Zootopia
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''Zootopia'' (titled ''Zootropolis'' in various regions) is a 2016 American computer-animated
buddy cop Buddy cop is a film and television genre with plots involving two people of very different and conflicting personalities who are forced to work together to solve a crime and/or defeat criminals, sometimes learning from each other in the process. ...
action comedy Action comedy is a genre that combines aspects of action and comedy. The genre is most prevalent in film with action comedy films, though several TV series fit this genre. Film The action comedy film is a film genre that combines aspects of acti ...
film produced by
Walt Disney Animation Studios Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fro ...
and released by
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios unit ...
. The 55th Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Byron Howard and
Rich Moore Rich Moore is an American film and television animation director, screenwriter and voice actor. He has directed the films ''Wreck-It Ralph'' (2012) and co-directed ''Zootopia'' (2016) and ''Ralph Breaks the Internet'' (2018) for Walt Disney A ...
, co-directed by
Jared Bush Jared Bush (born June 12, 1974) is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He is best known for co-directing and co-writing the Walt Disney Animation Studios film '' Zootopia'' (2016), writing the film '' Moana'' (2016) and directing and ...
(in his
feature directorial debut This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many film makers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...
), and produced by
Clark Spencer Clark Spencer (born April 6, 1963) is an American film producer, businessman and studio executive best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios, and for winning the Oscars for Best Animated Feature for his work on ''Zootopia'' and '' ...
, from a screenplay written by Bush and Phil Johnston, and a story by Howard, Moore, Bush, Johnston,
Jim Reardon Jim Reardon is an American animator, storyboard artist, television writer, television director, and screenwriter. He is best known for his work on the animated TV series ''The Simpsons''. He has directed over 30 episodes of the series and was cr ...
, Josie Trinidad, and Jennifer Lee. The film stars the voices of
Ginnifer Goodwin Jennifer Michelle "Ginnifer" Goodwin (born May 22, 1978) is an American actress. She is known for her starring role as Margene Heffman in the HBO drama series ''Big Love'' (2006–2011) and Snow White / Mary Margaret Blanchard in the ABC fan ...
,
Jason Bateman Jason Kent Bateman (born January 14, 1969) is an American actor, director and producer known for his roles of Michael Bluth in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox/Netflix sitcom ''Arrested Development (TV series), Arrested Development'' and of Mart ...
,
Idris Elba Idrissa Akuna Elba (; born 6 September 1972) is an English actor.
,
Jenny Slate Jenny Sarah Slate (born March 25, 1982) is an American actress, comedian, and author. Born and raised in Milton, Massachusetts, Slate was educated at Milton Academy and studied literature at Columbia University, where she became involved in the ...
,
Nate Torrence Nathan Andrew Torrence (born December 1, 1977) is an American comedic actor known for several TV and film roles, most notably including Devon from ''She's Out of My League'', Wade from HBO‘s ''Hello Ladies'', Sully on the CW series ''Supernatu ...
,
Bonnie Hunt Bonnie Lynn Hunt (born September 22, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, director, producer, writer and television host. Her film roles include ''Rain Man'', ''Beethoven'', '' Beethoven's 2nd'', ''Jumanji'', ''Jerry Maguire'', '' The Green ...
,
Don Lake Donald Lake (born November 26, 1956) is a Canadian actor, writer, and television producer. He is frequently cast by director Christopher Guest, and is also a close friend and the collaborative partner of Bonnie Hunt. He had a role in '' The Bo ...
,
Tommy Chong Thomas B. Kin Chong (born May 24, 1938) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, musician, activist. He is known for his marijuana-themed Cheech & Chong comedy albums and movies with Cheech Marin, as well as playing the character Leo on Fox ...
,
J. K. Simmons Jonathan Kimble Simmons (born January 9, 1955) is an American actor, considered one of the most prolific and well-established character actors of his generation. He has appeared in over 200 films and television roles since his debut in 1986. He i ...
,
Octavia Spencer Octavia Lenora Spencer (born May 25, 1970) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Critics' Choice Awards and three Screen Actors ...
,
Alan Tudyk Alan Wray Tudyk ( ;; born March 16, 1971) is an American actor. His film work includes roles in '' 28 Days'' with Sandra Bullock (2000), ''A Knight's Tale'' with Heath Ledger (2001), '' Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story'' with Vince Vaughn (2004 ...
, and
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...
. Taking place in the titular city where
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
mammals coexist, it tells a story of an unlikely partnership between a rabbit police officer and a
red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...
con artist A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibility, and greed. Researchers have ...
as they uncover a
criminal conspiracy In criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime at some time in the future. Criminal law in some countries or for some conspiracies may require that at least one overt act be undertaken in furtherance ...
involving the disappearance of
predators Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
. ''Zootopia'' premiered at the Brussels Animation Film Festival in
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
on February 13, 2016, and went into general theatrical release in
Disney Digital 3-D Disney Digital 3-D is a brand name used by The Walt Disney Company to describe three-dimensional films made and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures mostly under the Walt Disney Pictures label and shown exclusively using digital pr ...
, RealD 3D, IMAX 3D, and 4DX formats in the United States on March 4. ''Zootopia'' received positive reviews from critics, who praised its screenplay, animation, voice acting, subject matter, and
Michael Giacchino Michael Giacchino (; born October 10, 1967) is an American composer of music for films, television and video games. He has also served as a director for television. He has received many awards, including an Oscar for his work on '' Up'' (2009), ...
's musical score. The film opened to record-breaking box offices in several countries, and earned a worldwide gross of over $1billion, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2016. The film earned numerous accolades; it was named one of the top ten best films of 2016 by the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...
, and received Best Animated Feature at the 89th Academy Awards, among numerous other accolades. A television spin-off series, '' Zootopia+'', premiered on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
on November 9, 2022.


