We Bought a Zoo (2011)
A true zoo story.
Keywords
We Bought a Zoo rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic
IMDb7/10· 159K votes
Rotten Tomatoes64%
Metacritic58%
TMDb6.8/10· 3K votesWith 64% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7/10 on IMDb and 58/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been mixed.
About We Bought a Zoo
Benjamin has lost his wife and, in a bid to start his life over, purchases a large house that has a zoo – welcome news for his daughter, but his son is not happy about it. The zoo is in need of renovation and Benjamin sets about the work with the head keeper and the rest of the staff, but, the zoo soon runs into financial trouble.
Cast of We Bought a Zoo
Matt Damon
as Benjamin Mee
Scarlett Johansson
as Kelly Foster
Thomas Haden Church
as Duncan Mee
Colin Ford
as Dylan Mee
Maggie Elizabeth Jones
as Rosie Mee
Angus Macfadyen
as Peter MacCready
Elle Fanning
as Lily Miska
Patrick Fugit
as Robin Jones
John Michael Higgins
as Walter Ferris
Carla Gallo
as Rhonda Blair
JB Smoove
as Mr. Stevens
Stephanie Szostak
as Katherine Mee
We Bought a Zoo facts
- Budget
- $50M
- Box office
- $120.1M
Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources
Audience opinions
What the audience liked
- •Heartwarming family story celebrates hard work and perseverance
- •Cameron Crowe brings warmth to true story adaptation
- •Environmental themes and animal care feel earnest without heavyhandedness
What the audience disliked
- •Sentimental tone occasionally veers into melodramatic territory
- •Family drama subplot feels underdeveloped compared to zoo focus
Trailer
Where to watch We Bought a Zoo(US)
View on JustWatch →Subscription
Disney Plus
Wonder Project Amazon ChannelRent / Buy
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At HomeAvailability may change. Data by JustWatch.
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