Thank you so much to Jaycobsartzz for attending the panel and getting us this transcription and photos! While it doensn’t hold anything new for Z3, it is filled with amazing stories, heartwarming moments, and is a fantastic read for any fan of Zootopia. Enjoy!

Panelists

• Yvette Nicole Brown — Moderator
• Byron Howard — Director
• Jared Bush — Writer/director and Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Clark Spencer — President, Walt Disney Animation Studios and producer
• Ginnifer Goodwin — Voice of Judy Hopps
• Michael Giacchino — Composer
• Yvett Merino — Producer
• Ke Huy Quan — Voice of Gary De’Snake

Welcome to 10 Years of Zootopia

Yvette Nicole Brown: I am so excited to be hosting 10 Years of Zootopia. Let me hear it for Zootopia!

[Audience cheers.]

I’m just excited to bring out my friends to tell you about this beautiful world they created, so let’s get started. First up, we have a four-time Oscar nominee and two-time winner for Zootopia and Encanto. He is responsible for other favorites like Bolt and Tangled. Please welcome Byron Howard!

[Audience cheers.]

Up next, he is the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios. He was the writer and director of the Oscar-winning films Zootopia and Encanto. He also wrote Moana and Moana 2 and is currently writing Disney’s Hexed. Please welcome Jared Bush!

[Audience cheers.]

Next, he is the president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, where, as a producer, he had a hand in films like Lilo & Stitch, Wreck-It Ralph, Bolt, and our Oscar winners Encanto and Zootopia. Please welcome Clark Spencer!

[Audience cheers.]

All right, gentlemen, let’s sit down for a minute. Let’s get cozy.

Byron Howard: Oh, look at these chairs. These are the nicest interview chairs I’ve ever been in.

Yvette: Welcome to my living room.

[Laughter.]

How Zootopia Began

Yvette: Byron, talk to us about the very beginnings of Zootopia. You had just finished directing Tangled, and before that Bolt, which Clark produced. What Disney-esque inspirations led to the idea of Zootopia?

Byron: Right after Tangled, something amazing happened. This never, ever happens, but the studio pretty much empowered me to do whatever I wanted. It was basically, “What would your dream project be?”

Honestly, it really did revolve around animals. I grew up loving all these facts about animals, Disney animals, and all sorts of cartoon animals. And we hadn’t done one where the animals wore pants, right?

[Audience laughs.]

So I thought, in my genius, “I will take pants and put them on animals.” Then Jared joined me and said, “What if they weren’t just pants, but shirts and cellphones as well?”

[Laughter.]

The chemistry started flowing, and it all really worked out. It was a great moment because Jared and I got to build this from the ground up together. The research that you do at Disney is one of the most fun stages. We did probably a solid year and a half of research where we learned about how cities develop, how communities come together, and how animals behave around each other. We all went to Africa together, which is crazy.

And if you can see that drawing there, that is the first drawing of Nick and Judy that I ever did.

Yvette: Oh!

Byron: It’s funny because there was always a fox and there was always a rabbit, and that chemistry has really driven the whole thing. Jared’s amazing writing and our amazing actors, Ginnifer and Jason, brought these characters to life. That is why I think people go back to see these films, because of that chemistry.

It’s amazing that something can be a dream, and you start with a little sketch and some discussions in a room between a couple people, and it can grow into something so big that people really get behind.

Yvette: Jared and Clark, what made each of you want to join this project? What did you love about it?

Byron: Was it me?

[Audience laughs.]

Yvette: It was Byron.

Jared Bush: This is true. It was Byron. That is actually the reason.

The way I came to this movie, I was desperate to join Disney Animation. It was a dream of mine. I was like, “How do I get there? It’s impossible. No one can get into Disney Animation.”

I hounded and I hounded, and at one point they said, “Well, there’s this guy, Byron Howard, and he’s working on a movie with animals in pants.” I was like, “Animals in pants? I’ve got to be a part of it.”

