmarked $10 million for its animation projects, which includes two more animated feature films, he added.

Film critic Eric Sasono said the success of Jumbo showed that Don's ability to conquer his self-doubt resonated with audiences and underlined the importance of storytelling.

"Jumbo's presence satiates the need for the right local story," Sasono said.

With the film's success, Visinema is now discussing a "roadmap" for future productions featuring Don and his friends. Whether that is a sequel or a musical has not been decided, its director said.

"My hope is for children to still recognize or have memories of watching Jumbo," Ryan said.