‘ZOOTOPIA 2’ is “going to take it to another level and be as good or better than the first,” says producer Brad Simonsen.
Despite being a box office hit right out of the gate, it took Disney almost seven years to finally confirm that Zootopia 2 was in development at the studio, paired with the confirmation of Frozen 3. Directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore had indicated shortly after the first movie’s release that they were in talks for a sequel, though it’s yet to be confirmed whether the two would be returning to their positions, however Jared Bush has confirmed he will be back. The announcement also came three months after the premiere of the Disney+ spinoff Zootopia+, which was set during the events of the original movie and explored its supporting characters.
While no cast has been announced yet for the movie, both Goodwin and Bateman have eagerly expressed their desires to come back for the sequel. The former even shared her pitch for the story, in which Nick would instead become the bright beacon between the pair and push for Judy to save their world from a new threat, while Bateman is keen to see Nick’s new life as a cop following the first movie’s ending seeing him join up with the Zootopia Police Department.
According to a Disney Animation producer, Zootopia 2 will be “as good or better” than the original film.
The first movie, starring Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, was released on March 4, 2016. Since then, the only other stories audiences have gotten in that world came in the form of a short series on Disney+ titled Zootopia+, which debuted on November 9, 2022.
Thankfully, a proper sequel was announced in February 2023 alongside Frozen 3 and Toy Story 5. But besides knowing about the mere existence of the long-awaited sequel, nothing else is known about Zootopia 2.