They said Byron could meet me in about four weeks, but I was supposed to be out of town, and I really wanted that job. So I lied. I said, “Well, I’m here right now.” This was not true. I was supposed to be on a plane going to a family reunion with my wife and my three sons, two of whom were newborn twins.

[Audience laughs.]

Instead of being a good parent, I called Disney and said, “I’m available tomorrow,” while my wife was on a plane with our children.

I met Byron, and we had the best time. It was like meeting someone I had known forever, like a soulmate for life. We connected on so many different things, and immediately we had such a similar sensibility. I remember looking at all the possibilities of what this world could be, the opportunity to create this vast place and set a new tone that Disney hadn’t done in a while. It was incredibly exciting.

So I begged, and Byron said yes.

[Audience laughs.]

Yvette: And how about you, Clark?

Clark Spencer: Byron and I had worked together all the way back on Lilo & Stitch when Byron was an animator, and then we did Bolt together. Byron went off to do Tangled and I was doing Wreck-It Ralph. I had always wanted to get back together and work with Byron again.

I remember seeing Byron and Jared in a story room building this idea. Yes, there were animals in pants, but more importantly, I saw this incredible world they were building, where animals from all over were coming together and could live in different districts so they could actually survive. And they were telling a story about bias through predator and prey.

I thought, “What an incredible idea for an animated film.” From that moment, I was like, “I don’t care who you want to produce it. I need to be that person.” And they generously allowed me to come join them.

Byron: I love that this all centers around me.

[Audience laughs.]

Yvette: It does, Byron.

Byron: Can we keep that going?

Yvette: Byron, I came today because of you.

Byron: Thank you.

Researching the Animal World

Yvette: We’re going to bring out more of the cast and creators, but research was a huge part of making this film. Talk about the research trips to Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World and then the trip to Africa.

Byron: Oh, yeah. Honestly, they told us they were going to put us in a tiger cage in Florida.

Jared: By the way, these are just pictures of us being idiots. I’m sorry you’re seeing this.

Byron: I kept the shorts.

Jared: The shorts were so tight. They literally said, “You’re going to go meet a hippo, and this hippo will attack you if you’re not wearing the keeper outfits.” So, terrified, we put these things on that were clearly meant for, like, a 12-year-old boy.

We went in to meet the hippo, and every keeper was wearing a completely different outfit. They were basically like, “We haven’t used those in 20 years.” They had khakis that looked like REI stuff. They looked great, and we looked terrible.

Byron: Then we went into the tiger enclosure. One of the things they do to keep the tigers entertained is use different scents around the enclosure. The tigers are like kitty cats, just big, deadly kitty cats. We were putting these scents around, and over on one side was a large door, behind which were tigers.

Jared: I was so scared. At any point they could have been like, “Click. Tigers.”

[Laughter.]

Byron: But they let us live.

Jared: One of the really cool things about Animal Kingdom is how much they care about the animals. We spent a lot of time there. We visited one of their clinics where they were helping a snake. We liked the idea of snakes, so we put that in the back of our minds.

The best part about research specifically for Zootopia is that you really need to spend time with animals. I know that sounds obvious, but you can’t just research them online, look at pictures, or read books. You really have to be among the animals to get those personalities.

Then we went to Kenya. I had seen maybe five zebras at once in a zoo. I had never seen thousands of zebras thundering past us. That was one of the most exciting things we got to do.

Byron: The amazing thing at Disney is that this tradition of research goes all the way back to the early years of the studio. With Bambi, they brought in real deer for the drawing classes so the artists could learn the anatomy of deer and study real animals rather than just make it up in their heads.

On one of the little planes taking us out into the bush in Kenya, we flew over a large triangular rock formation. They told us, “That is the rock that inspired Pride Rock in The Lion King from the research trip for the original film.” So it all comes back.

And then we have a little story about Nathan Warner, one of our heads of layout. He’s a brilliant artist.

