When does “Zootopia 2” come out? All about Nick and Judy’s next case — and the state of their relationship

Key Points

• After a nine-year wait, Zootopia 2 arrives in theaters in November.

• Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Idris Elba will reprise their roles, among others.

• New cast members include Quinta Brunson, Fortune Feimster, and Ke Huy Quan.

After nearly a decade, a sequel to Disney’s beloved Zootopia is in sight.

Released in 2016, the animated comedy about detectives in a city of anthropomorphic animals emerged as a critical and commercial smash, scooping up more than $1 billion at the box office. The cherry on top? The Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 89th Academy Awards.

That’s a tough act to follow, but Disney has clearly taken its time to ensure Zootopia 2 is no mere cash grab.

So, what is Zootopia 2 about? When is it coming out? And which familiar voices will play its ensemble of cops, crooks, and citizens? Here’s everything we know about Zootopia 2.

What is Zootopia 2 about?

While we’ve aged considerably since its release, not much time has passed between Zootopia and its sequel, which picks up with bunny Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin) and fox Nick (Jason Bateman) still getting used to being partners in the Zootopia Police Department (ZPD).

“But it doesn’t take long for their partnership to be put to the ultimate test when they find themselves on the twisting trail of a mystery tied to the arrival of a venomous snake in the animal metropolis,” reads the official synopsis.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly following the film’s breakout success, directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore said they had no shortage of ideas for a sequel. “We cut a lot out during the making of the film,” Howard told us. “We introduced districts that we talked about that couldn’t fit in, other characters that we eliminated from the movie.”

During that same conversation, they said fans seemed curious about the nature of Judy and Nick’s relationship, particularly if there was a romantic edge to it.

“We will have to take on [the question], what is Nick and Judy’s relationship like?” said Moore. “And somebody’s going to be disappointed. It will either be romantic, or it will stay a friendship, and those who ship [them] are going to go crazy, and those who just want them to be friends will say, ‘Why did you make it a romance?’ So we need to gird ourselves for that.”

Moore stepped back from the sequel, with Zootopia co-writer Jared Bush slotting in as a co-director alongside Howard. But, as the trailer makes clear, Nick and Judy’s relationship nevertheless remains a focus of Zootopia 2.

Is there a Zootopia 2 trailer?

Yes, the first proper trailer for Zootopia 2 hit the internet on July 30, showing Nick and Judy in a support group for buddy cops who aren’t buddying up as expected.

While Nick and Judy are pretending everything is fine, a quokka therapist voiced by Quinta Brunson sees right through them, pointing out Judy’s imperiousness and Nick’s “disconnected affectation.”

The back half of the clip sets the stakes and outlines Nick and Judy’s mission, with Idris Elba’s Chief Bogo giving them a “make-or-break assignment.” If they can’t apprehend a venomous snake that’s infiltrated the city, they’ll be split up.

The official trailer follows a brief teaser released in May 2025 that highlights old and new characters, as well as a variety of different underwater, desert, urban, and mountainous landscapes.

Also spied? A cloaked figure with glowing eyes that casts a large shadow over our heroes.

Who’s in the Zootopia 2 cast?

Returning characters include Goodwin’s Judy Hopps, Bateman’s Nick Wilde, and Elba’s Chief Bogo, as well as Shakira’s pop star Gazelle and Maurice LaMarche’s crime boss, Mr. Big.

Of the new cast members, the most prominent is Ke Huy Quan, who kickstarts the sequel’s action as Gary De’Snake, a pit viper that Nick and Judy are tasked with apprehending.

Quan, who found fame as a child actor in blockbusters like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and The Goonies (1985), reemerged in 2022’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Brunson, the Emmy-winning star and creator of Abbott Elementary (2021–present), voices the aforementioned quokka.

Co-writer and co-director Bush revealed several other new cast members at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2025. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Bush announced that actress and comedian Fortune Feimster (FUBAR) is voicing a “conspiracy-minded beaver” named Nibbles and that the suave, menacing Jean Reno (Leon: The Professional) is playing a “tough French goat cop.”

Bush also confirmed via X that Nate Torrence (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) will return to voice Officer Benjamin Clawhauser, the donut-popping cheetah at the ZPD.

Is there a Zootopia 2 release date?

Indeed. Zootopia 2 scurries into theaters on Nov. 26.

Where can I watch Zootopia?

You can revisit Zootopia — and its spinoff series Zootopia+ — by streaming it on Disney+.

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