Plot

In a world populated by anthropomorphic mammals, Judy Hopps, a rabbit from a rural town called Bunnyburrow, fulfills her childhood dream of becoming a
police officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...
in the urban city of Zootopia. Despite being the academy
valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution. The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...
, Judy is assigned to parking duty by Chief Bogo, who fails to recognize her talent. On her first day on the job, Judy is hustled by a
con artist A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibility, and greed. Researchers have ...
fox duo, Nick Wilde and Finnick. Later, a small-time crook and bootleg film seller Duke Weaselton steals a bag of
crocus ''Crocus'' (; plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae (iris family) comprising about 100 species of perennials growing from corms. They are low growing plants, whose flower stems remain under ...
bulbs known as ''Midnicampum holicithias''. Judy abandons her post to arrest Weaselton, and is reprimanded by Bogo. Mrs. Otterton unexpectedly barges into Bogo's office pleading for someone to find her husband Emmitt, one of fourteen missing mammals. Judy volunteers and the city's assistant mayor, a
sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
named Dawn Bellwether, praises the assignment. Bogo has no choice but to agree but secretly orders Judy to resign if she fails after forty-eight hours. Having ascertained that Nick was the last to see Emmitt, Judy blackmails him into helping her by covertly recording his confession to
tax evasion Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the tax ...
on her carrot pen. They track Emmitt's belongings to a limousine owned by
crime boss A crime boss, also known as a crime lord, Don, gang lord, gang boss, mob boss, kingpin, godfather, crime mentor or criminal mastermind, is a person in charge of a criminal organization. Description A crime boss typically has absolute or nearl ...
Mr. Big, an arctic shrew whom Nick has a history with. He reveals that Emmitt suddenly went "
savage Savage may refer to: Places Antarctica * Savage Glacier, Ellsworth Land * Savage Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Savage Ridge, Victoria Land United States * Savage, Maryland, an unincorporated community * Savage, Minnesota, a city * Savage, Mi ...
", attacking Mr. Big's chauffeur Manchas. The two visit Manchas, a
black jaguar A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been ...
, and he says Emmitt yelled about "Night Howlers" before the attack. Manchas then turns savage and chases the pair. Judy traps Manchas and calls the ZPD for help, however, Manchas vanishes before they arrive. Bogo demands Judy resign, but Nick confronts Bogo, reminding him that she still has ten hours remaining. While leaving the scene, Nick reveals to Judy that he became a con artist because, as a child, he tried to join the Junior Ranger Scouts, but was bullied and rejected simply for being a fox. At City Hall, Bellwether offers Judy and Nick access to Zootopia's traffic cameras. They discover Manchas was taken by timberwolves, whom Judy surmises is the "Night Howlers". Following the wolves, the duo locates Emmitt, Manchas, and the rest of the missing animals, all "savage" predators, imprisoned at a local asylum. Zootopia's mayor, Leodore Lionheart, ordered their capture and is trying to ascertain the cause of their feral behavior. Lionheart and the asylum staff are soon arrested for false imprisonment and Bellwether becomes the new mayor. Judy, praised for solving the case, asks Nick to join the ZPD as her partner. However, he angrily rejects her offer and abandons her after Judy claims that predatory biology is behind the mysterious "savageness" epidemic. Judy's comments, broadcast on television, incite fear and discrimination against predators throughout Zootopia. Wracked with guilt, Judy quits her job and returns to Bunnyburrow. There, she learns that "Night Howlers" are actually the crocus bulbs Weaselton stole; they contain a neurotoxin that has severe, lasting psychotropic effects on mammals that causes them to return to a feral state. Judy returns to Zootopia and reconciles with Nick. With the help of Mr. Big, Judy and Nick interrogate Weaselton, who admits he was hired by a
ram Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to: Animals * A male sheep * Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish People * Ram (given name) * Ram (surname) * Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director * RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch * ...
named Doug. They find Doug in a laboratory hidden in the city subway, where he manufactures a Night Howler serum to be shot at predators via a dart pistol. Judy and Nick obtain a serum gun as evidence, but before they can reach the ZPD, Bellwether confronts them in the Natural History Museum, revealing herself as the mastermind behind a prey-supremacist conspiracy. The duo become trapped in an exhibit and Bellwether shoots Nick with the pistol in an attempt to infect him as she summons the ZPD, but Nick had disabled the pistol by replacing its ammunition with blueberries. Judy reveals she recorded Bellwether's confession with the carrot pen, after which the ZPD arrives. Bellwether and her accomplices are arrested, while Lionheart, still in prison, publicly denies knowledge of her plot and insists that imprisoning the infected predators was a "wrong thing for the right reason". With the cause of the epidemic identified, the predators are cured, Judy rejoins the ZPD and Nick becomes her partner and the first fox police officer.