Clark: The team goes out onto the savanna and everyone has this incredible experience. But maybe not everyone is really supposed to be on the savanna at the same time.

This is Mabel, the ostrich. She was about seven feet tall, and Mabel bit Nathan.

Yvette: Is he okay?

Jared: Well, it gets worse, guys. It gets worse.

This is Ziggy the zebra. We spent a lot of time with Ziggy. Ziggy liked to hang out wherever we were. Ziggy met Nathan and bit Nathan in the crotch.

[Audience reacts.]

Right in the crotch.

Byron: It’s not over. This is Areege, a beautiful Kenyan cheetah who was raised by humans. We were able to interact with her in the most amazing way. Amazing animal. And good news: Areege did not bite Nathan.

[Laughter.]

Fortunately, Nathan was not harmed. He is still here.

Jared: We had a nickname for him. We called him “Nate the Bait.”

Byron: Very true.

[Laughter.]

The importance of research, and dignity, always dignity, really comes into why these movies matter to us as much as they do. All of the experts we talk to, and the people in these different countries who really care about the things we’re studying, are a huge part of it.

I loved going to school, and I like that I’m slightly smarter at the end of one of these films than I was at the beginning. I like that it’s a constant learning process. It’s a wonderful job. It’s why I’ve been at the studio for so long, and why I work with wonderful people like these and the remarkable teams around us.

Ginnifer Goodwin on Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde

Yvette: So you have your team, you’ve done your research, and now it’s time to cast it. Maybe we should bring out our lead, our favorite little bunny cop. Please welcome our Judy Hopps, Ginnifer Goodwin!

[Audience cheers as Ginnifer Goodwin joins the panel.]

Ginnifer, can you talk about Judy and what makes her so special, and the experience of working on the first film?

Ginnifer Goodwin: Oh my gosh. I still can’t believe I’m in it. I feel like it’s all a dream. If I wake up, I’ll still be like, “That was the best dream. It was totally worth it.”

I feel like Judy has made me a better person. Judy has definitely changed how I approach acting. Ultimately, I am super inspired by her, having nothing to do with what I contribute. Her optimism, her bravery, her integrity, her ability, once we really coax her into taking a good, hard look at herself, to be brave enough to change. All of these are qualities that I aspire to.

Yvette: Of course, Judy has a partner.

Ginnifer: Yes, she does.

Yvette: That Nick Wilde. What is it about the two of them together that’s so special?

Ginnifer: It really is an opposites-attract kind of thing, right? But I feel like they’re puzzle pieces that actually complete each other. They make each other better animals.

I almost don’t feel like they can’t exist in isolation in their brilliant form. It really is about this intangible thing that they are together.

Michael Giacchino on the Sound of Zootopia

Yvette: Part of every great film is a great score, and for both Zootopia films, the team was lucky enough to work with one of the very best. Let’s take a look. Or listen. Is it a listen?

[A short video from the scoring stage plays.]

Let’s bring out the man who tugged at our heartstrings and got us on the move in the Zootopia universe. He has an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy. Please welcome Michael Giacchino!

[Audience cheers as Michael Giacchino joins the panel.]

Michael, how did you first get involved in the world of Zootopia, and what was your approach to creating the soundtrack of this animal metropolis?

Michael Giacchino: How truthful do we want to be here?

[Laughter.]

I usually come in fairly early on these things just to get a look at what it is. I remember coming in really early on this film. They showed me all this stuff and then said, “But don’t pay attention to any of that because we’re changing everything. Come back in six months and we’ll re-present everything.”

So I came back six months later and it was amazing. I was like, “Yes, this is incredible. Things wearing pants on screen. This is really one of the big hallmarks of the work that I do.”

[Laughter.]

This is actually the only Disney Animation film I’ve done. All the other animated films I’ve worked on have been Pixar movies. So my whole Disney Animation world lives within Zootopia.

Yvette: How do you go about creating the soundtrack? Do you see the world and think, “This is what it feels like to me”?

