Zootopia became a surprisingly major hit in 2016, where the animated feature film earned over $1 billion worldwide and even took home an Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
Considering the time it took for the sequel to get here, was Zootopia 2 really a part of Disney's plans in the first place?
Was Zootopia 2 in Disney's Plans? How the House of Mouse Plans Releases
Though Zootopia 2 was confirmed as far back as 2024, Disney took its time to confirm that a sequel was in the works all along. Disney's Chief Creative Officer, Jared Bush, had the perfect explanation for the crunch time.
"It's really a function of where the movies are at. There's no sort of set formula," Bush explained in a recent interview with ScreenRant, "I'd say, as we look to the future and figure out what stories we're going to tell next. It really comes from filmmaker's passion."
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There's a reason why Zootopia became a major theatrical hit, and it's not just because of the A-list voice actors. Zootopia dealt with a rare original take in the animation world, and the worldbuilding left fans in awe, wanting more vision about its universe. So, it's no surprise that fans are looking to see more of Officer Hopps and Wilde on the case.
"I think people sometimes misunderstand why we would do this. We love it," Bush continued, "There's no sort of edict of 'sequel, not sequel.' I think we've been dying to get back into this world and continue these stories for a very long time, and that's really, really fun."
Bush also acknowledges that nostalgia plays a factor in having Zootopia 2 come to fruition, "There is something where audiences are saying, 'Hey, we want to spend time with these characters that we love.' I think that's also important to listen to."
How Long Do Disney Sequels Usually Take?
While fans are usually skeptical of the franchises Disney chooses to prioritize and adapt on the big screens, Bush's words couldn't have been truer. It's better to take years and years of work than rush into sequels. After all, movies like Moana, Inside Out, Toy Story, and more took an average of 9 gap years before release.
This just means Disney is careful and considerate when it comes to the content they plan on putting their name to. With Zootopia 2, Officer Hopps and Wilde are both working on the force, but could they still share the same ideals on the job? There's a new pinned villain on the loose, and it's up to the iconic duo to put a stop to it before it's too late!
You can catch Zootopia 2 on the big screens as it premieres on November 26.
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