It has been revealed that "Zootopia 2," the sequel to Disney Animation Studios' animated feature film "Zootopia" (2016), will be released in Japan in winter 2025. An original Japanese visual has been released, showcasing a new snake character, Gary, who symbolizes 2025, the Year of the Snake.
"Zootopia" was released in 2016 and won the Best Animated Feature Film award at the 89th Academy Awards and the Best Animated Film award at the 74th Golden Globe Awards. It was the first Disney animation film since "Frozen" to gross over $1 billion worldwide, making it a huge hit. It also recorded a box office hit in Japan, grossing over 7.6 billion yen. Set in Zootopia, a metropolis where animals live like humans, the story follows the adventures of Judy, a rookie police rabbit, and Nick, a con man fox who has forgotten his dreams.
In the sequel, Nick, who has successfully graduated from the police academy and become a police officer, and Judy team up again to tackle a new Zootopia mystery. The sequel will be directed by Jared Bush, who co-directed and wrote the previous film and is now Disney Animation Studios' new Chief Creative Officer, and Byron Howard. The film will be released in the US on November 26th.
The snake Gary, who was unveiled this time, is poisonous but has a cheerful and talkative personality. He is a wanted criminal pursued by Judy and Nick, and will be an important character who will lead to a new mystery hidden in Zootopia. A new town where reptiles like Gary live will also be introduced, and their dark past in Zootopia will be the key to the story.
