After a long wait, a sequel to the critically acclaimed 2016 film Zootopia is finally in the works. Disney CEO, Bob Iger, revealed the news during Disney's Q1 earnings call. Upon release, Zootopia made over $1 billion at the global box office, and a sequel seemed all but certain. However, there was no official confirmation until now – 7 years later.
Zootopia is not the only acclaimed animated movie getting sequel love from Disney. Iger revealed that sequels to Frozen and Toy Story are also in the works. “Today I’m so pleased to announce that we have sequels in the works from our animation studios to some of our most popular franchises, Toy story, Frozen and Zootopia. We’ll have more to share about these productions soon. But this is a great example of how we’re leaning into our unrivaled brands and franchises,” Iger explained.
Beyond its charming story, 2016's Zootopia was particularly commended for its cast. The animated film had the vocal talents of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Jenny Slate, J. K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk, Idris Elba, and Shakira in its favor. Bonnie Hunt, Nate Torrence, Don Lake, and Tommy Chong rounded off the talented cast. It remains to be seen which of the main cast will return for the sequel.
It's exciting to learn that the world of Zootopia will be expanding further. Disney previously released Zootopia+, a series of shorts which followed three sets of characters from the original film – the Sloths, the Tiger dancers and the mobster Shrews. The six-episode series was a light-hearted and fun addition to the franchise which arrived in November 2022 to the delight of fans. Zootopia+ was not be the first of its kind on the streaming platform. Back in August 2022, Disney+ released I Am Groot, a series of similar format, which followed the MCU character through five critically acclaimed short episodes.
An unconventional entry to the buddy-cop genre, Zootopia, which was directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, from a screenplay by Jared Bush and Phil Johnston, was lauded for its brilliance and thoughtful approach to its subject matter. Collider’s own review stated, “Through it’s clever, endearing characters, hilarious jokes, and honest sentiment, Zootopia comes away as a film that’s not only a joy to watch, but also one with a message that couldn’t feel more relevant right now.” The review also referred to the film as “rich, deep, and textured in a way you would rarely expect from a family film.” With such glowing praise, it is easy to see why the excitement is almost palpable for the upcoming series.
While there is no word yet on when the sequel will arrive, but it will be interesting to see where the movie will take the story next.