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Zootopia (franchise)

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For the film, see Zootopia.

Zootopia
Created byByron Howard
Rich Moore
Original workZootopia (2016)
OwnerDisney Enterprises, Inc.
Years2016–present
Films and television
Film(s)
Animated seriesZootopia+ (2022–present)
Audio
Soundtrack(s)Zootopia
Official website
disney.com/zootopia/

Zootopia is a Disney media franchise that originally started in 2016 with the release of the American animated feature film of the same name, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The series takes place in the titular city where anthropomorphic mammals coexist, telling the story of an unlikely partnership between a rabbit police officer and a red fox con artist as they uncover a criminal conspiracy.

The franchise consists mainly of two CGI-animated films: Zootopia (2016), with a second currently in development, and one television series: Zootopia+ (2022) aired on Disney+.

Films

Film U.S. release date  Director(s) Screenwriter(s) Story by Producer(s)
Zootopia March 4, 2016 Byron Howard and Rich Moore Jared Bush and Phil Johnston Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush, Jim Reardon, Josie Trinidad, Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee Clark Spencer
Zootopia 2 TBA

Zootopia (2016)

Main article: Zootopia

The 55th Disney animated feature film. 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, of which three involved animal characters: an all-animal adaptation of The Three Musketeers,[1] a 1960s-themed story about a "mad doctor cat...who turned children into animals", and a "bounty hunter pug in space".[2] The common thread running through these ideas was that Howard wanted to do a film similar to Disney's Robin Hood, which also featured animals in anthropomorphic roles.[3] 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".[4] Lasseter suggested that Howard should try combining the 1960s theme with the animal characters, especially the space pug.[2] This led Howard to develop and pitch Savage Seas, an international spy film centered on an arctic hare named "Jack Savage" who was somewhat like James Bond.[2][5] It was around this time that screenwriter Jared Bush 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.[2]

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.[5] The most delightful part of the spy film turned out to be its first act, set in a city created by and for animals.[2] 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.[2][5][6] For a while, "the filmmakers were very committed" to that version of the story,[5] 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.[6] 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."[7]

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.[8] Zootopia was first officially announced on August 10, 2013, at the D23 Expo, with a March 2016 release date.[3][9]

Research for the film took place in Disney's Animal Kingdom, as well as in Kenya and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, where animators spent eight months studying various animals' walk cycles as well as fur color.[10][11] Eight hundred thousand forms of mammals were created for and featured in the film.[11] To make the characters' fur even more realistic, they also went to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County to closely observe the appearance of fur with a microscope under a variety of lighting.[12][11] The filmmakers drew inspiration for Zootopia's urban design from major cities including New York City, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Brasília.[13] To develop a city that could actually be inhabited by talking mammals ranging in size from two inches (5.1 cm) to 27 feet (8.2 m) and from drastically different climates, the filmmakers consulted Americans with Disabilities Act specialists and HVAC system designers.[14] For assistance with designing motor vehicles appropriate for so many different types and sizes of mammals, the filmmakers consulted with J Mays, former chief creative officer of the Ford Motor Company.[15] During the development process, Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan F. Horn 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.[16] In March 2015, it was revealed that Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph) had been added as a director of the film, in addition to Jared Bush (Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero) as co-director.[17]

Zootopia 2 (TBA)

In June 2016, Howard and Moore were in talks about the possibility of a Zootopia sequel.[18][19][20][21][22] On February 8, 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that a sequel to Zootopia was in the works.[23] Screenwriter Jared Bush confirmed via Twitter that he’s working on the sequel.

Television specials and series

SeriesSeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast releasedNetwork
Zootopia+16November 9, 2022 (2022-11-09)Disney+

Zootopia+ (2022)

Main article: Zootopia+

The anthology series features six stories that take place during the events of the original film.[24] On December 10, 2020, Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer Jennifer Lee announced that a spin-off series titled Zootopia+ and based on the 2016 film Zootopia is in development at the studio for Disney+.[25] Trent Correy and Josie Trinidad, who worked as an animator and head of story for the film, respectively, were set to direct the series.[25] The idea for the series was suggested by Correy during a pitch presentation in 2020, as one of three pitches for potential Disney+ series; he developed a pitch for a Zootopia series due to his interest in wanting to further explore the film's world and characters.[26][27][28] Trinidad was originally set to direct only two episodes for the series, but her excitement to work on the project caused her to be ascended to co-director for the entire series alongside Cortney.[27] The series was produced remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which complicated the production process according to producer Nathan Curtis.[29][27] Correy's pitch featured 10 stories, but four of them had to be discarded due to receiving a 6-episode order.[30] Lee executive-produces the series alongside Zootopia co-directors and Encanto directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush.[27]

