Zootpia+ Meeting the Directors!

Hello again, fellow Zootopia fans. The clock is ticking ever closer down to the Zootopia+ release, which means it’s time for another look at what Disney has to say about the show in their production notes.

This time we’ll be taking a look at the directors spearheading this project. Without them, none of this would’ve been possible!

First up is Josie Trinidad who is serving as one of the two directors. She first joined Walt Disney Animation Studios back in 2004 and has quite a number of hits to her name already, acting as the story co-head for “Zootopia” as well as having credits for “Wreck-It Ralph” in 2012, “Tangled” in 2010, “The Princess and the Frog” in 2009, and several shorts including “How to Hook Up Your Home Theater” and “The Ballad of Nessie.”

You actually even got a brief glimpse of her in Zootopia, she was none other than Dharma Armadillo, Judy’s armadillo landlady. She was inspired to get into animation while watching Disney’s “Robin Hood” back when she was 8, going out of her way to watch the movie frame by frame to get a better understanding of the art. Now that’s what I call dedication to the craft from an early age! She’s also apparently working on an original animated project that will serve as her first feature film directorial, but that’ll have to wait until later. For now, I want to see what she’s got in store for us with Zootopia+.

Next, we’ve got Trent Correy who will be the other director for the show. He first joined Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2012 as an animation trainee and mentored by Disney veteran Amy Smeed. He made a directorial debut with the short film “Drop” and also directed the Frozen short film “Once Upon a Snowman.” He also has animating credits for a number of Disney hits including “Frozen,” “Frozen 2,” “Big Hero 6,” “Moana,” and, of course, “Zootopia.”

Trent developed his passion for art and animation during Disney Animation’s second golding age, watching films like “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” and the “Lion King.” After graduating from Algonquin College, he started working in animation at 19, starting in Canadian television, film, and commercials. He then moved on to a variety of jobs including work for Sony Animation, Mercury Filmworks, Bardel Entertainment, Kratt Brothers, and even freelance work before finally joining Disney. Given his varied experience in both animation and directing, I look forward to seeing him giving his all in Zootopia+ and showing us just what he can do!

I don’t know about you guys, but I’d say given their backgrounds and passion for the craft, Zootopia+ is in pretty good hands with these two at the helm. I look forward to seeing what they have to offer in the days ahead. Until next time, be sure to stay tuned in for more Zootopia+ updates and releases as they come!