Michael: For me, it’s always about the characters and what they’re feeling. I want to feel what they’re feeling so I can write truthful music. It means sitting with your character in those moments and really trying to understand, “What would it feel like if I were in your shoes?” That’s the only way I can write music.

In terms of Zootopia and this world, it’s incredible because you can use any instrument in the world and somehow it fits. You can mix any crazy things together. We always talked about, “What are the craziest things we can pull out and use?”

One of the things we used was a ram’s horn that had been used on the original Planet of the Apes movie that Jerry Goldsmith scored. Emil Richards, who was a percussionist of mine at the time, gave it to me as a gift. He has since passed, but he was an incredible percussionist.

When I started working on the later Planet of the Apes films, I told these guys about it and they said, “We have to use this!” So we did. You’re always looking for weird and strange things to do.

That was actually me blowing the ram’s horn in the movie. It’s in one of the chases.

Jared: It’s when Manchas is chasing them.

Michael: Exactly. You hear that horn sound. That’s us.

Yvett Merino Joins the Zootopia Family

Yvette: We have another creative to bring out here. Our next guest, as a producer, is the first Latina to win an Oscar for an animated feature, and she has the best name. Please welcome Yvett Merino!

[Audience cheers as Yvett Merino joins the panel.]

Yvett, can you talk about when you first worked with Jared, Byron, and Clark, and your journey to becoming a producer on Zootopia 2?

Yvett Merino: Gosh, hi, everyone. I’m so excited to be here.

I had been working at Disney for a little while and had an opportunity to move into the production world, which I jumped at. The first film I worked on was Tangled, and I got to work closely with Byron. We became great friends, and I loved it.

Then, as things go at Disney, when you finish a film, you move on to the next one. The next film was Wreck-It Ralph, and I got to work with Clark. After that I worked on Big Hero 6, and then I got the opportunity to work on Moana with Jared, where Jared was a writer.

When they started working on Encanto, first of all, they were working on a story in Latin America, and I was like, “I am all in. I’ve got to see my people out there.”

[Audience laughs.]

I kept walking by their offices going, “What are you guys working on? What are you working on?” Somehow they all agreed to bring me along on the journey, and I was so happy. Clark became president, so we got to produce it together. I didn’t tell Clark at the time, but I would have worked on that show for free.

[Audience laughs.]

We got to work on Encanto together, and people would ask me what it was like. I’d say, “It’s like a dream team.” I get Clark, Byron, and Jared. We really bonded together. So when the opportunity came to work together again on Zootopia 2, I jumped on it.

Jared: Wait, can we just appreciate Byron’s hair in that photo?

[Audience laughs.]

That ponytail. That hair.

Why Reptiles Were Always Part of the Plan

Yvette: This is for the entire group. When you started talking about a sequel to Zootopia, what I heard is that right away you knew you wanted reptiles. Was that because of the trip to Africa, or was there something else that made you say, “It’s reptiles this time”?

Jared: One of the biggest things was that we knew Yvett was terrified of snakes, so it really began as a way to torment her.

[Audience laughs.]

No, but honestly, very early on when we were working on the first Zootopia film, Byron and I talked about reptiles a lot. There were actually intended to be street signs in the first film that said there were areas for reptiles.

We lost that from the story because in a world of animals, specifically a story where we’re talking about predator and prey, the predator-prey line for mammals is very clear. For reptiles, it’s not clear, because they can kind of be both of those things.

That’s why it didn’t make sense to have reptiles in the first film, but we always loved the idea. So we knew, years before we even thought about a Zootopia 2, that reptiles had to be part of that story.

Yvette: Gary the snake needed the right voice. He needed the right heart, and I think they found it in the wonderful Ke Huy Quan. Please welcome Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan!

[Audience cheers as Ke Huy Quan joins the panel.]

When did you get the call to be part of Zootopia, and what has it been like working with these lovely humans?

Ke Huy Quan: I’m going to walk you guys through what it was like from my point of view.

