After nine long years away, too long if you ask me, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are back in Disney’s Zootopia 2! The world is a very different place for us, but the city of Zootopia is also in a state of flux, as Judy and Nick, now full-fledged partners in the police force, get embroiled in another conspiracy that threatens to destroy the careful harmony within the mammal population. When a dangerous reptile emerges out of nowhere, the animal community of Zootopia is forced to confront a dark legacy, while Nick and Judy must grapple with whether they are too different to save the day this time.
Zootopia 2 is like being reunited with old friends, and it turns out it was that way for the cast and filmmakers, too. Once again directed by Jared Bush, who co-wrote the screenplay with Byron Howard, the film returns Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin as the voices of Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps. We also see some new additions to the Zootopia family. Fortune Feimster voices the conspiracy theorist podcast Nibbles Maplestick, and Ke Huy Quan is Gary De’Snake, whose arrival turns Zootopia upside down.
I had the chance to speak with Bateman, Goodwin, Quan, Feimster, Bush, Howard, and producer Yvett Merino about Zootopia 2. Bateman talked about how easy it was to return as Nick Wilde, and how he sees a lot of himself in the character. Goodwin says Judy Hopps is her all-time favorite role, and that her kids have literally grown up with the character. We also discussed the possibility of romance between Judy and Nick?
Feimster revealed how happy she was to land the role of Nibbles, and talked about what was asked of her to give the toothy beaver its unique voice. Quan said he never imagined himself as a snake, and spoke about how happy he was to be part of the Disney family entertaining a new generation of young audiences.
For filmmakers Howard, Bush, and Merino, the ideas for Zootopia 2 were brewing for quite some time, and they talked about the many twists and turns in finally bringing them to life.
Zootopia 2 is in theaters now! You can find my cast and filmmaker interviews below, and my review here.
