Byron Howard and Rich Moore, with an added co-direction from Jared Bush, directed one of Disney’s most successful animated movies with 2016’s Zootopia. Breathing life into anthropomorphic animal characters walking in a world devoid of humans, the movie earned massive acclaim for its appeal to all ages. However, assigning quirky traits to each life form was neither an easy task nor one that the filmmakers took lightly.
Rather, the movie left no stone unturned in ensuring realism while also balancing everyday stereotypes about the various animals depicted on screen. Subtle mannerisms and character designs that are hard to point out during a regular watch carry hidden stories of painstaking behind-the-scenes efforts. One such overlooked detail should help fans appreciate the film even more.
Zootopia character designs reflected their natural counterparts accurately
One would assume that for a film based on imagination, Zootopia had the liberty to animate without much research. Or perhaps it could be excused for errors or differences in its characters and their real-life counterparts. Yet, the filmmakers left nothing to chance and drew immense inspiration from nature, modeling their characters for realism. To highlight this, Idris Elba’s Chief Bogo should stand out.
As pointed out by Allen Tsai, the stern, no-nonsense chief of the Zootopia Police Department was a cape buffalo who wore glasses, primarily while reading documents. Remarkably, this is a hidden detail and directly nods to the fact that these large herbivorous mammals have poor eyesight. Thus, this minute addition made the character feel more authentic to the audience.
Another hidden detail in Zootopia included in-movie news anchors based on the film’s country of screening, such as a koala for Australia and a panda for China. Furthermore, the world-building alluded to clever thinking. A wolf disguising himself as a sheep during a covert mission, town names like Tundratown for polar animals and Sahara Square for desert species, and punny iPod song lists are prime examples.
Zootopia 2 adds teeth to climb beyond its predecessor’s success
Crafted on a $150 million budget, Zootopia grossed past $1 billion at the global box office. Additionally, its 98% critical approval stands as a testament to its Best Animated Feature Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA. Thus, Disney is leaving no corners untouched in ensuring that Zootopia 2 either matches or hopefully crosses ahead of its predecessor’s glory, a prime factor in its long development cycle.
As of now, the sequel is expected to bring back Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps and Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde alongside other characters like Flash the Sloth and Officer Clawhauser. At the D23 Expo Disney announced Loki Season 2 actor, Ke Huy Quan, joining the cast as Gary the Snake, who may well be central to the plot, which has received teases of focusing on reptiles.
Zootopia is available to stream on Disney+.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Chief Bogo wear glasses in Zootopia?
As pointed out by Allen Tsai and reported in the article, Chief Bogo is a cape buffalo who wears glasses primarily while reading documents. This is a deliberate hidden detail nodding to the fact that real cape buffalo have naturally poor eyesight. The filmmakers added it to make the character feel more authentic, reflecting his real-life animal counterpart rather than serving a purely stylistic purpose.
What hidden detail did Zootopia include for different countries?
The article reports that Zootopia featured in-movie news anchors based on the film’s country of screening. For example, audiences in Australia saw a koala anchor, while viewers in China saw a panda. The filmmakers also built clever world-building touches such as a wolf disguised as a sheep on a covert mission, themed districts like Tundratown and Sahara Square, and punny iPod song lists.
Who is joining the cast of Zootopia 2?
The article reports that Zootopia 2 is expected to bring back Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps and Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde, alongside returning characters like Flash the Sloth and Officer Clawhauser. At the D23 Expo, Disney announced that actor Ke Huy Quan is joining the cast as Gary, a venomous pit-viper snake at the center of a new mystery, with first-look footage teasing a story that introduces reptiles to Zootopia.