I got a call from my agent and he said, “Disney Animation reached out and wants to meet with you.” That was it. No other details. No information. I didn’t know what the project was or who I was meeting with. The meeting wasn’t until the following week, and that weekend I couldn’t sleep. I looked it up online. I was like, “Okay, what can this be about? What kind of movie are they making?”

Then I drove to the iconic Disney Animation building with the big blue hat. Immediately, this adrenaline rushed through me. I was so excited.

Jared Bush and Yvett met me in the lobby. Then we got in an elevator. I don’t know if we were going up or down.

[Audience laughs.]

I was led into a decent-sized room where there was a big screen in the middle, incredible posters and drawings, and a ton of stuff on the table. I was trying to scan the table to see what was there.

Soon enough they told me, “This is about Zootopia 2.” The minute I heard that, I freaked out.

They walked me through the story and showed me the design of Gary the Snake, and the whole time I was like, “Amazing. This is amazing.”

Then Jared brought out his phone and showed me a little clip from my appearance on Stephen Colbert. Gary the Snake had been animated over me, but they kept my voice. It was such a cool little clip.

Then we chatted for a little bit, and that was it. They walked me out. I drove home, called my agent, and said, “You’re not going to believe this. This is freaking Zootopia 2.”

My agent asked, “So, Ke, they offered you the role, right?” And I went, “Wait a minute.”

[Audience laughs.]

The whole time I was there, I didn’t remember them ever saying, “We want you to play Gary.” I was like, “Oh my gosh. What does that mean? Did I go in for a test and fail it or something?”

Sure enough, at the end of that week my agent called. I was jumping up and down and told my wife. I didn’t tell my family, though, because I wanted it to be a surprise for them.

Since then, it has just been amazing. Working with this entire Zootopia family has been a dream. As an actor, it’s one of those movies that comes along once in a long while, and you feel incredibly lucky to be part of that journey and that adventure.

Jared: Can I tell you the other side of that story?

Ke: Great.

Jared: I’m in the lobby with Yvett waiting for Ke Huy Quan to show up. I couldn’t be more excited. He arrives. I freak out. We’re going up in the elevator. I don’t know if it’s up or down.

[Audience laughs.]

We go back, we’re pitching through the story, and I’m so excited. Then Ke leaves, and Yvett and I look at each other like, “Did he say yes?”

I don’t know. Is this good? I don’t know what’s happening. So communication is what the two of us need.

Ginnifer: And by the way, when I got the call, I thought I was being fired from a job. It was unrelated to this. We all need to work on this.

Jared: Passive insecurity.

Ginnifer: This is a therapy session.

[Laughter.]

Yvette: Is that what you normally do? Do you take the person you want and animate something over their voice like that?

Jared: No. That was actually a really exciting thing. Adam Green, one of our animators, was helping us figure something out. We had this very dangerous pit viper, and we were trying to tell everybody, “He’s got to be really sweet.”

Everyone was like, “I don’t believe you. That’s a dangerous snake. Everyone I know is afraid of snakes.” So Adam put Ke’s voice in before we met with Ke to see what that would feel like.

The truth is, there was no one we ever considered other than Ke. If he had said no, we would have been heartbroken. That’s true.

[Audience applauds.]

Yvette: Ke, what do you think it is about Gary, from his design to the beautiful theme Michael created for him, that resonates with people?

Ke: What I love about Gary is that on the surface he looks really scary, but he’s actually a really kind, goofy guy with a big heart.

I give a lot of credit to our animators. They can take something like a pit viper, which is really scary, and make him so lovable, funny, and kind.

What Disney does so well with animated films is make something that is so fun and entertaining for kids while at the same time telling a very mature theme about belonging, kindness, and celebrating each other’s differences.

I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this. The credit goes to Jared and Byron and Yvett for creating it and giving us something really fun to play with.

More of the Zootopia 2 Cast

Yvette: Do you guys want to share anything else about some of the other cast members?

