Eagle Era

AHS students’ opinions on the recently released Zootopia sequel

By Angella Li

Grab your popcorn, and fluff up your tail: Zootopia 2 is out, and it has been met with otter-ly raving reviews. Zootopia 2 was released on November 26, 2025, and Rotten Tomatoes has given it a 93% viewer satisfaction rate. Mirroring the positive reception towards the movie, many AHS students were impressed by its quality.

With the surge in sequels within the Disney industry, many of which have fallen flat, the success of Zootopia 2 is surprising. “A lot of Disney sequels are definitely not as good as the first one. Zootopia 2 maybe doesn’t surpass the first one, but it’s almost equal. The quality was really good, the jokes all landed pretty well, and a lot of the themes were similar to the first movie,” said Cassidy Tung (11). “I watched Moana 2, and I thought the plot was very similar to the first one, and it was kind of boring. But in Zootopia 2, the plot was pretty different, and that just made it more entertaining to watch.”

Agreeing with Tung’s standards for good sequels, Alyssa Li (10) said, “The most important elements of a sequel are connections to the movie that it is ‘sequeling,’ but having some new ideas developed from the first movie. I do think Zootopia 2 captured that idea well. It didn’t feel like it was a regurgitation of Zootopia; it had new elements.”

Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, Zootopia 2 grossed $917,984,779 worldwide according to Box Office Mojo. Charlize Cho (11) said, “I wasn’t really focused on the animation, but it was really pretty, and I do think the animators did a really good job with Zootopia 2” (Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures/Enterprises).

Something Zootopia 2 did to set it apart from other sequels was thoughtfully expand on the worldbuilding in the original movie. Throughout Zootopia 2, the audience is exposed to the unique cultures of animals in different biomes. This created a well-rounded world that viewers can relate to, despite it being a fictional story.

Themes of racism and segregation within the animal community are also explored in the movie. “[Both Zootopia and Zootopia 2] are saying people aren’t necessarily as bad as they may seem on the outside. Predators may seem like they’re dangerous, but in reality, they’re all trying to get through their own lives,” said Li.

The movie also further developed the key characters, Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, providing more insight into their relationship. “You definitely get to see a new aspect of Nick and Judy’s relationship,” said Charlize Cho (11). “They do touch upon this in the original film—the differences between animal species—but in this case it’s more goal-oriented differences, and I think they developed that pretty well.”

As is the case with many sequels, nostalgia played a part in the initial popularity of a movie. Ella Srour (9) said, “[Zootopia 2] has a lot of hype because most of the people remember Zootopia, the first movie, and they’re like, ‘Oh, there’s a Zootopia 2,’ so they want to watch it.”

However, Zootopia 2 can still stand on its own paws; despite relying on nostalgia to a certain extent to generate popularity, the movie’s animation was well done. Even while working with only animal characters, the production team was still able to provide vibrant expressions on each character’s face.

Zootopia 2 has blown the feathers off its audience with its well-crafted storyline and animation that kept everyone glued to their seats. “Zootopia had me on the edge of my seat and quivering in fear as a 1st grader, but Zootopia 2 had me bawling in theaters,” said Cho. “Zootopia 2’s plot was great, easy to understand, and definitely did its job at solidifying a place in my heart.” 

So, for Zootopia fans who want to revisit their old friends Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, don’t just walk—fly, slither, and crawl to get those tickets.