This article is about the film. For the franchise, seeZootopia (franchise). For the film's soundtrack, seeZootopia (soundtrack). For the zoo and safari park in Denmark, seeGivskud Zoo. For the theme park attraction in South Korea, seeEverland.
Zootopia premiered at the Brussels Animation Film Festival inBelgium on February 13, 2016, and was released in the United States on March 4. The film received largely positive reviews from critics, who praised its screenplay, animation, and subject matter.[8] The film opened to record-breaking box office returns in several countries, and grossed over $1billion, making it thefourth-highest-grossing film of 2016. Amongother accolades, the film was named one of thetop-ten films of 2016 by theAmerican Film Institute and wonBest Animated Feature at the89th Academy Awards. A televisionspin-off series,Zootopia+, premiered in 2022, and a sequel,Zootopia 2, is scheduled for release on November 26, 2025.
In a world inhabited byanthropomorphicmammals,Judy Hopps, a rabbit from rural Bunnyburrow, fulfils her childhood dream of becoming the first rabbit police officer in the city of Zootopia. On her first day at the Zootopia Police Department (ZPD), she is givenparking duty by Chief Bogo and ishustled by red fox con artist Nick Wilde and his partner Finnick during her shift. The next day, Judy abandons her post to arrest small-time crook Duke Weaselton for stealing a bag ofcrocus bulbs. While Bogo is reprimanding Judy, Mrs. Otterton visits his office, pleading for someone to find her husband, Emmitt, one of several predators who have gone missing. Without seeking prior approval, Judy volunteers, and Bogo attempts to fire her forinsubordination. When the city's assistant mayor, ewe Dawn Bellwether, praises Judy for taking the assignment, he agrees but demands Judy's resignation if she cannot close the case within 48 hours.
Having ascertained that Nick was the last to see Emmitt, Judyblackmails him into helping her by recording his confession to tax evasion. Tracking a limousine that picked up Emmitt, they learn the vehicle is owned by Mr. Big, anarctic shrew crime boss whom Nick has a history with. Mr. Big explains that Emmitt unexpectedly "went savage" and mindlessly attacked the limousine's chauffeur Renato Manchas, ablack jaguar. Judy and Nick question Manchas, who explains that Emmitt yelled about "Night Howlers" before attacking him. Manchas also suddenly turns savage and pursues them. Judy traps Manchas and alerts the ZPD, but Manchas vanishes before backup arrives. Bogo demands Judy's resignation, but Nick reminds him that Judy still has 10 hours left to solve the case. He later reveals to her that as a child, he was bullied by his peers due to their prejudiced beliefs about foxes.
At City Hall, Bellwether allows them access to Zootopia'straffic cameras, which reveal Manchas was abducted by timberwolves, whom Judy assumes are the Night Howlers. Following the wolves, Judy and Nick locate Emmitt and the other missing predators, who are all "savage" and imprisoned in an asylum. Zootopia's mayor, Leodore Lionheart, had ordered the quarantine and is trying to determine what caused their feral behavior. Lionheart and the asylum staff are arrested, and Bellwether becomes the new mayor.
Judy, praised for solving the case, invites Nick to join the ZPD as her partner. At a press conference, she accidentally implies that the predators' physiology caused the savageness epidemic. Disappointed and offended, Nick abandons Judy, whose comments incite fear and discrimination against predators throughout Zootopia. Wracked with guilt, she quits her job and returns to Bunnyburrow.
Later, while managing her parents’ vegetable stand, Judy learns that Night Howlers are actuallyMidnicampum crocus flowers, which have severe, lastingpsychotropic effects if ingested. Realizing that someone is using the flowers to turn predators savage, she returns to Zootopia and tearfully reconciles with Nick. Aided by Mr. Big, they interrogate Weaselton, who admits that a ram named Doug hired him to steal the Night Howler bulbs. They find Doug in his laboratory hidden in the subway, where he manufactures a serum from the Night Howlers to use against predators via atranquilizer dart. Judy and Nick obtain a serum pistol as evidence after a pursuit in the subway, but before they can reach the ZPD, Bellwether confronts them in the Natural History Museum and reveals herself to have masterminded aprey-supremacist conspiracy. Bellwether traps Judy and Nick in an exhibit, shoots Nick with the serum pistol in an attempt to have Judy killed, and orders the ZPD to capture Nick. Judy and Nick reveal that they have already replaced the darts with blueberries and recorded Bellwether's confession.