References

  1. ^ "Academy Conversations: Zootopia-Oscars on YouTube". YouTube.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Julius, Jessica (2016). The Art of Zootopia. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-4521-5405-3. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Graser, Marc (August 9, 2013). "D23 Expo: Disney Reveals Animated 'Zootopia' for 2016". Variety. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  4. ^ Bahr, Lindsey (August 9, 2013). "Disney Animation preview: 'Frozen,' 'Big Hero 6,' at Disney's D23, Plus 'Zootopia' announced". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 10, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d Deitchman, Beth (Spring 2016). "The Start of Zootopia: The filmmakers behind Walt Disney Animation Studios' latest film take us on a wonderful journey through Zootopia". Disney Twenty-three. 8 (1). Burbank: Walt Disney Company: 26–28. ISSN 2162-5492. OCLC 698366817.
  6. ^ a b Lussier, Germain (January 20, 2016). "How Disney Fixed a Huge Mistake With Zootopia, Just One Year Before Release". io9. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  7. ^ Alexander, Bryan. "Exclusive: Lost characters of 'Zootopia' found". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  8. ^ Kit, Borys (May 3, 2013). "Disney, 'Tangled' Director Plot New Animated Feature With Jason Bateman (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  9. ^ Kilday, Gregg (December 4, 2013). "Pixar vs. Disney Animation: John Lasseter's Tricky Tug-of-War". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  10. ^ Celestino, Mike (December 1, 2015). "With next year's "Zootopia", Walt Disney Animation Studios promises a different kind of talking animal movie". Inside the Magic. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  11. ^ a b c Lalwani, Mona (March 4, 2016). "Fur technology makes Zootopia's bunnies believable". Engadget. AOL. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  12. ^ Julius, Jessica (2016). The Art of Zootopia. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-4521-5405-3. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  13. ^ "Disney's 'Zootopia': Making A Movie That's Never Been Seen "Be-Fur"". Geeks of Doom. December 1, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  14. ^ Keegan, Rebecca (March 4, 2016). "Did a Disney animated film really say that? If it's 'Zootopia,' prepare to be shocked". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 20, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  15. ^ Julius, Jessica (2016). The Art of Zootopia. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-4521-5405-3. Archived from the original on March 14, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  16. ^ Rainey, James (April 11, 2016). "Disney's Alan Horn Uses Low-Key Approach, Keen Creative Vision to Find Hits of the Future". Variety. Los Angeles: Variety Media. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  17. ^ "Walt Disney Animation Studios Reveals New Zootopia Concept Art". ComingSoon.net. CraveOnline. March 3, 2015. Archived from the original on March 6, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  18. ^ "Zootopia directors talk sequel, TV potential – EW.com". June 2, 2016. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  19. ^ Peter Sciretta (June 6, 2016). "Zootopia 2 Talk Begins As Movie Becomes Second …". Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  20. ^ "Zootopia's Directors Are Already Thinking About Sequel Possibilities". Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  21. ^ "Zootopia 2 Release Date Cancelled? Latest Updates!". {{cite news}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "Is Zootopia 2 Finally Coming? Zootopia 2 Confirmed Release Date, Cast, Trailer, News & Update". {{cite news}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 8, 2023). "Frozen, Toy Story & Zootopia Sequels In The Works". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  24. ^ Porter, Rick (December 10, 2020). "'Moana,' 'Tiana' Animated Series Set at Disney+". Variety. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  25. ^ a b Holloway, Daniel (December 10, 2020). "'Moana,' 'Cars,' 'Princess and the Frog' Spinoff Series Set for Disney Plus". Variety. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  26. ^ "'Zootopia+' Disney+ Release Date Announced". Disney Plus Informer. June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  27. ^ a b c d "Zootopia+ Production Notes" (PDF). Disney+. Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  28. ^ "Everything You Wanted to Know About the Zootopia+ Musical". November 23, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  29. ^ "Zootopia+ – Cast and Filmmakers Interview". November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  30. ^ Blackburn, Steven (November 10, 2022). "Josie Trinidad, Trent Correy & Nathan Curtis Interview: Zootopia+". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
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