Disney’s path to major animated success often involves years of careful notes, revisions, and studio oversight. Yet one of its most impactful films of the past decade emerged from a team willing to go in a different direction — even when the studio advised otherwise.
When Zootopia premiered in 2016, it felt unusually sharp compared to Disney’s more recent animated output. The film’s mix of world-building, visual humor, and social commentary stood out among Disney’s recent animated releases.
That history resurfaced in the run-up to last year’s Zootopia 2 (2025). Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde returned to investigate a mystery involving Gary De’Snake (Ke Huy Quan) in a sequel that expands the franchise just as Disney leans more heavily on established brands across Walt Disney Animation and Disney Parks.
The Staying Power of the ‘Zootopia’ Franchise
Zootopia remains one of Walt Disney Animation’s most acclaimed modern projects. The film — which follows rookie rabbit officer Judy Hopps teaming up with con-artist fox Nick Wilde — earned more than $1 billion globally and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
The story’s blend of buddy-cop comedy and detailed city design helped cement Zootopia as a rich setting for sequels, shorts, merchandise, and theme park tie-ins. Its influence now stretches across Disney+, retail lines, and even Walt Disney World through offerings like Zootopia: Better Zoogether! at the Tree of Life Theater in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
That visibility has renewed interest in how the original film was shaped — and why its creative choices landed so effectively with audiences.
The Creative Decision Disney Tried to Stop
In an interview, writer and chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation, Jared Bush, described how the team approached studio notes during development. Speaking to SFX Magazine (via Film News), Bush said Disney attempted to limit the number of puns in the script.
“I do love a pun,” Bush said. “On the first film, we got a note that said, ‘You can have a total of five puns in this movie.’ This is absolutely true. It was early on. We disregarded that note and put a billion in there.”
The decision shaped the film’s tone and turned background signage into a constant source of humor. That same approach, Bush confirmed, continued in the sequel.
“You’ll see a ton of advertisements and brand labels,” he said. “It is aggressive and we love it.”
Bush emphasized that the affinity for puns extends across the team, especially production designer Cory Loftis. “I think there are a lot of people at Disney who love puns,” he said. “Cory Loftis is our production designer. He also loves them and he’s in charge of all the signage you see in-world.”
One of Zootopia 2’s standout jokes reportedly features Nick using a streaming service cheekily named HuluZoo — another example of the franchise’s commitment to animal-themed wordplay.
With Zootopia 3 now officially in early development at Walt Disney Animation Studios, the franchise – and its fondness for animal-themed wordplay – is far from finished.
Are you excited for Zootopia 3?