Bellwether and her accomplices are arrested, while the still-incarcerated Lionheart publicly denies involvement in her scheme, insisting that imprisoning the infected predators was "doing the wrong thing for the right reason". The predators are cured and rehabilitated, and Judy is reinstated into the ZPD. Nine months later, Nick graduates from the police academy, becoming Judy's partner and the first fox police officer.
Ginnifer Goodwin asJudy Hopps, a young optimistic rabbit from Bunnyburrow and a newly appointed member of the Zootopia Police Department, assigned to the 1st Precinct.[9]
Della Saba portrays the character's younger self in the film's prologue.
Nate Torrence as Benjamin Clawhauser, an overweightcheetah who works as adispatcher and desk sergeant for the Zootopia Police Department's 1st Precinct.[12]
Alan Tudyk as Duke Weaselton, a small-timeleast weasel crook also known for selling bootleg DVDs.[12] The name references the Duke of Weselton fromFrozen, whom Tudyk also voices.[13]
Shakira as Gazelle, a famousThomson's gazelle pop star.[14] Shakira also voices Gazelle in the Spain and Latin America Spanish dubs.
Gideon Grey, a red fox from Bunnyburrow whobullied the young rabbits and sheep when he was young. As an adult, he has reconciled with those he tormented and is now a much-respected baker.[17]
An angry offscreen character who states that his taxes pay Judy's salary after she gives him a parking ticket.[18]
Fuschia! as Major Friedkin,[19][20] a polar bear drill instructor at the Zootopia Police Academy.[17]
Jerry Jumbeaux Jr., an ill-temperedAfrican elephant who owns an ice cream parlor called Jumbeaux's Café, frequented by elephants and other larger mammals.[12]
Katie Lowes as Dr. Madge Honey Badger, ahoney badger scientist who helps Mayor Lionheart look for the cause of the animals' savagery.[12]
Gita Reddy as Nangi, anIndian elephant yoga instructor at Mystic Springs Oasis.[17]
Jesse Corti as Manchas, ablack jaguar chauffer from Zootopia's Rainforest District who works for Zootopia's biggest limo company and serves as Mr. Big's chauffeur.[12]
Josh Dallas as an unnamed domestic pig who frantically asks Judy for help after his "Flora and Fauna" flower shop is robbed by Duke Weaselton.[23] He later appears as a protester at Gazelle's peace rally arguing with a female leopard.[24]
Leah Latham as Fru Fru, an arctic shrew and Mr. Big's daughter who befriends Judy after Judy saves her from a runawayDonut sign in Little Rodentia. She also makes Judy theGodmother and namesake of her daughter.[23]
The moose co-anchor is used in the standard version of the film, released in the United States, Italy, France, Canada, Russia, Philippines, and Mexico. In the UK version, the moose is named as Moosos Alexander, voiced by radio journalistVassos Alexander (though the UK home release used his US name and voice).[27] In other countries, the anchor is a different animal voiced by a different person.[28]David Campbell voices akoala newscaster named David Koalabell in the Australian and New Zealand versions.[29] The Brazilian version uses ajaguar named Onçardo Boi Chá who is voiced byRicardo Boechat.[30] The Japanese version uses atanuki named Michael Tanuyama who is voiced byKazumasa Kōra [ja]. The Chinese version uses an unnamedgiant panda.[28][31]
John Lavelle as the unnamed construction mouse foreman of Little Rodentia's construction crew who receives the Pawpsicle sticks from Nick and Finnick.[17]
Kristen Bell as Priscilla, a three-toed sloth and Flash's co-worker at the DMV.[23]
Development of the film that becameZootopia began whenByron Howard hadpitched six story ideas to Disney Animation chief creative officer and executive producerJohn Lasseter, of which three involved animal characters: an all-animal adaptation ofThe Three Musketeers,[35] a 1960s-themed story about a "mad doctor cat...who turned children into animals", and a "bounty hunter pug in space".[36] The common thread running through these ideas was that Howard wanted to do a film similar to Disney'sRobin Hood, which also featured animals in anthropomorphic roles.[37] According to Howard,Zootopia emerged from his desire to create something different from other animal anthropomorphic films, where animals either live in the natural world or in the human world. His concept, in which animals live in a modern world designed by animals for animals, was well received by Lasseter, who responded by embracing and lifting Howard "in the air like a babySimba".[38] Lasseter suggested that Howard should try combining the 1960s theme with the animal characters, especially the space pug.[36] This led Howard to develop and pitchSavage Seas, an internationalspy film centered on an arctic hare named "Jack Savage" who was somewhat likeJames Bond.[36][39] It was around this time that screenwriterJared Bush was hired to work on the film; he was excited to work on a spy film because his own father and grandfather had worked for theCentral Intelligence Agency.[36]
