Zootopia 2: Producer Promises an Unprecedented Leap to New Heights 7 Years After Disney's $1B Hit
Zootopia 2 receives exciting news from its producer 7 years after the $1B success, promising to take the beloved animated film to new heights Officially confirmed in February, here's everything we know about the highly anticipated sequel
Summary
Producer Brad Simonsen expresses excitement and confidence in the development of Zootopia 2, promising that it will be "as good or better" than the first.
Directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore's return for the sequel is still unconfirmed, but Jared Bush has confirmed his participation. The ongoing Writer's Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes may potentially cause a delay in the production of Zootopia 2. However, Disney's decision to wait for seven years showcases their dedication to meeting the audience's high expectations for the sequel.
Producer Brad Simonsen recently provided an enthusiastic update on the progress of Zootopia 2, seven years after the release of the first movie. The highly successful 2016 film, set in a world of anthropomorphic animals, followed the adventures of Judy Hopps, an ambitious rabbit police officer, and Nick Wilde, a clever fox con artist, as they investigated a return of predatory instincts among the animals. With a talented cast including Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, Zootopia won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and grossed over $1 billion.
During a recent interview with The Direct, Simonsen discussed the development of Zootopia 2. While he did not provide specific details on the production timeline or release date, the producer expressed excitement about the project and the studio's determination to surpass the quality of the first film. See below for Simonsen's quoted remarks:
- "We are super excited about Zootopia 2 and are committed to making it even better than the original."
Everything We Know About Zootopia 2
We are all incredibly thrilled about it. Furthermore, I had the privilege of being part of the initial movie, and it proved to be one of the most awe-inspiring experiences of my life, to be completely honest. Moreover, I am fully aware that this upcoming sequel will propel it to new heights and surpass the excellence of its predecessor. Therefore, our enthusiasm for this project knows no bounds.
Disney confirmed that Zootopia 2, along with Frozen 3, is in development at the studio after almost seven years since its box office success. Directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore had mentioned the possibility of a sequel soon after the release of the first movie, but it remains unconfirmed if they will be returning. However, Jared Bush has confirmed his return. The announcement came three months after the premiere of Zootopia+, a Disney+ spinoff that focused on the supporting characters and took place within the timeline of the original film.
Although the cast for the movie has yet to be announced, both Goodwin and Bateman have expressed their eagerness to return for the sequel. Goodwin even shared her own idea for the story, wherein Nick would become the guiding force between the two characters and advocate for Judy to save their world from a new danger. On the other hand, Bateman is excited to explore Nick's new life as a police officer, after the first movie's conclusion saw him joining the Zootopia Police Department.
The conclusion of the Writer's Guild of America strike is expected to benefit the progress of Zootopia 2. However, the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike is likely to delay the production of the sequel. Nonetheless, given that Disney chose to wait seven years before moving forward with the follow-up, a slight delay may actually be advantageous in ensuring that the movie fulfills Simonsen's aspirations of equaling or surpassing the award-winning original.
