Zootopia 2 has been greenlit, bringing a beloved and highly successful Disney classic back to the big screen. Brad Simonsen, the producer, makes a big promise for the sequel: it's going to be on "another level."
In a recent interview with The Direct, producer Brad Simonsen gave a promising little update on the Zootopia sequel that I, personally, have been waiting for years. Zootopia 2 has been greenlit in early 2023, following the short series Zootopia+ from November 2022.
And Simonsen knows what to say to get fans' hopes up. Here's the rundown of his interview with everything you need to know about the Zootopia sequel.
Zootopia 2 Will Be "As Good Or Better Than The First."
Simonsen has worked on the original movie and is part of the team for the sequel as well. Even though it has been quite some time since Zootopia came out back in 2016, he seems in good spirits:
We're all super excited about it. And it's a world that I was part of the first movie, and it was one of the most amazing experiences in my life, to be honest. And I know that this next one's going to take it to another level and be, as you know, as good or better than the first.
It's always a green flag when people are passionate about their projects, and this man oozes passion when it comes to his animated projects. He was also part of the team on Encanto and the recent Once Upon a Studio, so he's proven himself as a producer for sure.
The Zootopia Cast Has Their Own Ideas For A Sequel
Simonsen hasn't been the only one to think about a sequel. The cast, especially Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, the voices of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde respectively, have their very own vision of how the sequel should look like.
Talking to CinemaBlend, Ginnifer even got a little bit dark around the edges. Apparently, she'd like to see Judy and Nick reverse their roles: "I would also like to see Nick have to be the one to convince Judy that the world is worth fighting for." While I don't know if I could bear Judy having an existential crisis instead of being her idealistic self, I do see the appeal.
Jason Bateman, Nick Wilde himself, is way more straightforward and doesn't make me worry about the bunny cop: "The two of us [Nick and Judy], kicking ass out there."
Personally, I would watch the two of them doing paperwork all day, but I guess there's going to be more to the sequel than a relaxing day-to-day life as cops in Zootopia. Disney tackled serious issues like racism, stereotypes and discrimination, so chances are they will keep the ball going in that regard. If there's one thing the real world has plenty of, it's issues to tackle.
Zootopia 2 Still Waits For A Release Date
While Disney's CEO Bob Iger announced that Zootopia has been greenlit in February 2023, it's been rather quiet since then. There has been no official release date yet.
The best guess we can make, looking at previous releases and other Disney projects in the works, is that Zootopia 2 could hit cinemas by 2026. Take that with a grain of salt until Disney comes forward, though.
Rest assured, we'll keep you updated as soon as there's more to report on the matter!