Howard and Bush continued to develop the film with the assistance of the Disney Story Trust, the studio's top creative personnel who meet regularly to review and discuss all projects in development.[39] The most delightful part of the spy film turned out to be its first act, set in a city created by and for animals.[36] To focus on the all-animal city, Howard eventually dropped the 1960s setting, along with the espionage and international aspects, and changed the film into a contemporarypolice procedural in which Nick Wilde was the lead role and Judy Hopps was essentially hissidekick.[36][39][40] For a while, "the filmmakers were very committed" to that version of the story,[39] but then in November 2014, the filmmakers realized the film's plot would be more engaging if they reversed the roles to instead focus on Hopps as opposed to Wilde.[40] The change in perspective involved dropping several characters, including two characters known as "The Gerbil Jerks" who were described as "trust-fund gerbils that had nothing better to do than harass Nick."[41]
In May 2013,The Hollywood Reporter initially reported that Howard was directing the film and that Jason Bateman had been cast, but little else about the film was known at the time.[10]Zootopia was first officially announced on August 10, 2013, at theD23 Expo, with a March 2016 release date.[37][43]
Research for the film took place inDisney's Animal Kingdom, as well as inKenya and theSan Diego Zoo Safari Park, where animators spent eight months studying various animals' walk cycles as well as fur color.[44][45] Eight hundred thousand forms of mammals were created for and featured in the film.[45] To make the characters' fur even more realistic, they also went to theNatural History Museum of Los Angeles County to closely observe the appearance of fur with a microscope under a variety of lighting.[46][45] The filmmakers drew inspiration forZootopia's urban design from major cities includingNew York City,San Francisco,Las Vegas,Paris,Shanghai,Hong Kong, andBrasília.[47] To develop a city that could actually be inhabited by talking mammals ranging in size from two inches (5.1 cm) to 27 feet (8.2 m) and from drastically different climates, the filmmakers consultedAmericans with Disabilities Act specialists andHVAC system designers.[48] For assistance with designing motor vehicles appropriate for so many different types and sizes of mammals, the filmmakers consulted withJ Mays, former chief creative officer of theFord Motor Company.[49] During the development process,Walt Disney Studios chairmanAlan F. Horn suggested that Nick should expressly state his disappointment ("Just when I thought someone actually believed in me...") after discovering that Judy still fears him as a predator.[50] In March 2015, it was revealed thatRich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph) had been added as a director of the film, in addition to Jared Bush (Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero) as co-director.[51]
Disney's most recent work on animating fur was for the titular character of the 2008 filmBolt, but the software they had used at the time was not ready for creating the realistic fur of the animals ofZootopia. Therefore, the studio's IT engineers developed the fur-controlling software "iGroom", which gave character designers precise control over the brushing, shaping, and shading of fur and made it possible to create a variety of eccentric character styles for each animal. The software was also able to control an unseen "imaginary" under-layer that gave fur a degree of plushness not seen before. This feature was used to create characters like Officer Clawhauser, who has a big head that is entirely made of spotted fur. Characters with noteworthy numbers of strands of hair or fur included both of the two lead characters, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, who each had around 2.5 million hairs; a giraffe with nine million strands of fur; a gerbil with 480,000 strands; and a rodent with more strands of hair than the 400,000 that were onElsa's head inFrozen.[45]
Zootopia was the second time Disney used the Hyperion renderer, which they had first used onBig Hero 6. A new fur paradigm was added to the renderer to facilitate the creation of realistic images of the animals' dense fur. Nitro, a real-time display application developed since the making ofWreck-It Ralph, was used to make the fur more consistent, intact, and subtle much more quickly, as opposed to the previous practice of having to predict how the fur would work while making and looking at silhouettes or poses for the character. The tree-and-plant generator Bonsai, first used inFrozen, was used to make numerous variations of trees with very detailed foliage.[45]
Zootopia was produced in makeshift quarters in a giant warehouse inNorth Hollywood (together withMoana) while Disney Animation's headquarters inBurbank was being renovated.[52]
On May 6, 2015, Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin were announced as having been cast, respectively, in the roles of Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps.[9] The filmmakers chose Bateman because they wanted an actor who could bring "a funny yet heartfelt side" with "a wily, dry-witted sort of voice". Bateman described his character as "a crafty, sarcastic schemer", remarking on the role's similarity to many other roles he had done since he was 12. He explained that he had said to the directors: "'What kind of voice do you guys want me to do?' And they just looked at me like I was an idiot and said, 'Just do what you do. Just talk.'"[53]
Commenting on the casting of Goodwin, Moore said that she brought "very centered sweetness, tremendous heart and a great sense of humor"; he described Judy as "a littlePollyanna mixed withFuriosa". Goodwin stated about her character: "People mistake kindness for naïveté or stupidity, and she is a good girl through and through. But she's not a dumb bunny."[53]
