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Zootopia
It’s officially confirmed that Zootopia 2 is happening, and after almost 8 years since the original the anticipation is high. Zootopia is set in a world where humans don’t exist and quirky anthropomorphic animals take on everyday roles, such as a ram working as a chemist and a sloth employed at the DMV. The movie follows Judy Hopps, a rabbit recruited into the Zootopia Police Department. After she joins forces with the rogue con artist fox Nick Wilde, they uncover a government conspiracy that runs deep through the city.
The first Zootopia is a masterclass in world-building, as its titular metropolis is rich with detail, with several suburbs and locales of the city having their own distinct flare. Given its box office success, it was surprising that it took seven years for the announcement of a sequel. Zootopia 2 will pick up the story once more and take viewers back to Zootopia. Exactly what could be in store when Jason Bateman’s Nick and Ginnifer Goodwin’s Judy return, however, is a mystery.
Most Recent Zootopia 2 News
There hasn’t been much Zootopia 2 news since the movie was revealed to be in development in February 2023. However, the earliest signs that Disney is preparing to push Zootopia as a franchise have started to appear. It September 2023 it emerged that Shanghai Disney Resort has opened a new immersive experience ride called Zootopia: Hot Pursuit. While this isn’t a direct set-up to Zootopia 2 it does show the brand is gearing up towards its release on an international level (via MovieWeb).
The ride’s placement at Shanghai Disney Resort is no surprise either, as Zootopia did incredibly well at the Chinese box-office, being the biggest animated movie in the country during 2016 (via ScreenDaily). It’s no secret that China is seen as an incredibly lucrative market by many Hollywood studios, Disney included. Zootopia’s popularity with audiences in China may be in part why Zootopia 2 is moving ahead. Until more substantial Zootopia 2 news arrives, however, there’s little else known about the film or what it could bring.
Zootopia 2 Is Confirmed
It was revealed in February 2023 that Zootopia 2 is now in development at Disney. The confirmation came directly from the studio’s CEO, Bob Iger, during a quarterly earnings call for investors. Not coincidentally, during the same call, Iger also announced a restructuring that will save Disney $5.5 billion but unfortunately includes lay-offs of 7,000 employees.
That financial update is why it is hardly surprising that Zootopia 2 has finally been green-lit, as a Zootopia sequel can undoubtedly greatly help Disney’s financial stability. The first Zootopia movie was a huge success for the studio, as it grossed over a billion dollars worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), and it won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. The Zootopia franchise is Disney’s forgotten cash cow, and for some reason, the studio didn’t take advantage of it earlier.
Zootopia 2 Predicted Release Date
There’s no Zootopia release date yet. At the moment, it’s unclear how far along the Zootopia sequel is, but assuming that it is still just in the very early stages, Disney will take some time to come up with the story, write the script, cast and record the voice talent, and actually animate the movie, among other elements of production.
The Pixar sequel Toy Story 5 was announced alongside Zootopia 2, and recalling that plans for Toy Story 4 were revealed similarly during an investor’s call, back in 2014, and it took five years between its announcement and its release, both upcoming movies could be looking at a similar timeframe. Therefore, Zootopia 2 could come out as late as 2028.
Zootopia 2 Cast: Who Could Return?
In the first Zootopia, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde were played by Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love) and Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), an it’s likely they’d return for the cast of Zootopia 2. Disney hasn’t yet confirmed if any of the voice cast is returning, but as Zootopia has a whole world of unique characters, Zootopia 2 doesn’t have to be a direct sequel. It can follow a different group of characters with a new cast. None of Zootopia‘s stars have spoken about the Zootopia 2 news yet, making any casting discussions entirely speculative.
Zootopia 2 Story Details: What Could Happen?
At the very end of Zootopia, Nick, who was once a two-bit con artist, graduates from the police academy and becomes Judy’s partner, hinting at many buddy-cop adventures to come. Zootopia 2 could possibly pick up years later, with the same number of years passed as the amount of time between the two movies, and it could follow Nick and Judy as seasoned partners in crime trying to solve another mystery. The first movie was an allegory for racism, and a sequel could continue that same sort of social commentary. However, with nothing yet confirmed, anything can happen.
