The Long Wait for Zootopia 2
It took nearly a decade for Zootopia 2 to finally make its way to the big screen, and it quietly made Disney history with one of its biggest elements. Despite the first film garnering over $1 billion at the box office, it wasn’t until early 2023 that the animated sequel finally kicked off active development, with directors Jared Bush, who also wrote the film, and Byron Howard returning to the helm.
Upon releasing over the Thanksgiving weekend, Zootopia 2 has already been building toward breaking multiple records, beginning with its Rotten Tomatoes critical score being the closest a Disney Animation sequel has come to the original film’s success since Ralph Breaks the Internet surpassed its predecessor seven years ago. Additionally, the sequel has already grossed over $81 million worldwide, passing the first film’s $75.1 million opening.
A Star-Studded Cast Makes History
In an interview, directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard, and producer Yvett Merino revealed how Zootopia 2 broke a major Disney record with its star-studded cast. In addition to such returning faces as Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Idris Elba, the sequel has expanded its roster with over 50 franchise newcomers, ranging from Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan to Emmy winner Quinta Brunson and Grammy winner Ed Sheeran, among many others.
In reflecting on building their new ensemble cast, Howard revealed that Zootopia 2‘s cast has made Disney history with “the biggest voice cast” in the studio’s history, tallying to around 70 “speaking roles.” Keeping mum about some of the unrevealed names, Howard teased that “the cameos are crazy” in the sequel, while Bush went on to point out the movie offered the opportunity to reunite with “friends of ours”:
Jared Bush: Honestly, it was so much fun because so many people in this movie are friends of ours. We got to team up again with friends of ours from Encanto. We got to team up with friends of ours from Moana. We got to team up with Anika Noni Rose, coming in from Tiana. It is just unbelievable. It is an embarrassment of riches, and being able to spend time with these people that we love so much was a joy.
The Hot Horse Mayor’s Unique Journey
When asked about hidden references in the film, Byron Howard shared:
Byron Howard: There are one million references. Yvett and I teamed up on Tangled, and Rapunzel’s frying pan makes not just one, but two appearances. We never threw anything away because why build a new one? That makes a very important appearance. But one of the things that we love about these movies is they’re so dense, and we have such a funny, sneaky crew. They have all sorts of references that they’ve hidden in the film that we don’t even know about. We’re learning about them now. We have our favorites, but you tell us.
The director also mentioned the joy of hearing live audiences react during the premiere:
Byron Howard: I’ve missed that about live audiences so much. The COVID thing was really tough because these movies are about getting together and being with a bunch of strangers in the dark, and hearing the gasps and the tears and the laughs. So, that premiere was really therapeutic for me.
The Emotional Impact of the Characters
When asked about the lasting impact of the characters, Jared Bush expressed how meaningful it was to see the audience connect with them:
Jared Bush: It means the world. Our movies take about five years to make. For most of that five years, you’re just with your team inside a building. No one else is experiencing these characters of this world, and you hope that what you’re building together [works]. Because internally we love it, but you don’t know if that’s going to resonate. When it does, it means so much because 700 people pour their hearts into any one of these stories. When you’re watching these movies, it’s hyper collaborative. The best idea always wins as you’re moving through it. To have people relate to these characters, or to have these stories resonate, it’s a dream that you hope can happen. But until it goes out into the world, you don’t know.
A Surprising Cameo
When asked about the hot horse mayor, Byron Howard explained the origin of the character:
Byron Howard: I would say this is a good example of how not all great ideas in these films come from us. This is an idea that Ami Thompson, one of our designers, had. We were trying to figure out who should be the mayor of the town, since we needed to fill that gap. She said, “What about a horse?”
Jared Bush: We’re like, “There’s all these other animals. Are you sure about a horse?”
Byron Howard: “Why a horse?” And she’s like, “What about this horse?” And it’s a hot horse who had a career as a ’90s action star and has now become a politician. It’s like, “Okay, you win.” Then, of course, when we were talking about a voice for that horse, only one name came out: Patrick Warburton. We called Patrick up, and Patrick said that he teared up when we asked him to do this. We were so happy that he said yes because it was meant to be. The universe has converged to make this hot horse mayor.
Future Plans and Excitement
When asked about potential future projects, the team shared their thoughts:
Jared Bush: A new character coming in? Oh, man. Well, I’ll tell you what my son’s is because he talks to me about it all the time. He wants it to be Keanu Reeves playing his character from John Wick, named the Baba Llama. Keanu, let’s go.
Yvett Merino: I really do love a good kangaroo. I think we can get a kangaroo in there somewhere.
Byron Howard: We’ve talked about Australian animals. There’s been something in the air, and an area that we’ve wanted to explore is Outback Island. We mentioned it briefly in this film, but we have drawings from 14 years ago for Outback Island. So, you never know what might surface. It was a great treat to have Robert Irwin in this movie. He makes an amazing cameo, so you never know.
Final Thoughts
Zootopia 2 is now in theaters! If you’re looking for more coverage, check out our Zootopia 2 Review, Bateman, Goodwin & Byron Howard weighing in on WildeHopps shipping, Ke Huy Quan & Fortune Feimster talk joining the sequel and Tom Hiddleston’s perfect potential character, Bateman & Goodwin talking about the secrecy behind the Zootopia franchise, our projection for when the movie will premiere on Disney+, our guide for parents on Zootopia 2’s content, a guide on Zootopia 2’s ending, and a guide on how the sequel’s post-credits scene sets up Zootopia 3.
