'Zootopia 2' to explore diversity, growth through new worlds, characters

A scene from the upcoming Disney animation “Zootopia 2” / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea

The beloved animal-centric world of "Zootopia" (2016) is returning to the big screen after nine years, with its creators and actors promising an even more timely and resonant adventure.

Compared to the original, "Zootopia 2" will challenge the beloved duo of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde by taking them to new and unfamiliar environments, while maintaining their strong partnership, according to director Jared Bush.

“When we're stepping into a new story, we knew this really had to center around Judy and Nick and their partnership, and the whole point of this movie is to really start to push them out of their comfort zones,” Bush said during an online press conference with Korean reporters Tuesday.

The sequel picks up only a week after the end of the first film, with newly established partners Judy (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick (Jason Bateman) tackling a new case involving the sudden and mysterious appearance of reptiles in Zootopia’s otherwise mammal‑dominated world.

Reprising her role as the energetic bunny cop, Goodwin said this tight timeline between the films allows the audience to witness the duo's growth in real-time.

"I think what's really brilliant about that is it gave us an opportunity to really examine all the cracks in their characters,” she said.

From left, director Jared Bush, voice actors Ginnifer Goodwin, Ke Huy Quan and producer Yvett Merino attend an online press conference with Korean reporters to promote their upcoming animated feature “Zootopia 2,” Tuesday. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea

To push the characters beyond their limits, the filmmakers ventured into unexplored corners of Zootopia’s expansive metropolis.

“We wanted to take them to new places in Zootopia that we hadn't visited in the first film,” the director said.

At the same time, Bush emphasized the importance of maintaining the original’s heart.

"We want to retain the incredible chemistry between Judy and Nick. I think that this (is a) big, playful, expansive world — our modern city, where you feel like it's a reflection of our own world,” he said.

Producer Yvett Merino emphasized the importance of maintaining continuity, noting that they had numerous internal screenings to make sure new plot elements didn’t conflict with the established world.

A scene from the upcoming Disney animation “Zootopia 2” / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea

New faces also join Zootopia, including Gary De'Snake, a pit viper voiced by Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan. The character serves as the emotional center of the story and further expands the film’s metaphorical lens on diversity and prejudice.

Quan, a self-proclaimed fan of the original, expressed his excitement about portraying a character that challenges preconceptions.

“I just feel like, as humans, we have a propensity to shy away from people who are different than us,” he said. “And I think what this movie does so beautifully is to get us to understand that it's okay to be different.”

The core message of embracing differences runs throughout the sequel. Goodwin likened it to assembling a puzzle.

"I also love doing jigsaw puzzles in real life, and I know that I cannot put a puzzle together if all of my pieces are the same shape,” she said. “In the end, you need all of the pieces to be all different shapes in order to make a beautiful puzzle.”

“Zootopia 2” hits Korean theaters Nov. 26.