It was revealed on November 11th that the Japanese voice actors for Disney Animation's "Zootopia 2" (directed by Jared Bush, to be released on December 5th) will be voice actors Nana Mizuki, Yuma Uchida, Soma Saito, Masako Nozawa, actors Kazushige Komatsu and Tsubaki Nekobe, actor and voice actor Hajime Komada, and Takanori Sato from "LE VELVETS."
◇ Nick and Judy become police buddies in the sequel
This film is the sequel to "Zootopia," which was released in 2016. The previous film, "Zootopia," was set in Zootopia, a world where animals live in a high-tech civilized society like humans. It depicted Judy meeting Nick and overcoming many challenges together as she grows into a fine police officer. It was the first Disney animation film since "Frozen" to surpass $1 billion in global box office revenue. It was also a huge hit in Japan, grossing over 7.6 billion yen.
In the sequel, Nick, who has successfully graduated from the police academy and become a police officer, and Judy, the first rabbit police officer to do her job, team up again and embark on an epic adventure. A new character, Gary the snake, also appears.
In the Japanese version, actress Aya Ueto will voice the rabbit police officer Judy, and voice actor Toshiyuki Morikawa will voice the fox Nick, just like in the previous film. Furthermore, voice actor Hiro Hiro Shimono will voice Gary, the wanted snake who holds the key to Zootopia's greatest mystery. Voice actor Kenta Miyake, comedian Shigeo Takahashi of the comedy duo "Savannah," singer Dream Ami, and voice actor Kazuhiro Yamaji will also reprise their roles from the previous film. Additionally, it has been announced that Ryosuke Yamada will play Paubert, the gentle and sociable lynx heir to the family that founded Zootopia. Other cast members include actors Masahiro Takashima, Akira Emoto, Kumamoto Pro Wrestling of the comedy duo "Beni Shouga," Jumbo Takao of "Rainbow," voice actor Wataru Takagi, and actor Tomio Umezawa.
◇Eight Japanese voice actors announced
Eight voice actors have been announced for the Japanese version, including a diverse and talented cast of voice actors and actors. Mizuki will play Judy and Nick's counselor, Dr. Fuzzby, who has already appeared in the trailer. "I loved watching Zootopia and never thought I'd be asked to play a role in the sequel! I'm so happy and excited!" she commented excitedly. "Dr. Fuzzby is a character who is sincere in his role as a counselor, trying to give good advice to Judy and Nick. I played the role hoping that the way his seriousness doesn't mesh with the two characters would be portrayed in an entertaining way. The story is full of slapstick and exciting twists and turns, keeping you glued to the screen until the very end! Please enjoy the ever-growing bond between these two buddies!"
The roles of Judy's elusive zebra police buddy, whose catchphrase is "Shimatte!", are played by two popular voice actors with names containing the character "horse" (horse). Uchida will play Zebro Zebraxton, and Saito will play Zebro Zebrowski. Uchida said, "They wanted to cast someone with the character "horse" in their name. I thought it was a joke, but as a representative of horses around the world, I felt I had to do my best, so I accepted. Please enjoy Zootopia 2 in theaters!" Saito added, "I am truly happy to be appearing in Zootopia, a film beloved and beloved by so many. Please come and see for yourself what kind of drama unfolds. Thank you!" Judy's tough-minded grandmother, who eagerly awaits the day she can see her grandson's face, will be played by veteran voice actor Nozawa, known for his role as Son Goku in "Dragon Ball."
Komatsu plays Catrick Linksley, the older brother of the lynx Paubert (Yamada) and the ambitious eldest son of the Linksley family, the founding family of Zootopia. Nekobe plays Kitty Linksley, Paubert's older sister and the sarcastic eldest daughter of the Linksley family, who looks down on her smaller brother. This is the first time for both of them to appear in a Disney production, and they expressed their joy, saying, "My first Disney job was also my first dubbing, so I was really excited" (Komatsu), and "When my manager told me I'd be appearing, I was really happy and also really surprised" (Nekbe).
Regarding the character she played, Komatsu commented, "The character of Catrick isn't particularly high-energy, so I hid my desire to get excited and played the role calmly. Zootopia 2 is a very interesting film. Please enjoy it at the theater!" Nekobe said, "I played Kitty, the eldest daughter of the Linksley family, who should have grown up without any hardships, but her siblings fight over her father's love. I'm looking forward to seeing the many problems that only human society can face, played out by animals, at the theater!"
The role of Bertholdt Hoofschmerz, a goat hiker who coughs after eating too many flowers and plants, will be played by Komada, who is known for his appearances in stage productions such as "Les Miserables" and "Miss Saigon," and also played the role of Hotaru and Rey in the Disney animation "The Princess and the Frog." Bertholdt's partner, Jurgen Ziegenkäse, a goat hiker who loves to yodel, will be played by Sato, a member of the vocal group "LE VELVETS" and a singer active in numerous musicals. It will be interesting to see what kind of dialogue the two, who have also performed together on the stage of "Les Miserables," will show us.
Komada said, "This is my second Disney film. It's been a while, so I was really excited. Zootopia is one of my favorite films. I'm sure everyone will enjoy it. Please come and enjoy it at the theater!" Sato added, "It was one of my dreams to appear in a Disney film! I was really surprised that my first work as a voice actor would be the sequel to my favorite film, Zootopia! I can't wait for the release to see how it turns out. The world of Zootopia 2 is so exciting. Let's go on an adventure together!!"