Voice cast

*
Ginnifer Goodwin Jennifer Michelle "Ginnifer" Goodwin (born May 22, 1978) is an American actress. She is known for her starring role as Margene Heffman in the HBO drama series ''Big Love'' (2006–2011) and Snow White / Mary Margaret Blanchard in the ABC fan ...
as Judy Hopps, a young optimistic rabbit from Bunnyburrow who is a newly appointed member of the Zootopia Police Department assigned to the 1st Precinct. ** Della Saba voices a younger Judy Hopps. *
Jason Bateman Jason Kent Bateman (born January 14, 1969) is an American actor, director and producer known for his roles of Michael Bluth in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox/Netflix sitcom ''Arrested Development (TV series), Arrested Development'' and of Mart ...
as Nick Wilde, a sly
red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...
who is a small-time con artist. **
Kath Soucie Kath or KATH may refer to: * Kath (city), the historical capital of Khwarezm * Kath (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname * KATH-TV, the NBC TV station in Juneau, Alaska * KATH (AM) KATH (910 kHz) is an ...
voices a younger Nick Wilde. *
Idris Elba Idrissa Akuna Elba (; born 6 September 1972) is an English actor.
as Chief Bogo, an African buffalo who is the
police chief The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and ...
of the Zootopia Police Department's 1st Precinct. *
Jenny Slate Jenny Sarah Slate (born March 25, 1982) is an American actress, comedian, and author. Born and raised in Milton, Massachusetts, Slate was educated at Milton Academy and studied literature at Columbia University, where she became involved in the ...
as Dawn Bellwether, a diminutive
sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
who is the assistant mayor of Zootopia. *
Nate Torrence Nathan Andrew Torrence (born December 1, 1977) is an American comedic actor known for several TV and film roles, most notably including Devon from ''She's Out of My League'', Wade from HBO‘s ''Hello Ladies'', Sully on the CW series ''Supernatu ...
as Benjamin Clawhauser, an obese
cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...
who works as a
dispatcher A dispatcher is a communications worker who receives and transmits information to coordinate operations of other personnel and vehicles carrying out a service. A number of organizations, including police and fire departments, emergency medical ...
and desk sergeant for the Zootopia Police Department's 1st Precinct. *
Bonnie Hunt Bonnie Lynn Hunt (born September 22, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, director, producer, writer and television host. Her film roles include ''Rain Man'', ''Beethoven'', '' Beethoven's 2nd'', ''Jumanji'', ''Jerry Maguire'', '' The Green ...
as Bonnie Hopps, a
European rabbit The European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula (including Spain, Portugal, and southwestern France), western France, and the northern Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa. It has b ...
from Bunnyburrow who is the mother of Judy Hopps. *
Don Lake Donald Lake (born November 26, 1956) is a Canadian actor, writer, and television producer. He is frequently cast by director Christopher Guest, and is also a close friend and the collaborative partner of Bonnie Hunt. He had a role in '' The Bo ...
as Stu Hopps, a European rabbit from Bunnyburrow who is the father of Judy Hopps and a known carrot farmer. *
Tommy Chong Thomas B. Kin Chong (born May 24, 1938) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, musician, activist. He is known for his marijuana-themed Cheech & Chong comedy albums and movies with Cheech Marin, as well as playing the character Leo on Fox ...
as Yax, a laid-back
domestic yak The domestic yak (''Bos grunniens''), also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox or hairy cattle, is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent, the Tibetan Plateau, Kachin Sta ...
who is the owner of the naturist club Mystic Springs Oasis in Sahara Square. *
J. K. Simmons Jonathan Kimble Simmons (born January 9, 1955) is an American actor, considered one of the most prolific and well-established character actors of his generation. He has appeared in over 200 films and television roles since his debut in 1986. He i ...
as Mayor Lionheart, a lion who is the noble, but pompous
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of Zootopia. *
Octavia Spencer Octavia Lenora Spencer (born May 25, 1970) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Critics' Choice Awards and three Screen Actors ...
as Mrs. Otterton, a concerned
North American river otter The North American river otter (''Lontra canadensis''), also known as the northern river otter and river otter, is a semiaquatic mammal that only lives on the North American continent, along its waterways and coasts. An adult North American rive ...
whose husband Emmitt has gone missing. *
Alan Tudyk Alan Wray Tudyk ( ;; born March 16, 1971) is an American actor. His film work includes roles in '' 28 Days'' with Sandra Bullock (2000), ''A Knight's Tale'' with Heath Ledger (2001), '' Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story'' with Vince Vaughn (2004 ...
as Duke Weaselton, a small-time least weasel crook who is also known for selling bootleg DVDs. The name is a reference to the Duke of Weselton from '' Frozen'', whom Tudyk also voices. *
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...
as Gazelle, a
Thomson's gazelle Thomson's gazelle (''Eudorcas thomsonii'') is one of the best known species of gazelles. It is named after explorer Joseph Thomson and is sometimes referred to as a "tommie". It is considered by some to be a subspecies of the red-fronted gazell ...
who is a famous pop star. Shakira also voices Gazelle in the Spain and Latin America Spanish dubs. *
Raymond S. Persi Raymond Saharath Persi (born February 17, 1975) is an American animator, director, screenwriter, producer, storyboard artist and voice actor. He has directed many episodes of ''The Simpsons'', including "Mobile Homer", "The Girl Who Slept Too ...
as Flash, the "fastest"
three-toed sloth The three-toed or three-fingered sloths are arboreal neotropical mammals . They are the only members of the genus ''Bradypus'' and the family Bradypodidae. The four living species of three-toed sloths are the brown-throated sloth, the maned slot ...
in the DMV (short for Department of Mammal Vehicles). ** Persi also voices Officer Higgins, a hippopotamus who is an elite member of the Zootopia Police Department's 1st Precinct. *
Maurice LaMarche Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
as Mr. Big, an Arctic shrew who is the most fearsome
crime boss A crime boss, also known as a crime lord, Don, gang lord, gang boss, mob boss, kingpin, godfather, crime mentor or criminal mastermind, is a person in charge of a criminal organization. Description A crime boss typically has absolute or nearl ...
in Tundratown and is served by a group of polar bears. * Phil Johnston as Gideon Grey, a
red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...
from Bunnyburrow who used to bully the young rabbits and sheep when he was young. As an adult, he has made amends with those he picked on and became a much-respected baker. ** Johnston also voices an angry offscreen character who states that his taxes pay Judy's salary upon being given a parking ticket by her. * Fuschia! as Major Friedkin, a polar bear who works at the Zootopia Police Academy as a drill instructor. *
John DiMaggio John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the ''Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on ''Kim Possible'', H ...
as Jerry Jumbeaux Jr., an ill-tempered African elephant who owns an ice cream parlor called Jumbeaux's Café which is frequented by elephants and other larger mammals. ** DiMaggio also voices Woolter and Jesse (a pun on the show '' Breaking Bad''s main protagonists), two tough rams who are Doug's assistants; a
moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...
that gets a parking ticket from Judy; and a
pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...
reporter. * Katie Lowes as Dr. Madge Honey Badger, a
honey badger The honey badger (''Mellivora capensis''), also known as the ratel ( or ), is a mammal widely distributed in Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Because of its wide range and occurrence in a variety of habitats, it is liste ...
scientist who helps Mayor Lionheart look for the cause of the animals going savage. * Gita Reddy as Nangi, an
Indian elephant The Indian elephant (''Elephas maximus indicus'') is one of four extant recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant and native to mainland Asia. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List as the wild pop ...
who works as a yoga instructor at Mystic Springs Oasis. *
Jesse Corti Jesse Corti (born July 3, 1955) is an American actor and theater director best known for playing Courfeyrac in the original Broadway show ''Les Misérables'' and for voicing LeFou in ''Beauty and the Beast''. Career Corti also voiced the Span ...
as Manchas, a black
jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...
from Zootopia's Rainforest District who is a chauffeur for Zootopia's biggest limo company and is the personal chauffeur to Mr. Big. * Tom Lister Jr. as Finnick, a
fennec fox The fennec fox (''Vulpes zerda'') is a small crepuscular fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara to the Sinai Peninsula. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat and ...
who is Nick's partner in crime. *
Josh Dallas Joshua Paul Dallas (born December 18, 1978) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Prince Charming/ David Nolan in the ABC television series '' Once Upon a Time'' and as Ben Stone in the NBC/Netflix sci-fi drama series '' Manife ...
as an unnamed frantic domestic pig who is the owner of the "Flora and Fauna" flower shop that is robbed by Duke Weaselton and frantically asks Judy for help. He later appears as a protester at Gazelle's peace rally arguing with a female leopard. * Leah Latham as Fru Fru, an arctic shrew and the daughter of Mr. Big. She befriends Judy after Judy saves her from a runaway Donut sign in Little Rodentia. She also makes Judy the Godmother and namesake of her daughter. *
Rich Moore Rich Moore is an American film and television animation director, screenwriter and voice actor. He has directed the films ''Wreck-It Ralph'' (2012) and co-directed ''Zootopia'' (2016) and ''Ralph Breaks the Internet'' (2018) for Walt Disney A ...
as Doug, an emotionless ram
chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...
and
sniper A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
who works for Bellwether. ** Moore also voices Larry, a gray wolf that is a security guard at Cliffside Asylum. * Fabienne Rawley and
Peter Mansbridge Peter Mansbridge (born July 6, 1948) is a British-born Canadian retired news anchor. From 1988 to 2017, he was chief correspondent for CBC News and anchor of '' The National,'' CBC Television's flagship nightly newscast. He was also host of CB ...
as Fabienne Growley and Peter Moosebridge, the
snow leopard The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia''), also known as the ounce, is a felid in the genus '' Panthera'' native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is es ...
and
moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...
anchors of the ZNN News. ** The moose co-anchor is used in the standard version of the film, released in the United States, Italy, France, Canada, Russia, Philippines, and Mexico. In the UK version, the moose is named as Moosos Alexander, voiced by radio journalist
Vassos Alexander Born Vassos Alexander Georgiadis is a British sports reporter, presenter, author and endurance runner. He is currently the sports presenter of '' The Chris Evans Breakfast Show'' on Virgin Radio. Alexander hosts the Parkrun podcast, he is a mot ...
(though the UK home release used his US name and voice). In other countries, the anchor is a different animal voiced by a different person.Loughrey, Clarisse.
Zootropolis' new anchors change animal depending on what country you're in
." ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
''. March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
David Campbell voices a
koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the w ...
newscaster named David Koalabell in the Australian and New Zealand versions. The Brazilian version uses a
jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...
named Onçardo Boi Chá who is voiced by Ricardo Boechat. The Japanese version uses a
tanuki Tanuki may refer to: *Japanese raccoon dog (''Nyctereutes viverrinus'' or ''Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus''), a mammal native to Japan *Bake-danuki, a type of spirit (yōkai) in Japanese mythology that appears in the form of the mammal *A de ...
named Michael Tanuyama who is voiced by . The Chinese version uses an unnamed
giant panda The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes us ...
. * Byron Howard as Bucky Oryx-Antlerson, a
greater kudu The greater kudu (''Tragelaphus strepsiceros'') is a woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas due to declining habitat, deforestation, ...
who is the neighbor of Judy Hopps and Pronk's husband. ** Howard also voices Travis, Gideon Grey's black-footed ferret friend. *
Jared Bush Jared Bush (born June 12, 1974) is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He is best known for co-directing and co-writing the Walt Disney Animation Studios film '' Zootopia'' (2016), writing the film '' Moana'' (2016) and directing and ...
as Pronk Oryx-Antlerson, a gemsbok who is the neighbor of Judy Hopps and Bucky's husband. *
Mark Rhino Smith Mark Smith (born 30 September 1969) is a British actor and body builder who starred as Rhino on the popular ITV show, '' Gladiators''. He now lives in Los Angeles. Early life Smith was born in Acton, London on 30 September 1969 to Jamaican pa ...
as Officer McHorn, a
black rhinoceros The black rhinoceros, black rhino or hook-lipped rhinoceros (''Diceros bicornis'') is a species of rhinoceros, native to eastern and southern Africa including Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania ...
police officer who is part of the Zootopia Police Department's 1st Precinct. * Josie Trinidad as Mrs. Dharma Armadillo, a
nine-banded armadillo The nine-banded armadillo (''Dasypus novemcinctus''), also known as the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo or common long-nosed armadillo, is a mammal found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos. ...
who is the
landlady A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant (also a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). When a juristic person is in this position, the t ...
of the Grand Pangolin Apartments that Judy Hopps moves into. * John Lavelle as the unnamed construction mouse foreman of Little Rodentia's construction crew who receives the Pawpsicle sticks from Nick and Finnick. *
Kristen Bell Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. Beginning her acting career by starring in stage productions while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, she made her Broadway stage debut as Becky That ...
as Priscilla, a three-toed sloth who is Flash's co-worker at the DMV.