Jared: I’m trying to think of other people who were in it.

Yvette: Fortune is in it. Patrick Warburton.

Jared: There was also someone who played two parts, actually. Right now she’s wearing lion ears, but in the movie she’s a bear and an EMT otter.

[The panel jokes about Yvette Nicole Brown’s two roles in the film.]

Yvette: My experience was different because I got called in to do a cameo, which is maybe one or two lines, and you’re just happy to get it. They called and said, “Would you like to be…” Would I like to be? How much do I owe you to be able to do a part in this movie?

Then I got there and got to play with Jared. Jared is fun, guys. Jared in a booth, we cut up like some fools in there. He just let me say the silliest things, and one of those things made it into the movie.

Jared: We just lock you in the booth. This is the only time I get to leave. That’s why I’m so excited.

[A cast featurette plays.]

Jared: Can I say something really quick? We made Fortune Feimster say “Nibbles Maplestick” 800 times. Minimum.

Yvette: When you say “we made…”

Jared: One person.

Yvette: It was you.

Jared: Yes.

Bringing Zootopia Into the Theme Parks

Yvette: We’re 10 years into this journey. There are the films, there’s Zootopia+, and then there’s what we all love as Disney fans: the theme parks. You’ve been part of helping make Zootopia: Better Zoogether! at Animal Kingdom and an entire Zootopia land in Shanghai. Can you talk more about that?

Byron: One of the coolest things we get to do is work with our partners in Imagineering, who bring these films to life for real. It’s an amazing honor.

Jared: I cannot tell you how crazy it is. I came to Disney because Byron hired me to begin the first Zootopia film. Then to have that become something someone would want in the parks, to have an entire land built… I try to pretend like I’m a professional up here, but I’m a fanboy, right?

Someone says, “We’re going to make a land out of the movie,” and I’m like, “What?” Then I try to say professionally, “That sounds good. I’d love to help partner on that idea.”

[Audience laughs.]

It’s unbelievable. The scale of that land is absolutely crazy. One of the most exciting things is that about 70 percent of what you see in the Zootopia land in Shanghai is from the film. The other 30 percent is stuff those teams just ran with, and it’s unbelievable and hilarious.

One of my favorite details is a door with a sign that says “No Howling.” If you howl, a wolf inside the door will howl back at you. Every now and again, the wolf upstairs will also howl. Then, about once an hour, every wolf in the entire land howls from every single building. It’s one of the neatest details.

When I walked in and saw Clawhauser at the front desk of Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, I literally started crying. Clawhauser is actually one of the first characters created for the original Zootopia. Nick and Clawhauser were originally buddies. It was Nick, Clawhauser, and Finnick, this trio of predator animals who hung out. Clawhauser is so near and dear to my heart, so seeing him there was crazy.

Ke: One more thing. If you go to Disneyland here in Anaheim or in Florida, you see a lot of cosplay. You see Mickey Mouse ears or people dressed as Avengers. When you go to Shanghai Disneyland, you see a lot of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde cosplay.

It’s unbelievable how popular Zootopia is in China. We had our premiere there. And the Zootopia ride is three hours long. It’s the longest wait time in Shanghai.

Michael: Wait, sorry. The ride is not three hours long.

[Laughter.]

The line can be really, really, really long. I could see it being three hours.

Why Zootopia Resonates With Audiences

Ginnifer: It’s been an amazing ride for 10 years. Why do you think this story, this world, and these beautiful characters have resonated with so many people around the world? What is it?

Let’s start with Clark.

Clark: I think the world-building is a big piece of the puzzle. If you look at any frame in Zootopia or Zootopia 2, there is something in it that is very specific to this world that Jared and Byron created.

It’s the animal puns. It’s the specificity of the size of the animals all coexisting, so you have to have different-sized doors. All of that is just so fun as a world for people to go be part of. I think world-building is a big piece of it.

Ginnifer: Anyone else want to jump in?

