A bunny, a fox, and a reptile intermixed in one mystery changed the expectations for Disney sequels.
“Zootopia 2” has come out on November 26, 2025, and it further adds on to what we know about the first movie. The second movie takes place only a week after Judy and Nick started working together. Since they no longer cooperate well as a team, they are given a difficult case that will determine their future as partners.
While undercover in new parts of the city, they investigate a mysterious reptile named Gary De’Snake. However, Judy and Nick make an unexpected discovery about the reptile population and their beloved city, forcing them to make important decisions on their next move.
Before this new case, however, Judy and Nick’s relationship is first established in the original “Zootopia” movie that was released on March 4, 2016, following the story of how Judy Hopps became a police officer.
After graduating at the top of her class, she is assigned to work at the mammal metropolis, where she faces discrimination from animals, who don’t think she is capable of being a cop. To prove that she was worthy of her title, Judy is sent on a mission to find missing animals with the help of a fox con artist, Nick Wilde.
Rae Latsch, the dance teacher at North Hollywood High School, explains that when she watched the first movie, Judy, to her “equated to… women that become officers or [are] in a workforce where it’s not traditionally women [doing the job].” She believes that Judy portrayed a strong female character that can be inspiring to others. Through this representation of strong women, Disney received compliments for doing an exceptional job at portraying their characters.
Furthermore, the bond between Nick and Judy that had grown throughout the movie captured the attention of its viewers. Junior ASB member Hein Ngo emphasizes, “I really enjoyed how Judy and Nick’s friendship developed as Judy got over her initial impression of him.”
“Zootopia 1” portrayed concepts that were not only heart-warming but also inspiring, which gave the movie a great reputation. Given the fact that the first film was so loved, many had worried the sequel, “Zootopia 2,” wouldn’t be able to live up to its name.
However, despite initial worries, it seems that “Zootopia 2” has been able to execute a fun plot that didn’t fail to impress its viewers. Isabella Batts, ASB Commissioner of Sports, believes that the second movie is almost as good as the first one, stating, “The only advantage the first one has is the nostalgia.” She adds, “seeing it back then as a kid with that perspective rather than now as a senior, you enjoy it more when you’re younger.”
Unlike in previous sequels, Disney was able to preserve some of the lovable qualities of this fantasy world. An example can be seen as Shakira makes an impressive return to the franchise’s soundtracks as Gazelle and once again creates another song named “Zoo.”
Xochitl Cuevas, an SAS senior, expresses, “That’s what I liked about ‘Zootopia 2,’ it’s that they had, like, Shakira coming in and do the music so it was very catchy.” She mentions that unlike in “Moana 2,” that is criticized for not having the same song writer, Disney contracting the Shakira once again for its music was why it was memorable.
In addition to the music and story, the sequel managed to capture its moral lesson of the value of respecting the perspectives and decisions of those whom you care about. Hannah Cho, a STEM junior, learned, “to care about the people that you love… and to not… control them but to just let them do their own thing and be there to support them.”
Although many were expecting a typical remake where the plot is the same, but some characters are different, it seems that Disney took on another approach. They added to the lore of the “Zootopia” world and gave the sequel a purpose. By exceeding such expectations, Disney has now successfully provided students with an impactful movie to watch with loved ones.