Production


Writing

Development of the film that would come to be called ''Zootopia'' began when Byron Howard pitched six story ideas to Disney Animation chief creative officer and executive producer
John Lasseter John Alan Lasseter (; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, voice actor, and the head of animation at Skydance Animation. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios ...
, of which three involved animal characters: an all-animal adaptation of ''
The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight ...
'', a 1960s-themed story about a "mad doctor cat...who turned children into animals", and a "bounty hunter pug in space". The common thread running through these ideas was that Howard wanted to do a film similar to Disney's ''
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...
'', which also featured animals in anthropomorphic roles. According to Howard, ''Zootopia'' emerged from his desire to create something different from other animal anthropomorphic films, where animals either live in the natural world or in the human world. His concept, in which animals live in a modern world designed by animals for animals, was well received by Lasseter, who responded by embracing and lifting Howard "in the air like a baby
Simba Simba is a fictional character and the protagonist of Disney's ''The Lion King'' franchise. Introduced in the 1994 film ''The Lion King'', Walt Disney Animation's 32nd animated feature, the character subsequently appears in '' The Lion King II: ...
". Lasseter suggested that Howard should try combining the 1960s theme with the animal characters, especially the space pug. This led Howard to develop and pitch ''Savage Seas'', an international
spy film The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as many James Bond films) ...
centered on an arctic hare named "Jack Savage" who was somewhat like
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
. It was around this time that screenwriter
Jared Bush Jared Bush (born June 12, 1974) is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He is best known for co-directing and co-writing the Walt Disney Animation Studios film '' Zootopia'' (2016), writing the film '' Moana'' (2016) and directing and ...
was hired to work on the film; he was excited to work on a spy film because his own father and grandfather had worked for the
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
. Howard and Bush continued to develop the film with the assistance of the Disney Story Trust, the studio's top creative personnel who meet regularly to review and discuss all projects in development. The most delightful part of the spy film turned out to be its first act, set in a city created by and for animals. To focus on the all-animal city, Howard eventually dropped the 1960s setting, along with the espionage and international aspects, and changed the film into a contemporary police procedural in which Nick Wilde was the lead role and Judy Hopps was essentially his
sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
. For a while, "the filmmakers were very committed" to that version of the story, but then in November 2014, the filmmakers realized the film's plot would be more engaging if they reversed the roles to instead focus on Hopps as opposed to Wilde. The change in perspective involved dropping several characters, including two characters known as "The Gerbil Jerks" who were described as "trust-fund gerbils that had nothing better to do than harass Nick."