Ke: I think Zootopia resonated with so many audiences all over the world, and it goes back to what Walt Disney did. When I think of Disney, I think of Mickey Mouse and what that represents.

What I love about Disney is that it encourages people to dream big. It reminds them that anything is possible. And that’s the main theme of Zootopia: anybody can be anything.

Ginnifer: It’s beautiful. Yvett?

Yvett: I think part of the magic of the world of Zootopia is that it is a mirror to the world we all live in today. It’s lived in by all these different animals, and there are no physical limits to who you can relate to. You can relate to Gary. You can relate to Judy or Nick in different ways. They’re dealing with real-world issues, like we do in our world.

But because it’s this world of animals, and because we have so much fun in there and all the puns, it gives us an opportunity to come into this world and relax. Then, as you get absorbed by the story, you’re able to connect it to moments in your own life.

Ginnifer: Michael?

Michael: Emotionally, it’s one of those things where you look at a film like Zootopia, you look at the problems they’re dealing with, you look at how they handle them and overcome them, and you just think, “I want that to be our world.”

I want our current world to look at life this way and take care of things, and take care of each other, that way. It’s a reflection, I think, of what we want our world to be.

Ginnifer: I agree. I feel like the most important lessons we learn are kind of always accidental. I don’t think of this at all as a “message movie.” It’s just so freaking fun.

It’s full of so much love and so much joy. You know when you’re laughing so hard that you kind of tip over into crying? You’re just totally open, and it can go in any direction.

For me as an audience member, and by the way, I did see Zootopia 2 about 12 times in the theater…

Yvett: In the theater?

Ginnifer: In the theater! I don’t mean Disney screenings. I went to the theater and bought my tickets.

[Laughter.]

There’s something that happens to me watching the movie where I’m just open. Because I’m already open, it brings up all the questions that need asking.

Yvett: And answers them.

Ginnifer: Jared?

Jared: It’s so many things. I think so much of it is the people you’re seeing next to me up here. Everyone we have been lucky enough to have work on Zootopia has put their heart and passion into this story at every level.

Whether that’s wild comedy and entertainment, deep emotion, an incredible score, or unbelievable performances by all the actors, everybody is putting something into it. The producing work is about making sure the roughly 700 people who work on this film are all rowing in the same direction.

And almost more than anything, this sounds corny, but it’s real: we are so lucky to do what we do.

[Jared becomes emotional.]

But the reason we get to do it is because of all of you. We’re making something that we hope will resonate. When that is reflected back, it means the world. It means that the difficult work matters, and it makes us want to dive back into that world and bring you something else.

Ginnifer: Love your heart.

[Audience applauds.]

Byron: If you get me to cry, I’m going to push you back in the booth.

[Laughter.]

It’s all so beautifully said. I have a very warm feeling when I come to moments like this with you guys and these guys. Everything they said, I completely agree with.

It is a treasured thing that I’ve gotten to work with these people and all the people you don’t see. I wish all of you could see every face and every heart that contributed to this journey.

I started in the parks at Disney 35 years ago this year. Seeing families and friends really enjoying these stories and bonding over these stories has meant so much. I’m old enough now to have seen generations of people grow up with these stories, and some of them now work for us as animators and artists.

Jared: We don’t have children working for us.

[Laughter.]

Byron: We wait until they’re old enough and then we hire them.

[Laughter.]

There’s something really wonderful about this company as an idea. It’s a place where people come together, and there’s so much joy and genuine care.

I watch these images go by and remember the first time I saw Bogo’s design, the first time I heard Ginnifer’s voice come out of Hopps in the animation, or the first time I ever met Ke or Michael.

Michael, I was going to tell a story earlier. The way Michael works is that he watches your film, then he goes away for about a week and writes what looks like an eight- or 10-minute suite of gorgeous, incredible themes. The thought he puts behind it is remarkable.

He wrote the great soaring theme you hear for Zootopia, the soaring horns that really represent the city itself, because of what he was feeling through Judy’s eyes.