The film's score is composed byMichael Giacchino, in his first feature-length project for Walt Disney Animation Studios,[54] as he previously worked on several short films and television specials produced by the studio, as well as multiplePixar films. Recording took place from November 16–20, 2015, with an 80-piece orchestra conducted by Tim Simonec.[55] In addition to her voice role of Gazelle, pop starShakira also contributed an original song to the film titled "Try Everything", which was written bySia andStargate.[14][56] The soundtrack was released on March 4, 2016, byWalt Disney Records.[57][58]
The first teaser trailer was released online at Walt Disney Animation Studios'YouTube page on June 11, 2015.[59] A second teaser trailer was released online again at Walt Disney Animation Studios' YouTube page on November 23, 2015, featuring a sequence of the film where the main characters encounter a Department of Mammal Vehicles (based on theDMV) run entirely by sloths.[60] The official theatrical trailer for the film was released online at Walt Disney Animation Studios' YouTube page onNew Year's Eve 2015.[61] Figures of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde were released forDisney Infinity 3.0 on March 1, 2016.[62]
In addition, the studio devoted considerable marketing attention to thefurry fandom demographic, believing that they would logically be most interested in this film project.[63]
Zootopia was released on March 4, 2016, inDisney Digital 3-D,4DX,RealD 3D, andIMAX 3D, making it the first Disney animated film shown in domestic IMAX theaters sinceTreasure Planet (2002).[64][65] It was shown for the first time to the public as a feature film in an international competition for a young audience during the Brussels Animation Film Festival inBelgium on February 7, and was screened to the general media and audience on February 13.[66][67]
In China, the state'sSAPPRFT granted the film a rare two-week extension to play in theaters in addition to its limited 30-day run, which was to have ended on April 3.[68]
The film was retitled for theatrical release across several international territories. In the United Kingdom and some other European, Middle Eastern, and North African countries, the film was renamedZootropolis, a reference to the concept of a "metropolis" rather than to that of a "utopia".[69][70][71] This was due to Disney being unable to trademark the name "Zootopia" in these territories for various legal reasons, includingDanishGivskud Zoo registering the name Zootopia in 2014.[72] In Germany, the film was titledZoomania due to a children's book by German author Kay Fischer titledZootopolis released in 2010, which was found to be too similar toZootropolis.[73][74]
Zootopia was released byWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainment onBlu-ray,Blu-ray 3D,DVD, and Digital HD platforms on June 7, 2016.[citation needed] It includes some bonus material such as "Scoretopia", an alternate opening, and the music video to Shakira's "Try Everything".[75] The film debuted at the top of the home media sales chart for the week ending on June 12, 2016.[76] The film made a revenue of $89.6 million from home media sales with 4.4 million units sold, making it the third best-selling title of 2016 behindStar Wars: The Force Awakens andFinding Dory.[77]Zootopia was released on4K Blu-ray on November 5, 2019.[78]
On June 22, 2020, amid the reopening of theaters due to theCOVID-19 global pandemic, Disney announced thatZootopia, along with 11 other Disney owned titles, were to return to US theaters during a 4-week period.Zootopia returned to US theaters on June 26 and played through July 2, 2020, alongsideThe Avengers, andThe Greatest Showman.[79] The re-release grossed a total of $393,600.[80]
On July 20, 2020, it was announced that the film would be returning to theaters in China, along withBig Hero 6 and the Chinese debut ofSonic the Hedgehog on July 31, 2020.[81]
As part of Disney's 100th anniversary,Zootopia was re-released inHelios theaters across Poland on October 22, 2023.[82]
Zootopia grossed $341.3 million in the U.S. and Canada and $682.5 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $1.024 billion, against a budget of $150 million.[4][5] On March 18, 2016, the film reached the $500 million mark, becoming the third consecutive Walt Disney Animation Studios film to reach the milestone afterFrozen (2013) andBig Hero 6 (2014).[83][84] On April 5, it became the first film of 2016 to gross over $800 million in ticket sales,[85] and on April 24, became the first film of 2016 to cross $900 million.[86] On June 5, the film crossed the $1 billion mark, becoming the second film of 2016 to do so (after the studio's ownCaptain America: Civil War), the fourth animated film (afterToy Story 3,Frozen andMinions), the eleventh Disney film, the third Disney animated film, and the twenty-sixth film overall to reach the milestone.[87]
Worldwide, it was thefourth-highest-grossing film of 2016 (behindCivil War,Rogue One, andFinding Dory),[88] the second-highest-grossing animated film of 2016,[88] the second-highest-grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios film (second-highest overall) of all time in its original release (afterFrozen),[85] the second-highest-grossing original film (behindAvatar),[89] and thefourth-highest-grossing animated film of all time.Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $294.9 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film, making it the fifth-most profitable release of 2016.[90]