Pre-production

In May 2013, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' initially reported that Howard was directing the film and that Jason Bateman had been cast, but little else about the film was known at the time. ''Zootopia'' was first officially announced on August 10, 2013, at the
D23 Expo D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 2009, the organization is known mainly for its biennial exposition event, the D23 Expo. The name ''D23'' refers to ''D'' for ''Disney'' and ''23'' ...
, with a March 2016 release date. Research for the film took place in
Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division, it is the l ...
, as well as in
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
and the
San Diego Zoo Safari Park The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, originally named the San Diego Wild Animal Park until 2010, is an 1,800 acre (730 ha) zoo in the San Pasqual Valley area of San Diego, California, near Escondido. It is one of the largest tourist attractions in S ...
, where animators spent eight months studying various animals' walk cycles as well as fur color. Eight hundred thousand forms of mammals were created for and featured in the film. To make the characters' fur even more realistic, they also went to the
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is the largest natural and historical museum in the western United States. Its collections include nearly 35 million specimens and artifacts and cover 4.5 billion years of history. This large col ...
to closely observe the appearance of fur with a microscope under a variety of lighting. The filmmakers drew inspiration for ''Zootopia''s urban design from major cities including
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
,
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
,
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
, and
Brasília Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...
. To develop a city that could actually be inhabited by talking mammals ranging in size from to and from drastically different climates, the filmmakers consulted Americans with Disabilities Act specialists and
HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HV ...
system designers. For assistance with designing motor vehicles appropriate for so many different types and sizes of mammals, the filmmakers consulted with
J Mays J Mays is an American industrial designer who served as Group Vice President of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer at Ford Motor Company, and is now Chief Design Officer at Whirlpool. His name is simply "J", named after his grandfather, S ...
, former chief creative officer of the
Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
. During the development process, Walt Disney Studios chairman
Alan F. Horn Alan Frederick Horn (born February 28, 1943) is an American entertainment industry executive. Horn became President and COO of Warner Bros. from 1999 to 2012. Horn next served as the chairman of Walt Disney Studios from 2012 to 2020. During his ...
suggested that Nick should expressly state his disappointment ("Just when I thought someone actually believed in me...") after discovering that Judy still fears him as a predator. In March 2015, it was revealed that
Rich Moore Rich Moore is an American film and television animation director, screenwriter and voice actor. He has directed the films ''Wreck-It Ralph'' (2012) and co-directed ''Zootopia'' (2016) and ''Ralph Breaks the Internet'' (2018) for Walt Disney A ...
(''
Wreck-It Ralph ''Wreck-It Ralph'' is a 2012 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 52nd Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Rich Moore (in his feature director ...
'') had been added as a director of the film, in addition to Jared Bush ('' Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero'') as co-director.


Animation

Disney's most recent work on animating fur was for the titular character of the 2008 film '' Bolt'', but the software they had used at the time was not ready for creating the realistic fur of the animals of ''Zootopia''. Therefore, the studio's IT engineers developed the fur-controlling software "iGroom", which gave character designers precise control over the brushing, shaping and shading of fur and made it possible to create a variety of eccentric character styles for each animal. The software was also able to control an unseen "imaginary" under-layer that gave fur a degree of plushness not seen before. This feature was used to create characters like Officer Clawhauser, who has a big head that is entirely made of spotted fur. Characters with noteworthy numbers of strands of hair or fur included both of the two lead characters, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, who each had around 2.5 million hairs; a giraffe with nine million strands of fur; a gerbil with 480,000 strands; and a rodent with more strands of hair than the 400,000 that were on Elsa's head in '' Frozen''. ''Zootopia'' was the second time Disney used the Hyperion renderer, which they had first used on '' Big Hero 6''. A new fur paradigm was added to the renderer to facilitate the creation of realistic images of the animals' dense fur. Nitro, a real-time display application developed since the making of ''Wreck-It Ralph'', was used to make the fur more consistent, intact and subtle much more quickly, as opposed to the previous practice of having to predict how the fur would work while making and looking at silhouettes or poses for the character. The tree-and-plant generator Bonsai, first used in ''Frozen'', was used to make numerous variations of trees with very detailed foliage. ''Zootopia'' was produced in makeshift quarters in a giant warehouse in
North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
(together with '' Moana'') while Disney Animation's headquarters in Burbank was being renovated.


Casting

On May 6, 2015, Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin were announced as having been cast, respectively, in the roles of Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps. The filmmakers chose Bateman because they wanted an actor who could bring "a funny yet heartfelt side" with "a wily, dry-witted sort of voice". Bateman described his character as "a crafty, sarcastic schemer", remarking on the role's similarity to many other roles he had done since he was 12. He explained that he had said to the directors: "'What kind of voice do you guys want me to do?' And they just looked at me like I was an idiot and said, 'Just do what you do. Just talk.'" Commenting on the casting of Goodwin, Moore said that she brought "very centered sweetness, tremendous heart and a great sense of humor"; he described Judy as "a little
Pollyanna ''Pollyanna'' is a 1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter, considered a classic of children's literature. The book's success led to Porter's soon writing a sequel, ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' (1915). Eleven more ''Pollyanna'' sequels, know ...
mixed with Furiosa". Goodwin stated about her character: "People mistake kindness for naivete or stupidity, and she is a good girl through and through. But she's not a dumb bunny."


Music

The film's score is composed by
Michael Giacchino Michael Giacchino (; born October 10, 1967) is an American composer of music for films, television and video games. He has also served as a director for television. He has received many awards, including an Oscar for his work on '' Up'' (2009), ...
, in his first feature-length project for Walt Disney Animation Studios, as he previously worked on several short films and television specials produced by the company, as well as multiple
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
films. Recording took place from November 16–20, 2015, with an 80-piece orchestra conducted by Tim Simonec. In addition to her voice role of Gazelle, pop star
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...
also contributed an original song to the film titled "
Try Everything "Try Everything" is a song recorded by Colombian singer Shakira for the 2016 Walt Disney Animation Studios film ''Zootopia'', and written by Sia, Tor Hermansen, and Mikkel Eriksen. In the film, it is featured as a song recorded by a singer na ...
", which was written by
Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...
and Stargate. The soundtrack was released on March 4, 2016, by
Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label releases soundtrack albums from The Walt Disney Company's motion picture studios, television series, theme parks, and traditional studio albums produced by its ...
.


Marketing

The first teaser trailer was released online at Walt Disney Animation Studios'
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
page on June 11, 2015. A second teaser trailer was released online again at Walt Disney Animation Studios' YouTube page on November 23, 2015, featuring a sequence of the film where the main characters encounter a Department of Mammal Vehicles (based on the DMV) run entirely by sloths. The official theatrical trailer for the film was released online at Walt Disney Animation Studios' YouTube page on
New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
2015. Figures of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde were released for '' Disney Infinity 3.0'' on March 1, 2016. In addition, the studio devoted considerable marketing attention to the furry fandom demographic, believing that they would logically be most interested in this film project.