All of these people here, the people you’re not seeing, the people who work with us, the people who have worked with us over the last decade and at this studio over the last 100 years, are incredible storytellers who put their hearts into what they’re doing.

It’s all about art and music and friendship and genuine love for each other. We have a really complex world. It gets really terrible sometimes, but the terrible things are made so much easier to bear when we have each other.

So, thanks for supporting us.

[Audience applauds.]

Yvette: Yeah. That was the answer.

And I can say this because I’ve been blessed to be around all of these people: they’re really good people, you guys. They made two really great movies because they’re really great people.

Ginnifer Goodwin and Ke Huy Quan on Hosting the D23 Showcase

Yvette: Ginnifer, Ke, you hosted last night’s Honda Center Studios showcase. Who was there last night? Give me all the tea. What was the night like?

Ginnifer: Everybody was there.

Yvette: Everybody was there?

Ginnifer: Everybody but Mickey Mouse was there.

[Laughter.]

Yvette: Mickey was there too?

Ginnifer: He was there in spirit.

Yvette: What was it like for you guys, that wall of sound from 12,000 people?

Ginnifer: I feel like it’s sort of like being in the booth for Zootopia. The world of Disney in all its incarnations is a world where we can do no wrong.

I explained to Ke, “If we go up there and accidentally burp, it will be okay.”

[Laughter.]

What we said at the top of the night was authentically coming from us: this is our home. If we weren’t onstage, we would be out there too. We are Disney dorks. We are true superfans.

We were just high on the energy of getting to all be together to celebrate all of these properties and announcements with the fans. We were geeking out on everybody backstage. It was just a joy.

Yvette: How about you, Ke?

Ke: It was really special for me. It felt like such a full-circle moment because the first time I attended D23 was four years ago, in 2022. It was right at the beginning of audiences rediscovering me.

It also gave me one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. I reunited with my favorite archaeologist, Harrison Ford.

[Audience cheers.]

Little did I know, if you had told me four years ago, “Ke, you will return to acting, win an Oscar, join the Disney and Marvel family, and join the Zootopia family,” I would have said, “You’re so crazy. I would never believe you.”

All of that came true.

So to be back, especially as a host with Ginnifer, on the receiving end of 12,000 screaming fans applauding and cheering, was honestly one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever had. I will never forget it.

More than that, I feel so grateful that we get to be together in a room and celebrate the stories and characters that mean so much to all of us. That’s what I love the most.

A Zootopia 3 Tease: “Birds Are Coming”

Yvette: Ginnifer, Ke, and Jared, you were all onstage together last night to share some new information. Should we see it again?

[Audience cheers.]

Panelist: Jared, tell us more. What can you tell us? I’m so excited.

Jared: I’m not allowed to tell you anything.

[Laughter.]

Panel: Tell us everything!

Jared: Yeah, sure. I mean, birds are coming.

[Audience cheers.]

And you’re going to ask a lot of questions. This is another story where I think we’re really going to test Nick and Judy.

I’d say birds lay eggs. Reptiles are also known to lay eggs, although we did discover that pit vipers actually don’t.

Panelist: What?

Jared: Yeah. Pit vipers have live births. That makes them even creepier.

[Laughter.]

But I’d say this one is going to be a fun one. I think we’re going to see some parts of the world of Zootopia that we have never seen before.

And I will leave it at that.

[Audience cheers.]

Closing the Panel

Yvette: We are almost to the end of our time together. We are so grateful to all of you. And for all of you Zootopia fans, we have one more treat. I’d like to welcome Judy Hopps to the stage!

[Audience cheers as the Judy Hopps character joins the panel.]

Panel: I think we should do a selfie. Should we do a selfie, guys? Who’s got the phone?

Can we do a selfie with you guys? Stand up for a second. Everybody stand up!

[The panel turns toward the audience for a group selfie as music plays and the crowd cheers.]

Jared: We did it, you guys. We did it.