In the United States and Canada, pre-release tracking suggested the film would open to $60–70 million from 3,827 theaters in its opening weekend.[91][92] It played in 3,100 3D theaters, 365 IMAX theaters, and 325 premium large format screens.[91] It earned $1.7 million from Thursday previews, a record for a non-Pixar Disney animated film,[93] for an animated film opening outside of summer,[94] and seventh-biggest all time for an animated film.[95] Buoyed by goodword of mouth, it earned $19.5 million on its opening day, also a record for a non-Pixar Disney animated film (breakingFrozen's record),[93] and the second-biggest for a March animated film (behindIce Age: The Meltdown).[96] In its opening weekend, it scored a better than expected $75.1 million, which was the biggest non-Pixar Disney animated opening (breakingBig Hero 6's record), the biggest opening weekend among Walt Disney Animation Studios films (breakingFrozen's record), the biggest March animated opening (breakingThe Lorax's record), the seventh-biggest March opening, and the tenth-biggest animated opening of all time.[97][98][99] Furthermore, its opening weekend is also the fourth-biggest for an original film, behindThe Secret Life of Pets,Inside Out, andAvatar.[100][101] It also performed exceptionally well in IMAX, where the film brought in $5.2 million from 366 screens, the second-best animated IMAX opening behind onlyToy Story 3 ($8.4 million).[98]
In itssecond weekend, it fell gradually by 31% to $51.3 million and recorded one of the best holds for an animated film, more or less on par withWreck-It Ralph's second weekend drop of 32%, but a bigger drop thanThe Lego Movie's 27%.[102] It continued to top the box office for the third weekend, earning $37.2 million, falling by 28% from its previous weekend while passing the $200 million mark.[103] This made it the second-biggest third weekend for a film that did not open at over $100 million, behindAvatar ($68 million) and ahead ofSkyfall ($35 million).[104] The film was overtaken by the superhero filmBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in its fourth weekend, despite only a marginal decline.[105] It spent a total of 13 consecutive weeks in the top ten, more than any other film except forAvatar (14 weeks) andFrozen (16 weeks) over the last decade.[89]
It ended its theatrical run on August 4, 2016, after playing in theaters for a total of 154 days.[5] It became the second-highest-grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios film (behindFrozen),[106] theseventh-highest-grossing film of 2016,[107] and the tenth-highest-grossing animated film of all time.[108] In June 2020, due the worldwide closure of cinemas during theCOVID-19 pandemic and limits on which films played,Zootopia returned to 280 theaters—mostlydrive-ins—and grossed $393,600.[109]
Zootopia received a scattered release asWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures took advantage of school holidays in various markets. The film opened in a limited number of international markets in the weekend ending February 14, earning $4.5 million in three markets.[110] It expanded to 22 markets in its second weekend, into 36% of its total international markets, and added $31.2 million.[111] It added another $33 million in its third weekend with no new markets.[112] In its fourth weekend, it expanded to 45 countries and grossed $64.7 million, coming in second place at the international box office, behind the Chinese filmIp Man 3.[113] $3.3 million came from IMAX showings.[113] It finally topped the box office in its fifth weekend after a strong second-weekend gross in China. It added $89.3 million from 45 countries, an increase of 25% from its previous weekend.[114] It remained in first place for the second time in its sixth weekend,[115] beforeBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice took the top spot.[116] It passed the $500 million mark in its eighth weekend.[117]
In its opening weekend—which varied between markets—the film grossed $3.1 million in Spain and an additional $1.7 million in Belgium and Denmark. In Belgium, it had the biggest ever animated opening for a Disney or Pixar film.[110] It broke opening records for a non-Pixar Disney animated film in China ($23.6 million), France ($8.1 million), Russia ($7.8 million), Germany ($6.6 million), Hong Kong ($1.5 million), Poland ($1.2 million), and India.[111][113][116][118] It opened in the United Kingdom and Ireland with $7.5 million, Mexico with $4.6 million, Australia with $3.2 million, Brazil with $2.6 million, and in Italy, on a non-holiday weekend with $3.1 million.[111][115][116] The film had number-one openings in Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, and South Africa.[113] In the UK and Ireland, with significant competition fromBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the animated family filmKung Fu Panda 3, the film had a £5.31 million ($7.6 million) opening weekend from 579 theaters, including £1.74 million ($2.5 million) worth of previews, debuting in second place behindDawn of Justice and falling just short of Walt Disney Animation Studios' best opening in the UK.[119][120] It fell just 24% in its second weekend.[121]