Release


Theatrical

''Zootopia'' was released on March 4, 2016 in
Disney Digital 3-D Disney Digital 3-D is a brand name used by The Walt Disney Company to describe three-dimensional films made and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures mostly under the Walt Disney Pictures label and shown exclusively using digital pr ...
, RealD 3D, and
IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating. Graeme F ...
3D, making it the first Disney animated film shown in domestic IMAX theatres since ''
Treasure Planet ''Treasure Planet'' is a 2002 American animated science fiction action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The 43rd Disney animated feature film, it is a science fiction adaptat ...
'' (2002). It was shown for the first time to the public as a feature film in an international competition for a young audience during the Brussels Animation Film Festival in
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
on February 7, and was screened to the general media and audience on February 13. In China, the state's
SAPPRFT The National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) is a ministry-level executive agency controlled by the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Its main task is the administration and supervision of state-owned enterp ...
granted the film a rare two-week extension to play in theaters in addition to its limited 30-day run, which was to have ended on April 3.


Alternative titles

The film was retitled for theatrical release across several international territories. In the United Kingdom and other European, Middle Eastern, and North African countries, the film was renamed ''Zootropolis'', a reference to the concept of a "
metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...
" rather than to that of a "
utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', describing a fictional ...
". This was due to Disney being unable to trademark the name "Zootopia" in these territories for various legal reasons, including
Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
Givskud Zoo registering the name Zootopia in 2014. In Germany, the film was titled ''Zoomania'' due to a children's book by German author Kay Fischer titled ''Zootopolis'' released in 2010.


Home media

''Zootopia'' was released by
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films, television series, an ...
on
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
,
Blu-ray 3D The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
,
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
, and
Digital HD A digital copy is a commercially distributed computer file containing a media product such as a film or music album. The term contrasts this computer file with the physical copy (typically a DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, or Ultra HD Blu-ray disc) wit ...
platforms on June 7, 2016. It includes some bonus material such as "Scoretopia", an alternate opening, and the music video to Shakira's "Try Everything". The film debuted at the top of the home media sales chart for the week ending on June 12, 2016. Zootopia was released on 4K Blu-ray on November 5, 2019.


Re-release

On June 22, 2020, amid the reopening of movie theaters due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Disney announced that ''Zootopia'', along with 11 other Disney owned movies were to return to US theaters during a 4-week period. ''Zootopia'' returned to US theaters on June 26 and played through July 2, 2020, alongside '' The Avengers'', and ''
The Greatest Showman ''The Greatest Showman'' is a 2017 American biographical musical drama film directed by Michael Gracey in his directorial debut, written by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon and starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, ...
''. The film grossed a total of $393,600 and was the top film in theaters during its US re-release. Weeks later, on July 20, 2020, it was confirmed that the film would be returning to theaters in China, along with '' Big Hero 6'' and the Chinese debut of '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' on July 31, 2020.


Reception


Box office

''Zootopia'' grossed $341.3 million in the U.S. and Canada and $682.5 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $1.024 billion, against a budget of $150 million. On March 18, 2016, the film reached the $500 million mark, becoming the third consecutive Walt Disney Animation Studios film to reach the milestone after '' Frozen'' (2013) and '' Big Hero 6'' (2014). On April 5, it became the first film of 2016 to gross over $800 million in ticket sales, and on April 24, became the first ever film of 2016 to cross $900 million. On June 5, the film crossed the $1 billion mark, becoming the second film of 2016 to do so (after the studio's own '' Captain America: Civil War''), the fourth animated film (after ''
Toy Story 3 ''Toy Story 3'' is a 2010 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the third installment in the ''Toy Story'' series and the sequel to '' Toy Story 2'' (1999). It wa ...
'', Frozen (2013 film), ''Frozen'' and ''Minions (film), Minions''), the eleventh Disney film, the third Disney animated film, and the twenty-sixth film overall to reach the milestone. Worldwide, it was the 2016 in film, fourth-highest-grossing film of 2016 (behind ''Civil War'', ''Rogue One'', and ''Finding Dory''), the second-highest-grossing animated film of 2016, the second-highest-grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios film (second-highest overall) of all time in its original release (after ''Frozen''), the second-highest-grossing original film (behind ''Avatar (2009 film), Avatar''), and the List of highest-grossing animated films, fourth-highest-grossing animated film of all time. ''Deadline Hollywood'' calculated the net profit of the film to be $294.9 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film, making it the fifth-most profitable release of 2016.


United States and Canada

In the United States and Canada, pre-release tracking suggested the film would open to $60–70 million from 3,827 theaters in its opening weekend. It played in 3,100 3D theaters, 365 IMAX theaters, and 325 premium large format screens. It earned $1.7 million from Thursday previews, a record for a non-Pixar Disney animated film, for an animated film opening outside of summer, and seventh-biggest all time for an animated film. Buoyed by good word of mouth, it earned $19.5 million on its opening day, also a record for a non-Pixar Disney animated film (breaking ''Frozen''s record), and the second-biggest for a March animated film (behind ''Ice Age: The Meltdown''). In its opening weekend, it scored a better than expected $75.1 million, which was the biggest non-Pixar Disney animated opening (breaking ''Big Hero 6''s record), the biggest opening weekend among Walt Disney Animation Studios films (breaking ''Frozen''s record), the biggest March animated opening (breaking ''The Lorax (film), The Lorax''s record), the seventh-biggest March opening, and the tenth-biggest animated opening of all time. Furthermore, its opening weekend is also the fourth-biggest for an original film, behind ''The Secret Life of Pets'', ''Inside Out (2015 film), Inside Out'', and ''Avatar''. It also performed exceptionally well in IMAX, where the film brought in $5.2 million from 366 screens, the second-best animated IMAX opening behind only ''Toy Story 3'' ($8.4 million). In its Second weekend in box office performance, second weekend, it fell gradually by 31% to $51.3 million and recorded one of the best holds for an animated film, more or less on par with ''
Wreck-It Ralph ''Wreck-It Ralph'' is a 2012 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 52nd Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Rich Moore (in his feature director ...
''s second weekend drop of 32%, but a bigger drop than ''The Lego Movie''s 27%. It continued to top the box office for the third weekend, earning $37.2 million, falling by 28% from its previous weekend while passing the $200 million mark. This made it the second-biggest third weekend for a film that did not open at over $100 million, behind ''Avatar'' ($68 million) and ahead of ''Skyfall'' ($35 million). The film was overtaken by the superhero film ''Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'' in its fourth weekend, despite only a marginal decline. It spent a total of 13 consecutive weeks in the top ten, more than any other film except for ''Avatar'' (14 weeks) and ''Frozen'' (16 weeks) over the last decade. It ended its theatrical run on August 4, 2016, after playing in theaters for a total of 154 days. It became the second-highest-grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios film (behind ''Frozen''), the List of 2016 box office number-one films in the United States, seventh-highest-grossing film of 2016, and the tenth-highest-grossing animated film of all time. In June 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic closing most theaters worldwide and limiting what films played, ''Zootopia'' returned to 280 theaters (mostly drive-ins) and grossed $393,600.


