‘Zootopia 2’ Announces Streaming Premiere Date

Quick: Tell me Walt Disney Animations highest-grossing movie ever.

It wasn’t Frozen or Frozen II, Moana or a sequel, or even the recent live-action The Lion King. The biggest hit was actually Zootopia 2, which earned an amazing $1.859 billion from the winter of 2025 into early 2026.

The popular movie, a sequel to the 2016 hit Zootopia, continues the story of animal police partners Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) as they investigate a new case. This time, they’re joined by new characters, including the optimistic Gary De Snake (Ke Huy Quan), and work to overcome prejudice against snakes, who are unfairly feared by other animals.

Given how much money Zootopia 2 has made, it looks like most people have already seen it. But for those who haven’t, or who want a 108-minute distraction for their kids, it will soon be available on Disney+.

While I don’t think Zootopia 2 is one of Disney’s best animated movies, it’s a perfectly enjoyable film for kids. As I mentioned in my review last year, it was more successful – both creatively and at the box office – than other recent Disney sequels like Mufasa: The Lion King and Moana 2.

While some movies are based on better stories, they don’t always lend themselves to long-running series. Epic adventures about heroes finding themselves usually need many films to unfold properly. But with buddy cop movies, there’s always room for another case. Add some fresh elements – like unusual partners or funny running gags – and as long as the action is good and people connect with the characters, the series can continue indefinitely.

The movie Zootopia 2 will be available to stream on Disney+ starting March 11th. Given its success in theaters, another Zootopia movie, Zootopia 3, is likely in the works. The end of Zootopia 2 hinted at which animals might be included in a potential sequel.

10 Movies You Never Knew Were Based on Real People

Citizen Kane (1941)

You’ll see the term “composite character” come up often, and a prime example is Charles Foster Kane from Orson Welles’ film Citizen Kane. Kane, a very rich but unfulfilled newspaper publisher, wasn’t based on one person, but a blend of several powerful American business leaders from a specific time. He drew inspiration from media tycoons like William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, and his business skills came from Chicago-based figures Samuel Insull and Harold McCormick. Welles essentially combined traits of these successful, yet often controversial, men to create a single character whose story at the start of the film highlights the emptiness that can lie beneath the surface of the American Dream.

Taxi Driver (1976)

The movie Taxi Driver is known for influencing John Hinckley, Jr., who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in an attempt to gain the attention of Jodie Foster, the film’s star. However, the film’s central character, Travis Bickle, was also inspired by real life. Writer Paul Schrader drew from the diaries of Arthur Bremer, who shot presidential candidate George Wallace in 1972, leaving him paralyzed, and Sarah Jane Moore, who attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford, an event that made the cover of Newsweek magazine.

Naked Lunch (1991)

Many authors include themselves in their stories, but William S. Burroughs does it more intensely than most in his disturbing novel, Naked Lunch. The book, and the film adaptation directed by David Cronenberg, centers on a character named “William Lee,” a paranoid addict who travels to a dangerous, politically fractured area called the “Interzone” in search of drugs. Burroughs drew heavily from his own experiences with addiction and his time living in Tangier, an internationally divided city, when writing the book. The existence of the mysterious Mugwumps remains a subject of discussion.

It Could Happen to You (1994)

The movie It Could Happen to You is based on a true story. In 1984, a police officer and a waitress made a deal: instead of a tip, they would split a lottery ticket. When they won, the officer kept his word and shared the winnings with her. Everything else in the movie, particularly the romantic relationship, is made up. The credits included a note clarifying that the real people involved were both happily married when the film was made.

Boogie Nights (1997)

Paul Thomas Anderson’s film Boogie Nights feels incredibly over-the-top, but it’s actually based on a true story. The character of Eddie Adams, also known as Dirk Diggler, was inspired by real-life porn star John Holmes. Holmes appeared in nearly 600 adult films in the 1970s and 80s and was known for his physique. Boogie Nights originally started as Anderson’s short mockumentary, The Dirk Diggler Story, which in turn was based on a 1981 documentary about Holmes called Exhausted: John C. Holmes, The Real Story.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Hunter S. Thompson, similar to William S. Burroughs, often inserted himself directly into his writing, using the pen name “Raoul Duke.” His novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, was initially published under this name and details a drug-fueled road trip through Las Vegas with his lawyer, Doctor Gonzo, while reflecting on the fading ideals of the 1960s counterculture. The book was so unconventional, blending truth and imagination, that it essentially invented “gonzo journalism.” In the film adaptation directed by Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp portrays Duke (and, by extension, Thompson himself), complete with the author’s iconic bucket hat and sunglasses.

Almost Famous (2000)

Cameron Crowe often portrays himself as someone who supports underdogs, but his early career at Rolling Stone magazine, covering famous rock bands, was actually quite enviable. His film Almost Famous draws heavily from his own experiences as a young music journalist, with the character William Miller being a stand-in for Crowe himself. While the band Stillwater is fictional, it’s inspired by bands like the Allman Brothers Band that Crowe knew well. The character Penny Lane, played by Kate Hudson, was based on real-life band promoter Pennie Lane Trumbull. Two characters are directly based on real people: legendary rock journalist Lester Bangs, portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres, played by Terry Chen.

Chicago (2002)

The popular movie musical Chicago, directed by Rob Marshall and an Oscar winner, started as a 1972 Broadway show. That show, in turn, was inspired by a 1926 play. The play was based on two actual, unrelated cases of women accused of murder, and both women were found not guilty. Roxie Hart’s character was inspired by Beulah Annan, who called her husband to confess to killing a man who had attacked her. Velma Kelly’s character came from Belva Gaertner, who was accused of murdering a man found dead in her car. Maurine Dallas Watkins, the playwright, covered both cases as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and used them to create her play just two years later.

The Master (2012)

Paul Thomas Anderson drew inspiration from many sources for his film The Master, but two stand out. The character of Lancaster Dodd, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, was heavily influenced by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. Hubbard’s ideas about Dianetics, a form of pseudoscientific hypnosis, are reflected in the film as Dodd’s intense questioning sessions, called “processing.” Initially, the film was intended to be based on the diaries of John Steinbeck, and Joaquin Phoenix’s character, Freddie Quell, was loosely inspired by the author himself.

Hit Man (2023)

During the 1980s and 90s, college professor Gary Johnson had a unique side job: he worked with the Houston police, posing as a fake hitman to get people who wanted someone murdered to confess. This incredible story was first detailed in a 2001 article by Skip Hollandsworth for Texas Monthly, and recently became the Netflix film Hit Man, directed by Richard Linklater and starring Glen Powell. This isn’t the first time Linklater and Hollandsworth have teamed up. They previously collaborated on the 2011 film Bernie, which was also based on a Hollandsworth article—this one about the murder of a wealthy older man by his young assistant (played by Shirley MacLaine and Jack Black).

2026-03-03 18:57