Hey Everyone! I’m Civet, ZNN’s newest reporter! This weekend, I got the chance to do something extremely exciting, and I’m here today to share it with all of you!
This weekend, the annual “Animation Is Film” festival took place, and along with a ton of other exciting panels, I had the incredible chance to sit in on the Zootopia 2 panel hosted by Producer Yvett Merino and Head of Story Carrie Liao!
Yvett has spent 26 years with Walt Disney Animation Studios, working on films like Encanto, Moana, and, of course, Zootopia 2. Carrie has been with the studio for 8 years, contributing to Raya and the Last Dragon and Encanto as well. Together, they’ve played a key role in uniting the multiple departments needed to bring this film to life.
The festival took place in Hollywood at the legendary Chinese Theatre, where attendees got to kick back in the auditorium for something truly special. We were treated to several exclusive clips, all of which have been shown off briefly in the trailers but are now shown in their entirety. There was the opening chase scene, the therapy scene, the gala sequence featuring Shakira’s new song “Zoo”, and many more, including multiple action and character moments and an incredibly complex chase through Marsh Market, which the team shared was one of the most technically demanding sequences they’ve ever tackled.
I can say with confidence: the crowd was hooked. The animation is stunning, the voice acting is perfectly in character, and the jokes landed hard. Laughter echoed through the theater more than once. There were thrills, laughs, moments of real tension, and even a cliffhanger that had everyone buzzing. And this was only a few scenes from the first half of the movie!
We also got a glimpse of new and returning characters. One standout and already a fan favorite is Nibbles the beaver, whose conspiracy-theorist antics are immediately endearing. Yvett and Carrie teased that fans should keep an eye out for hidden Easter eggs tied to Nibbles’ website and podcast once the film releases.
After the clips, Yvett and Carrie joined one of the festival hosts for a lively Q&A session, which will be covered in full soon on ZNN. The biggest takeaway of the entire panel was clear: this isn’t just a movie the team is making, it’s something they deeply love crafting. That passion radiates from every frame.
To quote Yvett: “The primary focus from all of our teams is for the audience to have fun.”
Based on what I’ve seen so far, I’m confident they’ve nailed it.
Zootopia fans, get ready! This sequel is going to be something special.
Stay tuned for the full Q&A coverage coming soon!
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