Zootopia 2 Rotten Tomatoes Score Highest for Disney Animation in 4 Years

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Disney relies on successful studios like Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm for hit movies, but they also create major blockbusters on their own. One example is Zootopia, which earned over $1 billion globally and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Zootopia was especially praised for its surprisingly sophisticated story, which combined important social themes with fun, family-friendly entertainment. This positive reception has made the upcoming sequel, Zootopia 2, highly anticipated, and early signs suggest the nine-year wait will be worthwhile.

Currently, Zootopia 2 has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 61 critic reviews. This is comparable to the original Zootopia, which received a 98% rating and was certified fresh. It’s also the highest score for a Walt Disney Animation Studios film since Encanto (92%) in 2021. Zootopia 2‘s score is significantly better than recent Disney animated movies like Strange World (72%), Wish (48%), and Moana 2 (61%).

Zootopia 2 Could End Disney Animation’s Oscar Drought

Interestingly, Encanto, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, was the last time a traditionally-animated Disney film even received a nomination in that category. While Disney has continued to have nominees since then, they’ve all been from Pixar – like Turning Red and Inside Out 2. This means Disney Animation Studios itself has been surprisingly absent from the nominations, despite having earned 13 nominations and 4 wins throughout its history. However, the buzz around Zootopia 2 suggests that’s about to change.

While there isn’t a widespread critical consensus yet, early reviews of Zootopia 2 are very positive. Critics are calling it another visually stunning and funny film with a genuinely captivating story. The movie introduces a new character, Gary De’Snake, who helps explore themes similar to the first Zootopia in a fresh way, solidifying its place among Disney’s best animated films. Although it’s a sequel and doesn’t have quite the same surprise factor as the original, Zootopia 2 is still full of emotion and excitement, making it a strong contender for one of the year’s top animated movies.

With Zootopia 2 expected to be a major box office success in 2025, it’s likely to be nominated for Best Animated Feature. After Pixar’s Elio didn’t perform well, Disney is focusing all its awards campaign efforts on Zootopia 2, hoping to recapture the magic that made the first film so popular with awards voters. The real question is whether it can actually win. While this year’s competition for Best Animated Feature doesn’t seem particularly strong, sequels rarely win—only Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4 have ever done it. Zootopia 2 has a good chance compared to other sequels, but it will still face competition from the popular Netflix film, Kpop Demon Hunters.

Even if Zootopia 2 doesn’t win many awards, its positive reviews and strong ticket sales are exactly what Disney needed after a year of mixed results. While the first Zootopia was a critical success, there was no certainty the sequel would be as well – as we saw with Moana 2 last year, which received a less enthusiastic reception than the original. It’s fantastic that Zootopia 2 lives up to the quality of the first film, solidifying this as one of Disney’s most successful series.

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2025-11-26 00:46