Other countries

''Zootopia'' received a scattered release as Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures took advantage of school holidays in various markets. The film opened in a limited number of international markets in the weekend ending February 14, earning $4.5 million in three markets. It expanded to 22 markets in its second weekend, into 36% of its total international markets, and added $31.2 million. It added another $33 million in its third weekend with no new markets. In its fourth weekend, it expanded to 45 countries and grossed $64.7 million, coming in second place at the international box office, behind the Chinese film ''Ip Man 3''. $3.3 million came from IMAX showings. It finally topped the box office in its fifth weekend after a strong second-weekend gross in China. It added $89.3 million from 45 countries, an increase of 25% from its previous weekend. It remained in first place for the second time in its sixth weekend, before ''Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'' took the top spot. It passed the $500 million mark in its eighth weekend. In its opening weekend—which varied between markets—the film grossed $3.1 million in Spain and an additional $1.7 million in Belgium and Denmark. In Belgium, it had the biggest ever animated opening for a Disney or Pixar film. It broke opening records for a non-Pixar Disney animated film in China ($23.6 million), France ($8.1 million), Russia ($7.8 million), Germany ($6.6 million), Hong Kong ($1.5 million), Poland ($1.2 million), and India. It opened in the United Kingdom and Ireland with $7.5 million, Mexico with $4.6 million, Australia with $3.2 million, Brazil with $2.6 million, and in Italy, on a non-holiday weekend with $3.1 million. The film had number-one openings in Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, and South Africa. In the UK and Ireland, with significant competition from ''Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'' and the animated family film ''Kung Fu Panda 3'', the film had a £5.31 million ($7.6 million) opening weekend from 579 theaters, including £1.74 million ($2.5 million) worth of previews, debuting in second place behind ''Dawn of Justice'' and falling just short of Walt Disney Animation Studios' best opening in the UK. It fell just 24% in its second weekend. ''Zootopia''s largest markets overseas are China ($235.6 million), followed by Japan ($70.1 million), Russia and the CIS ($39.2 million), Germany ($34.2 million), the UK ($34.2 million), France ($31.9 million), and South Korea ($31.6 million). In China, it is the highest-grossing Disney film in local currency (Chinese yuan, ¥1.530 billion), surpassing ''Avengers: Age of Ultron'' (¥1.464 billion), as well as the seventh-highest-grossing film of all time. In Russia, it is the second-highest-grossing film of all time in local currency (Russian ruble, ₽2.3 billion), behind only ''Avatar'' (₽3.6 billion). It topped the Russian and German box office for three weekends, and the Chinese and Korean box office for two weekends. In China, where it was locally known as ''Crazy Animal City'' (疯狂动物城), the film exceeded expectations and was considered Hollywood's biggest breakout success in China since 2015's ''Jurassic World'' made $229 million. It had an opening day of $3.4 million on its way to $23.6 million for its three-day opening weekend, debuting in second place and scoring the biggest non-sequel animated opening, as well as the second-biggest three-day opening and IMAX opening for an animated film, behind ''Kung Fu Panda 3''. In its ninth day of release (a Saturday), it recorded the biggest single-day gross ever for an animated film, with $25 million (compared to $10.6 million on its first Saturday), and passed the lifetime total of ''Big Hero 6'' to become the highest-grossing Disney animated film in China. In its second weekend, it grossed $60 million, an enormous increase of 139% from its previous weekend, and crossed the $100 million mark to become the third animated film in China to do so, after ''Kung Fu Panda 3'' and ''Monkey King: Hero Is Back''. This also marked the single best weekend for an animated film. In mid-March, the combined total of ''Kung Fu Panda 3'' and ''Zootopia'' alone broke 2014's record of $286 million in box office grosses for American animated features in China. In its third weekend, it grossed $40 million for a total of $175 million, making it the highest-grossing animated film of all time in China. On March 27, its seventeenth day of release, it passed the $200 million mark, becoming the first animated film, the second Disney film, and the sixth Hollywood film overall to pass that milestone. It became the highest-grossing animated film of all time and the second-highest-grossing film of 2016, behind only ''The Mermaid (2016 film), The Mermaid''. It opened in Japan on April 23 and earned $4 million in its opening weekend, debuting at second place in the box office, behind ''Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare'', and had the third-biggest Walt Disney Animation Studios debut in that market, behind ''Frozen'' and ''Big Hero 6''. Deadline.com pointed out that the average opening number might have been due to the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, which could have affected moviegoers. In a rare achievement, it topped the box office in its third weekend after two weeks at No. 2. In the following two weekends, it continued to increase its ticket sales, and topped the box office there for four consecutive weekends. After four straight wins, it was finally overtaken by the R-rated superhero film ''Deadpool (film), Deadpool''. It was the No. 1 western/Hollywood film for eight consecutive weekends. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' cited that strong word of mouth, audiences watching both the English and Japanese versions, and 3D and 4DX screenings, as well as a popular Japanese version of the "Try Everything" song by Dream Ami, all helped boost ''Zootopia''s performance. Its strong run in the market aided the film to propel past the $1 billion mark worldwide. It remained in top three for 11 consecutive weekends and has grossed a total of $70.1 million there.


