Zootopia 2 Means One Divisive Disney Trend Isn’t Going Away Anytime Soon

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The release of Zootopia 2 continues a successful pattern for Disney, and it’s a trend that’s likely to continue for a while. This sequel to the 2016 Academy Award-winning animated film Zootopia reunites Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, now partners on the Zootopia Police Department. Their first big case involves tracking down a mysterious snake – the first reptile to appear in the city in years.

Okay, so Zootopia 2 is a hit – critics are loving it, and it’s already looking like it’ll make more money than the original. Honestly, this pretty much guarantees we’re going to see a lot more sequels from Disney animation in the years to come. They’ve seen what works, and they’re going to capitalize on it – and I don’t blame them!

Disney Animated Sequels Have Always Been Rare

Disney rarely makes sequels to its animated films. Surprisingly, it wasn’t until 1990, with The Rescuers Down Under, that Disney released its first animated sequel – after 50 years of only creating original animated movies. Walt Disney himself reportedly disliked sequels, feeling they were unoriginal. Even after The Rescuers Down Under, Disney didn’t make another sequel for nearly a decade, until 1999.

Disney released Fantasia 2000 in 1999 as a test to see if audiences would enjoy animated movie sequels in theaters. While many animated sequels went straight to home video, only two others—Peter Pan: Return to Neverland (2002) and The Jungle Book 2 (2003)—were released in cinemas. Unfortunately, the quality of these sequels wasn’t as good as the originals, and Disney stopped trying to make animated sequels for theaters after these releases.

Things shifted in the 2010s, with Disney focusing more on box office success than on originality. This trend started to become clear with Ralph Breaks the Internet in 2018. The first Wreck-It Ralph was a departure for Disney, resembling a Pixar film in style. Pixar had already shown that animated sequels could be profitable, and Ralph Breaks the Internet demonstrated Disney’s ability to achieve the same, as long as the movie maintained a high level of quality. The sequel earned slightly more than the original and even received an Oscar nomination.

Disney has been careful with its sequels, focusing on its most popular films. Frozen 2, released in 2019, was a huge success, earning $1.453 billion. Then, in 2024, Moana 2 also surpassed $1 billion, which is a significant achievement in the current movie market. While both sequels were financially successful, critics generally rated them slightly lower than the original films, particularly Moana 2. However, Zootopia 2 seems to have maintained the quality of the first movie and is expected to perform well at the box office, continuing the success of Disney’s recent animated sequels.

What Disney Animated Sequels Could Follow Zootopia 2?

If Zootopia 2 does well, Disney will likely continue making sequels based on familiar stories. Even if it doesn’t reach the same billion-dollar success as Moana 2 and Frozen 2, Disney knows these established franchises are profitable. Plans for Zootopia 3 could move forward quickly, and a third Moana movie is also being considered, though the upcoming live-action Moana film might change those plans.

Many fans are hoping for a sequel to Encanto, even though the first movie’s initial box office numbers weren’t massive. It’s gained a large following through home video, which could boost a sequel’s success. Besides Encanto, Disney might also consider making more movies like Big Hero 6 or even another Wreck-It Ralph film. Frozen 3 is already planned for 2027, and the anticipated success of Zootopia 2 should also benefit Disney in the future.

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2025-11-29 20:41