The final trailer for Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” which releases on Nov. 26, came out Sept. 29. After nearly 10 years of waiting, audiences finally get to see the next chapter of “Zootopia.” The film stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman who are reprising their roles as optimistic rabbit Judy Hopps and sly fox Nick Wilde. The cast also welcomes Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan as a snake named Gary De’Snake.
The film was written and directed by Jared Bush, alongside Bryon Howard and is being produced by Yvett Merino with composer Michael Giacchin
With this trailer, audiences are introduced to amphibians, birds and reptiles. According to Disney’s official movie website, Hopps and Wilde are back as partners trying to solve the mystery of De’Snake’s sudden arrival to Zootopia. Hopps and Wilde have to go undercover to investigate, and they find new, unspoken parts of the city.
De’Snake’s introduction in the trailer is him explaining to Hopps he has to “set things right” for his family, so they’re able to return to Zootopia. This line is given seconds before Wilde hits De’Snake with a frying pan, an easter egg for Disney’s 2010 film, “Tangled.”
The antagonist in this film seems to be a lynx named Milton. He is situated in a dark office, with his lynx henchmen, similar to Mr. Big in the first film. As well as this, viewers can see him trying to get a new character, Mayor Winddancer, to work with him on catching Hopps and Wilde.
Throughout the trailer, audiences see new settings like a marsh filled with hippos, walruses and seals; a desert; and an underground reptile haven. Fans get to meet new characters, such as Nibbles Maplestick, an upbeat beaver voiced by comedian Fortune Feimster.
Dwayne Johnson, Auli’i Cravalho, Josh Gad, Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song have all been confirmed as a part of the film’s star-studded cast. Shakira is reprising her role as Gazelle and Robert Irwin is playing a new character, Robert Furwin.
It’s been announced late actor Tommy “Tiny” Lister Jr. will still voice Finnick, the fennec fox who’s Wilde’s partner in crime. Jared Bush, the chief creative officer for Walt Disney Animation Studio’s, shared on X the film is using recordings from the first film to continue Lister’s legacy as this character.
Along with the trailer and cast announcements, fans got their first behind-the-scenes look. In a collection of interviews about the film, the crew talks about how the story came to be, and how Hopps and Wilde are still the central focus in the plot.
“This is a mystery film,” Head of Story Carrie Liao said. “But then at the core of it is their relationship.”
Although Hopps and Wilde are extreme opposites, they still complement each other and come together as the loveable duo watchers know. The franchise isn’t restarting, only revamping.
From the trailer, audiences can already see “Zootopia 2” will follow its prequel’s theme surrounding the injustices and prejudices towards different communities of animals.
However, it is still up in the air if viewers will learn why animals like De’Snake had to be cast away, forced to make their own little safe haven. Hopefully, all remaining questions surrounding this world will be answered with this sequel.