Critical response

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads: "The brilliantly well-rounded ''Zootopia'' offers a thoughtful, inclusive message that's as rich and timely as its sumptuously state-of-the-art animationall while remaining fast and funny enough to keep younger viewers entertained." It was the site's second-highest-rated film of 2016 behind ''Moonlight (2016 film), Moonlight''. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 78 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. Neil Genzlinger of ''The New York Times'' considered the movie "funny, smart, [and] thought-provoking". Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that ''Zootopia'' "may be the most subversive movie of" 2016, giving the film three-and-a-half stars out of four and praising its timely message about the harm of prejudice in the face of the prevailing xenophobic political rhetoric at the time of the film's release, and the film's humor. Peter Debruge at ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' opined that ''Zootopia'' "plays directly to the studio's strength". IGN reviewer Eric Goldman gave the film a 9.0 out of 10 'Amazing' score, saying "''Zootopia'' is a wonderful example of how Disney, at its best, can mix its past and present together in a very cool, compelling way. It takes the classic animation trope of animals walking, talking and acting like humans, but gives it a modern spin both in terms of its humor and animation style ... and also in its themes, which are meaningful and fascinatingly topical." Writing in British Sunday newspaper ''The Observer'', reviewer Mark Kermode: In the UK daily newspaper ''The Daily Telegraph'', Robbie Collin noted, "The lion doesn't just The lamb and lion, lie down with the lamb, they run for City Hall on a joint ticket. It's the diversity dream come true. Or is it? […] Think Busytown by way of Chinatown. It's almost certain to be the most existentially probing talking animal cartoon of the year." Collin added, "Like Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy in ''48 Hrs.'', albeit considerably cuter, Judy and Nick make a hilariously strained but effective double act – not least thanks to Goodwin and Bateman's tremendous vocal work, which trips along with the effortless swing and snap of great bebop." Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com, despite generally liking the film (three out of four stars), had trouble with the film's central metaphor that conflicted with its message: Also in ''The Daily Telegraph'', Rosa Prince singled out the film's lead character, Judy Hopps, as a welcome change for Disney animated feature film heroines, such as the Disney Princess franchise. She found that unlike those characters' focus on romance or family loyalty, Hopps' focus is on her dream career as a police officer and serving her city. Some were critically divided of the message about universal prejudices of all sorts interpreted as an allegory of American racism. Nico Lang of ''Consequence of Sound'' felt that Disney delivered a kids' version of ''Crash (2005 film), Crash'', yet others criticized the use of prey and predator species in the "allegory" while critics at ''the Root (magazine), The Root'' stated positively that the movie acknowledges culpability of systemic racism and white supremacy.


Accolades

The film was chosen by the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...
as one of the American Film Institute Awards 2016, top ten films of 2016, and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Academy Award, Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film, Golden Globe, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature, Critics Choice Movie Award and Annie Award for Best Animated Feature, Annie Award for Best Animated Feature Film. It also received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, which it lost to ''Kubo and the Two Strings''.


Lawsuit

On March 21, 2017, a copyright infringement lawsuit was filed against Disney by Esplanade Productions, a company owned by Gary Goldman (screenwriter), Gary L. Goldman, the co-screenwriter of ''Total Recall (1990 film), Total Recall''. The lawsuit claims that Goldman (in 2000 and 2009) pitched a concept to Disney for a live-action film titled ''Looney'', which was about a socially awkward animator who creates a self-inspired TV cartoon called ''Zootopia''. Disney twice rejected the pitch, but Goldman accused the company of copying the name, themes, settings, and character tropes. Filed with the lawsuit was a graphic of early concept artwork of characters that are claimed to appear similar to major characters from the film, including Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps, Flash, and Chief Bogo. A Disney spokesperson described the lawsuit as being "ridden with patently false allegations". After months of back-and-forth deliberation between the two parties, U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald dismissed the infringement claims on November 8, 2017. As stated in the final review, "Goldman's effort to make the plots of ''Looney'' and ''Zootopia'' seem similar were strained. All the purported similarities between the two works were themes, not plot points or sequences of events, that were too general to be protected by copyright law." Esplanade appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Ninth Circuit, which affirmed the dismissal on April 24, 2019.


Merchandise

A card game based on the film called ''Zootopia: Suspect Search'' was released, as well as a game for mobile phones titled ''Zootopia Crime Files''. In May 2018, it was announced that a ''Zootopia'' graphic novel is set to be published by Dark Horse Comics. The graphic novel, titled ''Disney Zootopia: Friends to the Rescue'', was written by Jimmy Gownley, with art by Leandro Ricardo da Silva. It was released on September 25, 2018.


Theme park attractions

On January 22, 2019, Disney Parks announced a themed area based on ''Zootopia'' was to be coming to Shanghai Disneyland Park, with construction on the land beginning on December 9, 2019. Construction halted for a brief period during the COVID-19 pandemic, but by June 2020, construction had resumed. On September 11, 2022 at the D23 Expo, Disney revealed that the film is being considered to be added to
Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division, it is the l ...
Theme Park at Walt Disney World in Florida, but nothing has been confirmed yet.


Future


Possible sequel

In June 2016, Howard and Moore were in talks about the possibility of a ''Zootopia'' sequel.


Television spin-off

On December 10, 2020 during the Disney Investors Day livestream, Walt Disney Animation Studios announced that a television series entitled ''Zootopia+'' would premiere in 2022 on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
as one of the studios' first television projects, as most TV shows based on Disney's animated films are produced by Disney Television Animation. It was announced to be an anthology series that would feature storylines that follow 3 sets of characters from the film (the mobster shrews, the tiger dancers, and the sloths). On November 12, 2021, Disney confirmed the series for a release in 2022, and also released a first-look teaser image which included characters from the film not previously confirmed to be in the series. The series would be directed by Trent Correy and Josie Trinidad. It was released on November 9, 2022 with six shorts. Among the episodes include an action parody starring Bonnie and Stu Hopps, a musical starring Duke Weaselton, a ''Real Housewives'' spoof with Fru-Fru, a film noir parody with Mr. Big, a dance competition parody with Clawhauser, Bogo, and Gazelle, and a romantic comedy parody with Flash and Priscilla. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde cameo in the action parody and make other appearances throughout. All the cast members from the movie reprised their roles. The music is composed by Curtis Strong and Mick Giacchino (Michael's son), with Michael scoring the "Duke: The Musical" episode with lyrics by Kate Anderson and Elyssa Samsel (''Olaf's Frozen Adventure'', ''Central Park (TV series), Central Park'').


See also

* ''The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad'' – a 1949 Disney film that partly inspired Rich Moore and the idea of ''Zootopia'' * ''Beastars'' – a Japanese manga and anime series with a similar premise. * ''BNA: Brand New Animal'' – another similar anime series with a similar premise which involves 'Beastmen' and human beings instead of just animals * ''The Bad Guys (film), The Bad Guys'' (2022) - DreamWorks Animation feature with similar content


Notes


References


External links

* * * * * * * * {{Authority control 2016 films 2016 3D films 2016 computer-animated films 2010s American animated films American 3D films American buddy cop films Animated buddy films Animated films about mammals American animated feature films Annie Award winners Best Animated Feature Academy Award winners Best Animated Feature Annie Award winners Best Animated Feature Broadcast Film Critics Association Award winners Best Animated Feature Film Golden Globe winners 2010s English-language films Films adapted into television shows Films directed by Byron Howard Films directed by Rich Moore Films produced by Clark Spencer Films scored by Michael Giacchino Films with screenplays by Jared Bush Films with screenplays by Phil Johnston (filmmaker) Films with screenplays by Jennifer Lee (filmmaker) Films with screenplays by Jim Reardon Films about prejudice IMAX films American police detective films Walt Disney Animation Studios films Walt Disney Pictures animated films 2010s buddy comedy films 2010s buddy cop films 3D animated films Fictional places in Disney films