Zootopia 2 marks Walt Disney Animation Studios’ return to the bustling animal metropolis nearly a decade after the original. The Nerds of Color caught up with directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard, as well as the creative team behind the film, to discuss expanding the world, creating new characters, and bringing the film’s themes of empathy and connection to life.
The filmmakers pulled back the curtain on both the artistry and the storytelling that shape Zootopia 2. Directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard designed new spaces, such as Marsh Market, where functionality and world-building are seamlessly integrated. In the original film, which took a few cues from the 48 Hours buddy cop film starring Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) are a mismatched pair of a bunny cop and con artist fox who find themselves in an unlikely partnership where they have 48 hours to solve a case.
The sequel sees their dynamic challenged in ways that highlight the film’s central themes of empathy, communication, and connection. “Something that we love so much in the first film, it’s really the story of these two characters, Nick and Judy, and that was the core of the whole story,” Bush said, regarding the first film. “I think as we headed into this story, we knew that we just wanted to continue to dive down into that relationship.”
Bush added, “Now that these two animals had opinions about each other, they started to see the differences that they really have. How do you cope with those differences? How do they sort of square those things up? How do they move past them? How do you see those differences as an advantage? As we looked at it, we want to be true to the characters, true to human nature, and it felt like that’s the logical next step in their relationship.”
The film’s themes of empathy are balanced with high-octane influences from buddy-cop and action films. They pay homage to great action directors such as Spielberg, Kubrick, and Coopla, sometimes even leaning into the ’90s TV action genre. Howard even said they think about composer Michael Giacchino’s score during some scenes.
“Giacchino’s music has to cover this massive spectrum, everything from funk to Zydeco to enormous orchestral cues that sound like they’re right out of Lawrence of Arabia. No one else but him could have really done that, but it just speaks to how broad and diverse the movie is,” said Howard.
Producer Yvette Merino believes the heart of Zootopia 2 lies in the evolving bond between its leads. She revealed, “When we came into this film, we really wanted to focus on Judy and Nick and their relationship. In the first movie, they didn’t really get along at first, but over time they worked well together, became friends, and eventually partners.”
Now that they’re both in the ZPD, their relationship continues to expand and grow, and they will discover new things about each other. The heart of their evolving partnership lies in their ability to collaborate effectively in solving problems.
“I’ve experienced that in my own friendships, and while those moments can be challenging, working through them ultimately makes the relationship stronger,” Merino admitted.
Animators Kira Lehtomaki and Chad Sellers highlighted how observing real animal behaviors — like a rabbit’s foot thump — helped them ground performances in authenticity, even in fast-paced set pieces.
“There’s also a balance where you don’t want to do too much on top of one particular thing,” Sellers said. “If you know the audience needs to feel a certain emotional feeling, or a moment that calls for something sad or emotional. It’s about balancing the physical performance with more of the internal performance.”
With nods to cinematic legends, meticulous animation research, and a score that spans from funk to orchestral grandeur, Zootopia 2 promises to be as ambitious as it is heartfelt. But at its core, the film remains about two unlikely partners learning to grow together.
Zootopia 2 opens in theaters on November 26, 2025.
