It has been several 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, a Golden Globe, and a 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. Zootopia follows go-getter Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a newly appointed police officer desperate to prove her potential—which has long been ignored because of her innocent looks. Her big chance comes with a catch: she’ll have to work with a sly con artist fox named 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 exploring contemporary themes through a meaningful story. It’s also just a really good family-friendly comedy.
Given its exceptional success as an animated film, fans have long wondered about the possibility of a Zootopia sequel. Directors Bryon Howard and Rich Moore have even expressed their interest. With proven success and willing directors, the fact that no sequel has been made yet is pretty wild.
Zootopia 2 is officially happening!
On February 8, Disney CEO Bob Iger officially confirmed that a Zootopia sequel is in development. According to IGN, Iger made the announcement during a Q1 earnings call, during which he promised an exciting future for Disney and Pixar’s animated films. In addition to Zootopia 2, Iger confirmed plans for Frozen III and Toy Story 5. Details regarding 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 sequel was very uncertain. 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 spinoff anthology series rather than an official sequel. Rumors started to circulate that Zootopia 2 had been canceled, even 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, there were rumors 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 first film was released.
(featured image: Disney)