Zootopia's largest markets overseas are China ($235.6 million), followed by Japan ($70.1 million), Russia and the CIS ($39.2 million), Germany ($34.2 million), the UK ($34.2 million), France ($31.9 million), and South Korea ($31.6 million).[122][123][124] In China, it is the highest-grossing Disney film in local currency (¥1.530 billion), surpassingAvengers: Age of Ultron (¥1.464 billion), as well as the seventh-highest-grossing film of all time.[125][126] In Russia, it is the second-highest-grossing film of all time in local currency (₽2.3 billion), behind onlyAvatar (₽3.6 billion).[127] It topped the Russian and German box office for three weekends,[128][129] and the Chinese and Korean box office for two weekends.[130][131]
In China, where it was locally known asCrazy Animal City (疯狂动物城),[71] the film exceeded expectations[132] and was considered Hollywood's biggest breakout success in China since 2015'sJurassic World made $229 million.[133] It had an opening day of $3.4 million on its way to $23.6 million for its three-day opening weekend, debuting in second place and scoring the biggest non-sequel animated opening, as well as the second-biggest three-day opening and IMAX opening for an animated film, behindKung Fu Panda 3.[113] In its ninth day of release (a Saturday), it recorded the biggest single-day gross ever for an animated film, with $25 million (compared to $10.6 million on its first Saturday), and passed the lifetime total ofBig Hero 6 to become the highest-grossing Disney animated film in China.[134][135] In its second weekend, it grossed $60 million,[136] an enormous increase of 139% from its previous weekend, and crossed the $100 million mark to become the third animated film in China to do so, afterKung Fu Panda 3 andMonkey King: Hero Is Back. This also marked the single best weekend for an animated film.[114] In mid-March, the combined total ofKung Fu Panda 3 andZootopia alone broke 2014's record of $286 million in box office grosses for American animated features in China.[137] In its third weekend, it grossed $40 million for a total of $175 million, making it the highest-grossing animated film of all time in China.[138] On March 27, its seventeenth day of release, it passed the $200 million mark, becoming the first animated film, the second Disney film, and the sixth Hollywood film overall to pass that milestone.[116] It became the highest-grossing animated film of all time and the second-highest-grossing film of 2016, behind onlyThe Mermaid.[139]
It opened in Japan on April 23[140] and earned $4 million in its opening weekend, debuting at second place in the box office, behindDetective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare,[141][142] and had the third-biggest Walt Disney Animation Studios debut in that market, behindFrozen andBig Hero 6.[86] Deadline.com pointed out that the average opening number might have been due to the2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, which could have affected moviegoers.[86] In a rare achievement, it topped the box office in its third weekend after two weeks at No. 2.[143] In the following two weekends, it continued to increase its ticket sales,[144] and topped the box office there for four consecutive weekends.[145][146] After four straight wins, it was finally overtaken by the R-rated superhero filmDeadpool.[147] It was the No. 1 western/Hollywood film for eight consecutive weekends.[148]The Hollywood Reporter cited that strong word of mouth, audiences watching both the English and Japanese versions, and 3D and4DX screenings, as well as a popular Japanese version of the "Try Everything" song byDream Ami, all helped boostZootopia's performance.[145] Its strong run in the market aided the film to propel past the $1 billion mark worldwide.[149] It remained in top three for 11 consecutive weekends and has grossed a total of $70.1 million there.[150][151][152]
On thereview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 98% based on 298 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "The brilliantly well-roundedZootopia offers a thoughtful, inclusive message that's as rich and timely as its sumptuously state-of-the-art animation—all while remaining fast and funny enough to keep younger viewers entertained."[8] It was the site's second-highest-rated film of 2016 behindMoonlight.[153] OnMetacritic, the film has a score of 78 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[154] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[155][93]
Neil Genzlinger ofThe New York Times considered the movie "funny, smart, [and] thought-provoking".[156]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone wrote thatZootopia "may be the most subversive movie of" 2016, giving the film three-and-a-half stars out of four and praising its timely message about the harm of prejudice in the face of the prevailing xenophobic political rhetoric at the time of the film's release, and the film's humor.[157] Peter Debruge atVariety opined thatZootopia "plays directly to the studio's strength".[158]IGN reviewer Eric Goldman gave the film a 9.0 out of 10 'Amazing' score, saying "Zootopia is a wonderful example of how Disney, at its best, can mix its past and present together in a very cool, compelling way. It takes the classic animation trope of animals walking, talking, and acting like humans, but gives it a modern spin both in terms of its humor and animation style ... and also in its themes, which are meaningful and fascinatingly topical."[159]
