By Variety | Created at 2025-04-03 23:58:36 | Updated at 2025-04-04 23:18:48
1 day ago
Detectives Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are feeling the strain of cracking one too many cases together.
And, in new footage that Disney premiered for “Zootopia 2” at CinemaCon, that’s sent them to partners therapy. It’s overseen by a quokka named Dr. Fuzzbee and filled with mismatched cops, such as an elephant who keeps getting terrified of the mouse who shares a squad car, or the deer who keeps fighting with a skunk. Hopps, for those who may have forgotten, is a rabbit and Wilde is a fox.
Disney also shared a scene where Hopps and Wilde go on holiday to a marsh resort, filled with hippos going down waterslides and a juggling seal — whoops, make that sea lion!
The first film, about a world populated by anthropomorphic animals, was a smash hit, grossing over $1 billion at the box office, so theater owners and executives, who make up the bulk of the audience at CinemaCon, the exhibition industry conference where the new footage was shown, are thrilled to have a follow-up. Disney recently shook off a slump when it came to its animated films — last year, the studio released “Inside Out 2” and “Moana 2,” both of which became some of the biggest hits of 2024. Will “Zootopia 2” mirror their success?
Based on the first look that Disney offered up, “Zootopia 2” has much of the humor and whimsy of the first film, overflowing with sight gags, puns and a little heart.
Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman reprise their roles as Hopps and Wilde, with Ke Huy Quan joining the family franchise as a snake. Disney also announced that “Abbott Elementary’s” Quinta Brunson will join the film as Dr. Fuzzbee. Shakira returns as Gazelle, a Thomson’s gazelle who is a legendary pop star. Jared Bush and Byron Howard co-directed the film, which was written by Bush.
“Zootopia 2” opens in theaters on Nov. 26. That Thanksgiving period is one of the busiest times of year for theaters and is a sign of Disney’s confidence in the film.
