Animation is Film 2025: The Filmmaker Panels — ”Zootopia 2”
Besides the many screenings of animated films old and new and foreign and domestic, the Animation is Film Festival gives audiences the chance to see beyond the screen to the sometimes difficult and complex paths the films take from the script to the screen. Typically, Walt Disney Animation Studios offers up a sneak peek at one of their upcoming films, and this year was no exception.
Behind the Scenes: Zootopia 2
To talk about the upcoming film Zootopia 2, producer Yvett Merino and head of story Carrie Liao brought some advance footage and shared some of the plot of the eagerly-awaited sequel.
[No photos or video were permitted during the presentation]
As the story begins, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, having just cracked the big case in Zootopia a week ago, have started work as partners in the Zootopia Police Department. They go undercover on a smuggling case, but as is usual with the duo, things do not go smoothly, and they end up on another madcap chase through town. This winds them up in trouble with Chief Bogo who decides that their problem is that their many differences are interfering with their teamwork, and sends them off to what is essentially Police Department couples therapy.
Determined to show that she and Nick are a good team, Judy investigates and finds evidence that a snake may be attempting to steal a historically important book on display at the swanky Zootennial Gala. Naturally, she forces Nick to once again go undercover to infiltrate the ball with her and hijinks ensue, while Gazelle entertains the crowd.
At the Gala, we meet one of Zootopia’s new characters, Mayor Brian Winddancer, voiced by Patrick Warburton. An actor turned politician, he may not have any experience being a mayor, but he’s played one on TV.
We also meet up with the subject of their pursuit: Gary, voiced by Ke Huy Quan.
On capturing Gary, Judy and Nick find out why he has been trying to steal the book, and the secrets held within. What they discover leads them to help Gary escape, and consequently end up on the lam themselves. Desperately in need of help, they turn to some old friends with experience on riding the thin line of lawlessness, and some new ones, such as reptile expert Nibbles Maplestick, voiced by the comedian Fortune Feimster, who is both a podcaster and a conspiracy theorist, and also a beaver.
She shows them around an area of Zootopia we haven’t seen before: Marsh Market, which houses many aquatic species including Jesus the lizard who may have valuable information for the rookie police officers about the book, Zootopia, and Gary.
“Ultimately, the question of this movie is whether these two animals, who are so different, really have what it takes to stay together in the long run. In other words, if the first movie was their honeymoon, this movie is probably what moving in feels like: A little bumpy, as you start to learn some things about each other that maybe you didn't know before.
“And I think that there's something in there that is really just deeply relatable to any of us who have had like friendships, partners, any kind of relationship where it's like… what happens when you have this relationship that gets tested? And you find out… hey, we may not be as similar as we thought.
“As we go deeper, we may run into things that we question about each other. How do we kind of talk about it, understand each other a little better, and maybe grow stronger for it?”
After the talk, Merino and Liao were kind enough to stay for a mini-poster giveaway and signing.
Zootopia 2 opens in theaters November 26, 2025