Fun brainstorming game. The best animated films of the 2010s? “The Illusionist,” “Toy Story 3,” “Inside Out,” “Coco,” “Isle of Dogs,” “I Lost My Body,” “The Tale of Princess Kaguya,” “Anomalisa,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Shaun of the Sheep,” and “Zootopia.”
It's rare for animated sequels to surpass the original, but the ‘Toy Story’ franchise is standout exception. Some also like “Shrek 2” better than its predecessor (I don’t). Otherwise, “Zootopia” has its work cut out for it as expectations are fairly high for the sequel, plainly titled “Zootopia 2,” which has just released a trailer.
No doubt about it, “Zootopia 2” will make boatloads of cash. The original, released in 2016, is more or less an animated classic, met with near unanimous acclaim by audiences and critics (98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 8/10 on IMDb). It won’t even be about quality, the original earned $1 billion at the box office, and the sequel could equal or surpass that number.
As seen in the trailer, things aren’t exactly picture-perfect between Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps. Word is, the duo’s been sent to couples therapy. Then, all of a sudden, a new case comes in. One that involves a mysterious snake arriving in Zootopia, voiced by Ke Huy Quan.
Joining Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba as returning voice cast are Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Nate Torrence, Jenny Slate, Alan Tudyk, Josh Dallas and more.
A potential red flag? The original’s directors, Byron Howard and Rich Moore, are not returning for the sequel; They’re replaced by Jared Bush, who co-wrote the first one with Phil Johnstone. Bush has also written the screenplay for the follow-up.
“Zootopia 2” hits theaters on November 26.
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