Zootopia 2 Breaks Disney Record With Biggest Voice Cast In History

How Zootopia Quietly Made Disney History With "Embarrassment Of Riches" In Record-Breaking Sequel Judy and Nick looking worriedly through a hole in a wall in Zootopia 2 By  Ash Crossan  &  Grant Hermanns Published 33 minutes ago Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

It took nearly a decade for Zootopia 2 to finally make its way to the big screen, and it quietly made Disney history with one of its biggest elements. Despite the first film garnering over $1 billion at the box office, it wasn't until early 2023 that the animated sequel finally kicked off active development, with directors Jared Bush, who also wrote the film, and Byron Howard returning to the helm.

Upon releasing over the Thanksgiving weekend, Zootopia 2 has already been building toward breaking multiple records, beginning with its Rotten Tomatoes critical score being the closest a Disney Animation sequel has come to the original film's success since Ralph Breaks the Internet surpassed its predecessor seven years ago. Additionally, the sequel has already grossed over $81 million worldwide, passing the first film's $75.1 million opening.

Now, in an interview with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan for the sequel's release, directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard, and producer Yvett Merino revealed how Zootopia 2 broke a major Disney record with its star-studded cast. In addition to such returning faces as Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin and Idris Elba, the sequel has expanded its roster with over 50 franchise newcomers, ranging from Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan to Emmy winner Quinta Brunson and Grammy winner Ed Sheeran, among many others.

In reflecting on building their new ensemble cast, Howard revealed Zootopia 2's cast has made Disney history with "the biggest voice cast" in the studio's history, tallying to around 70 "speaking roles." Keeping mum about some of the unrevealed names, Howard teased that "the cameos are crazy" in the sequel, while Bush went on to point out the movie offered the opportunity to reunite with "friends of ours":

Jared Bush: Honestly, it was so much fun because so many people in this movie are friends of ours. We got to team up again with friends of ours from Encanto. We got to team up with friends of ours from Moana. We got to team up with Anika Noni Rose, coming in from Tiana. It is just unbelievable. It is an embarrassment of riches, and being able to spend time with these people that we love so much was a joy.

Zootopia 2's Hot Horse Mayor Had An Interesting Journey To The Screen

Patrick Warburton's Mayor Winddancer with his hoof to his chin in thought in Zootopia 2

ScreenRant: Given that y'all have worked on some of my favorite Disney films, did you hide any references in this one?

Byron Howard: There are one million references. Yvett and I teamed up on Tangled, and Rapunzel's frying pan makes not just one, but two appearances. We never threw anything away because why build a new one? That makes a very important appearance. But one of the things that we love about these movies is they're so dense, and we have such a funny, sneaky crew. They have all sorts of references that they've hidden in the film that we don't even know about. We're learning about them now. We have our favorites, but you tell us.

ScreenRant: I think one of the best experiences about the premiere was that you would hear the kids crack up, and then two seconds later, all the adults. There's something for everyone.

Byron Howard: I've missed that about live audiences so much. The COVID thing was really tough because these movies are about getting together and being with a bunch of strangers in the dark, and hearing the gasps and the tears and the laughs. So, that premiere was really therapeutic for me.

ScreenRant: It's been nearly a decade since the last film, and I feel like these characters are everywhere. They're so beloved. What has that meant to you three?

Jared Bush: It means the world. Our movies take about five years to make. For most of that five years, you're just with your team inside a building. No one else is experiencing these characters of this world, and you hope that what you're building together [works]. Because internally we love it, but you don't know if that's going to resonate. When it does, it means so much because 700 people pour their hearts into any one of these stories. When you're watching these movies, it's hyper collaborative. The best idea always wins as you're moving through it. To have people relate to these characters, or to have these stories resonate, it's a dream that you hope can happen. But until it goes out into the world, you don't know.

ScreenRant: I have to say, I have a little bit of a bone to pick. You guys gave me a really hot ass horse. Is he based on Fabio?

Byron Howard: I would say this is a good example of how not all great ideas in these films come from us. This is an idea that Ami Thompson, one of our designers, had. We were trying to figure out who should be the mayor of the town, since we needed to fill that gap. She said, "What about a horse?"

Jared Bush: We're like, "There's all these other animals. Are you sure about a horse?"

Byron Howard: "Why a horse?" And she's like, "What about this horse?" And it's a hot horse who had a career as a '90s action star and has now become a politician. It's like, "Okay, you win." Then, of course, when we were talking about a voice for that horse, only one name came out: Patrick Warburton. We called Patrick up, and Patrick said that he teared up when we asked him to do this. We were so happy that he said yes because it was meant to be. The universe has converged to make this hot horse mayor.

ScreenRant: Given that everyone was in this movie, who would you love to see in the third movie? Which I believe is happening.

Jared Bush: A new character coming in? Oh, man. Well, I'll tell you what my son's is because he talks to me about it all the time. He wants it to be Keanu Reeves playing his character from John Wick, named the Baba Llama. Keanu, let's go.

Yvett Merino: I really do love a good kangaroo. I think we can get a kangaroo in there somewhere.

Byron Howard: We've talked about Australian animals. There's been something in the air, and an area that we've wanted to explore is Outback Island. We mentioned it briefly in this film, but we have drawings from 14 years ago for Outback Island. So, you never know what might surface. It was a great treat to have Robert Irwin in this movie. He makes an amazing cameo, so you never know.

Be sure to dive into some of our other Zootopia 2 coverage with:

• Our Zootopia 2 Review
• Bateman, Goodwin & Byron Howard weighing in on WildeHopps shipping
• Ke Huy Quan & Fortune Feimster talk joining the sequel and Tom Hiddleston's perfect potential character
• Bateman & Goodwin talking about the secrecy behind the Zootopia franchise
• Our projection for when the movie will premiere on Disney+
• Our guide for parents on Zootopia 2's content
• A guide on Zootopia 2's ending
• A guide on how the sequel's post-credits scene sets up Zootopia 3

Zootopia 2 is now in theaters!

10/10

Zootopia 2

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG Family Comedy Crime Adventure Animation Release Date November 26, 2025 Director Byron Howard, Jared Bush Writers Jared Bush

Cast

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• Ginnifer Goodwin Judy Hopps (voice)
• Jason Bateman Nick Wilde (voice)

Main Genre Animation Genres Family, Comedy, Crime, Adventure, Animation Executive Producer(s) Jennifer Lee Production Company Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios Franchise Zootopia Prequel Zootopia Powered by Expand Collapse

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