It has been over six years since Zootopia hit the big screen and received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. The computer-animated film from Disney nabbed an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Award, becoming the fourth highest grossing film of 2016. Audiences of all ages were delighted by the poignant themes hiding under vibrant, innovative animation, and a hilarious buddy-cop premise. The film follows go-getter Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a newly appointed police officer who is desperate to prove herself after her potential is ignored because she’s judged by her innocent looks. However, her big chance to prove herself comes with the drawback of working closely with the seemingly sly con artist fox, Nick (Jason Bateman).
In addition to being beautifully animated, Zootopia is bursting with social commentary. It boldly tackles numerous themes, from sexism to the damage of stereotypes to the power friendship has to overcome prejudice. Zootopia does a fantastic job of honoring Disney’s legacy of innovative animation, while also adding sophisticated modernization with its current themes and deep storyline. Meanwhile, even those less concerned with social commentary or advances in animation could enjoy Zootopia as a family-friendly comedy.
Given its exceptional success as an animated film, many began to question the possibility of a Zootopia sequel. Directors Bryon Howard and Rich Moore have even expressed openness to developing a sequel. With proven success and willing directors, the fact that no sequel has been made yet has raised the question of whether Zootopia 2 actually will happen.
Zootopia 2 Is Confirmed To Be in Development
On February 8, Disney CEO Bob Iger officially confirmed that a Zootopia sequel is in development. The news was reported by IGN after Iger made the announcement during a Q1 earnings call. The earnings call promised an exciting future for Disney’s and Pixar’s computer-animated films. In addition to Zootopia 2, Frozen III was also finally officially confirmed. As a bonus, we also got a surprise confirmation of Toy Story 5. Details regarding all these projects have not yet been released, but fans can rest assured that a Zootopia 2 is happening.
The Road to Zootopia 2
Before Iger’s announcement, the chance of a Zootopia 2 was very uncertain as years went by between the film’s release and Disney’s confirmation of a sequel. However, rumors of a sequel began almost immediately after the first film was released, with the directors expressing early interest in expanding the universe. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Howard stated:
I think we all loved the world so much and got so attached to the characters, that we actually got a little sad when the film finally came out [because] we felt like, ‘Well, we’re kind of done with it.’ And it’s nice that there’s this potential for it to get bigger.”
However, months, then years, went by with no official updates about the sequel. In November 2022, Zootopia+ was released on Disney+, but it was a spin-off anthology series rather than an official sequel. Rumors started to flow that Zootopia 2 had been canceled, though it was never officially confirmed in the first place. The latest rumors claimed that Zootopia 2 had been in development all along and would premiere in March 2024.
Essentially, for several years, rumors claimed that Zootopia 2 was happening and had a tentative release date … but no actual confirmation or production schedule. As a result, talks of Zootopia 2 were wholly speculative until Disney officially confirmed the sequel almost seven years after the original film premiered.
(featured image: Disney)
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Rachel Ulatowski
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