Very funny, and very likable holiday treat... The ensuing drama is nominally a tale of predators succumbing to their animal instincts while frightened prey fear their neighbours. In fact, it's a delightfully well-orchestrated parable about trust and tolerance versus panic and prejudice. An encouragingly upbeat celebration of love and diversity in times of hate and uncertainty. If that all sounds overly on-message, then fear not—the jokes are funny, the characters engaging, and the animation packed with delicious visual detail... this is proper family fun with genuine cross-generational appeal. Hooray![160]
In the UK daily newspaperThe Daily Telegraph,Robbie Collin noted, "The lion doesn't justlie down with the lamb, they run for City Hall on a joint ticket. It's the diversity dream come true. Or is it? […] Think Busytown by way of Chinatown. It's almost certain to be the most existentially probing talking animal cartoon of the year." Collin added, "LikeNick Nolte andEddie Murphy in48 Hrs., albeit considerably cuter, Judy and Nick make a hilariously strained but effective double act – not least thanks to Goodwin and Bateman's tremendous vocal work, which trips along with the effortless swing and snap of great bebop."[161]
Matt Zoller Seitz ofRogerEbert.com, despite generally liking the film (three out of four stars), had trouble with the film's central metaphor that conflicted with its message:
Zootopia is constantly asking its characters to look past species stereotypes, and not use species-ist language or repeat hurtful assumptions. This all seems clever and noble until you realize that all the stereotypes about various animals are to some extent true, in particular the most basic one carnivores eat herbivores because it's in their nature. If Zootopia were a bit vaguer, or perhaps dumber and less pleased with itself, it might have been a classic, albeit of a very different, less reputable sort. As-is, it's a goodhearted, handsomely executed film that doesn't add up in the way it wants to.[162]
Also inThe Daily Telegraph, Rosa Prince singled out the film's lead character, Judy Hopps, as a welcome change for Disney animated feature film heroines, such as theDisney Princess franchise. She found that unlike those characters' focus on romance or family loyalty, Hopps' focus is on her dream career as a police officer and serving her city.[163]
Some were critically divided by the message about universal prejudices of all sorts interpreted as anallegory of American racism[164] with Nico Lang ofConsequence of Sound felt that Disney delivered a kids' version ofCrash.[165] Others criticized the use of prey and predator species in the "allegory"[166][167][168] while critics atThe Root stated positively that the movie acknowledges culpability of systemic racism and white supremacy.[169]The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction states that the film "uses its premise to examine cultural biases, stereotypes and prejudices, including conveying a strong anti-racist message. It avoids the species A = race Y trap; though the viewer needs to accept that, in this context, animal behaviour is being treated as a stereotype."[170]
On March 21, 2017, a copyright infringement lawsuit was filed against Disney by Esplanade Productions, a company owned byGary L. Goldman, the co-screenwriter ofTotal Recall. The lawsuit claims that Goldman (in 2000 and 2009) pitched a concept to Disney for a live-action film titledLooney, which was about a socially awkward animator who creates a self-inspired TV cartoon calledZootopia. Disney twice rejected the pitch, but Goldman accused the company of copying the name, themes, settings, and character tropes. Filed with the lawsuit was a graphic of early concept artwork of characters that are claimed to appear similar to major characters from the film, including Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps, Flash, and Chief Bogo. A Disney spokesperson described the lawsuit as being "ridden with patently false allegations".[175] After months of back-and-forth deliberation between the two parties, U.S. District JudgeMichael W. Fitzgerald dismissed the infringement claims on November 8, 2017. As stated in the final review, "Goldman's effort to make the plots ofLooney andZootopia seem similar were strained. All the purported similarities between the two works were themes, not plot points or sequences of events, that were too general to be protected by copyright law."[176][177] Esplanade appealed to theNinth Circuit, which affirmed the dismissal on April 24, 2019.[178]
Acard game based on the film calledZootopia: Suspect Search was released,[179] as well as a game for mobile phones titledZootopia Crime Files.[180]
In May 2018, it was announced that aZootopia graphic novel was set to be published byDark Horse Comics. The graphic novel, titledDisney Zootopia: Friends to the Rescue, was written byJimmy Gownley, with art by Leandro Ricardo da Silva. It was released on September 25, 2018.[181]
On January 22, 2019, Disney Parks announced a themed area based onZootopia was to be coming toShanghai Disneyland, with construction on the land beginning on December 9, 2019.[182] Construction halted for a brief period during theCOVID-19 pandemic, but by June 2020, construction had resumed.[183] The land opened to the public on December 20, 2023, which is part of The Walt Disney Company's 100th anniversary celebration.[184] The land includes a trackless dark rideZootopia: Hot Pursuit.
On September 9, 2023, it was announced at Destination D23 that theIt's Tough to Be a Bug! attraction atDisney's Animal Kingdom ofWalt Disney World in Orlando, Florida would be replaced by aZootopia show in the Tree of Life theater.[185] The show was revealed to be titledZootopia: Better Zoogether! in 2024, at theDisney Experiences showcase atD23, with a premiere of late 2025.[186] The attraction opened on November 7, 2025.[187]
On December 10, 2020 during the Disney Investors Day livestream, Walt Disney Animation Studios announced that a television series entitledZootopia+ was to premiere in 2022 onDisney+ as one of the studios' first television projects, as most TV shows based on Disney's animated films are produced byDisney Television Animation. It was announced to be an anthology series that would feature storylines that follow 3 sets of characters from the film (the mobster shrews, the tiger dancers, and the sloths).[188][189][190] On November 12, 2021, Disney confirmed the series for a release in 2022, and also released a first-look teaser image which included characters from the film not previously confirmed to be in the series. The series was directed byTrent Correy andJosie Trinidad.[191] It was released on November 9, 2022 with six shorts.[192]
Among the episodes include an action parody starring Bonnie and Stu Hopps, a musical starring Duke Weaselton, aReal Housewives spoof with Fru-Fru, a film noir parody with Mr. Big, a dance competition parody with Clawhauser, Bogo, and Gazelle, and a romantic comedy parody with Flash and Priscilla. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde cameo in the action parody and make other appearances throughout.[193] All the cast members from the movie reprised their roles. The music is composed by Curtis Strong andMick Giacchino (Michael's son), with Michael scoring the "Duke the Musical" episode with lyrics by Kate Anderson and Elyssa Samsel (Olaf's Frozen Adventure,Central Park).[194]
In June 2016, Howard and Moore were in talks about the possibility of aZootopia sequel.[c] On February 8, 2023, Disney CEOBob Iger announced that a sequel toZootopia was in the works during the Disney 2023 Q1 investors call.[199] Later that day, screenwriter and co-director Jared Bush confirmed that he is working on the film as director and writer, while Josie Trinidad, who had served as head of story for the first film alongsideJim Reardon, was confirmed as the sequel's co-director, making it her feature directorial debut.[200][201] Ginnifer Goodwin, who voices Judy, toldCinemaBlend that she would like to see a role reversal between Judy and Nick in the sequel. "I would like to see Nick have to be the one to convince Judy that the world is worth fighting for," she said. Jason Bateman, who voices Nick, also toldCinemaBlend about his idea for the sequel: "The two of us [Nick and Judy] kicking ass out there. Cleaning up the streets. We're a couple of new cops out there. So, bad guys, be warned."[202] On February 7, 2024, Iger revealed during the Disney 2024 Q1 investors call that the sequel has been titledZootopia 2, and will be released on November 26, 2025.[203] On August 9, 2024,Ke Huy Quan was announced to be playing Gary, while Bush will be the sole writer and director of the film instead with Yvett Merino set to produce.[204]
^Due to trademark issues, the film is titledZootropolis in various regions such as the UK, Ireland, Italy and Spain, andZoomania in Germany. See§ Alternative titles.
^abcdDeitchman, Beth (Spring 2016). "The Start ofZootopia: The filmmakers behind Walt Disney Animation Studios' latest film take us on a wonderful journey throughZootopia".Disney Twenty-three.8 (1). Burbank: Walt Disney Company:26–28.ISSN2162-5492.OCLC698366817.
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