Try Everything (Again): ‘Zootopia’ to Replace ‘Frozen’ Franchise

in Disney, Movies

Elsa is being replaced by Zootopia

Credit: Edited by Inside the Magic

In recent reports, Bob Iger dropped several bombshell announcements for the Walt Disney Animation Studio, stating that fans would return to the worlds of Moana, Elsa, and Andy’s Toys with several new sequels until 2026. As exciting as that is, one title in particular has our attention.

Iger seen with Moana
Credit: Edited by Inside the Magic

Per the official Q1 Earnings Call for the Walt Disney Company, Iger stated,

“Looking to our 2025 theatrical slate, we’re excited to bring audiences Captain America: Brave New World, Fantastic Four, Pixar’s Elio, Zootopia 2, and Avatar 3, and we’re already looking forward to 2026 and beyond with Frozen 3, the first Toy Story movie since 2019, and a new Star Wars movie that brings the Mandalorian and Grogu to the big screen for the very first time…

“These films will not only reach global audiences in theaters, but as we’ve consistently demonstrated, they will become important anchors on our global streaming platforms, driving subscriptions and engagement, while also continuing to fuel growth in our Experiences businesses.”

Judy rescues Fru Fru in 'Zootopia'
Credit: Disney

Among the list of sequels fans were promised, viewers are also set to return to the streets of Zootopia in 2025. That’s certainly excellent news for fans of Disney’s furry friends, but there’s something very familiar about this pattern. Disney has shown increasing interest in the property long before the sequel was announced.

Related: Idina Menzel Will Have Solo Number in ‘Disenchanted’

Disney needs help with some of its more recent properties, especially with original concepts like Wish (2023). So, it makes sense that the studio would want to return to something they know works.

Although some might be more preoccupied with the quickly approaching Moana 2, set to release Thanksgiving of 2024, Zootopia is following in the footsteps of Disney’s last major hit at an astonishing rate. Is Disney about to take Elsa’s crown and Give it to another?

Frozen Lays the Blueprint for the Next Disney Hit

Elsa in promotional art for Frozen
Credit: Disney

While Zootopia 2 (2025) is only one of the sequels on the list, it arrives after a specific series of events that observant Disney fans have witnessed. After the tremendous success of Frozen (2013), Disney went all in to give the film a life outside of the original film, and it didn’t just stop at Frozen II (2019).

Related: How “Word of Mouth” Could Save Disney Animation

As Disney prepares the way for Frozen III, it seems they are trying to recreate the same success story with Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps in the announced Zootopia sequel. Like Frozen, Zootopia (2016) was a financial and critical success that earned the Walt Disney Company billions at the box office, and Disney soon made plans to give the film a presence apart from just a one-off occurrence. Still, what makes this movie so unique and set apart from properties like Moana (2016),

Why Zootopia?

The train heading into Zootopia
Credit: Disney

In 2016, Disney introduced audiences to the world of Zootopia, where anyone can be anything. In the film, Officer Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) teams up with the foxy con man, Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman), to solve a case involving 14 missing mammals and save the city from a poisonous threat.

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Part of the reason the film did so well was its return to traditional Disney elements, such as anthropomorphic animals and humor that harkened back to projects like The Lion King (1994), Robin Hood (1977), and other animal antics from the studio. It’s this return to form that many Disney fans currently clamor for, and a return to the streets of Zootopia’s Downtown District with Nick and Judy could be just what the doctor ordered.

Zootopia and Frozen Were Box Office and Oscar Gold

The honorary Academy Award for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – Oscars
Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Getting the more obvious points out of the way, both Frozen and Zootopia were Disney’s biggest box office hits for a time. Although the dynamic duo of Hopps and Wilde did not match Elsa’s earnings of $1,397,045,694 at the global box office, $1,029,526,569 is still nothing to sneeze at.

While the Walt Disney Company might be in the business of making magic for millions, they are still a mega-corporation with the goal of making a profit at the end of the day. As with the sequels mentioned, the studio is simply going back to what was proven to work.

Related: Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ To Save Disney Studio at This Year’s Oscars

Both films also took home the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, which Disney might go without this year. While it’s still too early in the game to think that Zootopia 2 can repeat the same action, it should be noted that Frozen’s sequel was also nominated for another Oscar years later for Best Original Song.

2024’s Academy Awards is shaping up to be a different story for Walt Disney Animation Studios, as its most recent offerings have been snubbed for Oscar nominations for the first time in years. Relying on a former winner might be the next course of action.

Spin-Offs and Shorts Followed Suit

olaf recapping frozen
Credit: Disney

While the order of events might differ between both properties, Frozen and Zootopia’s success led to the creation of multiple shorts surrounding the events seen in each film. With Frozen’s success leading to the creation of Frozen Fever (2016), Myth: A Frozen Tale (2019), and Once Upon a Snowman (2020) as well as the Olaf Presents shorts, it seemed like Walt Disney Animation Studio genuinely wanted to stretch Elsa’s icy grip as far as it could reach. However, Nick and Judy have one thing that the royal sisters from Arendelle surprisingly have yet to receive: a TV series.

Related: Josh Gad Has Regrets On Olaf Chocolate Bomb

A television spinoff is inevitable if a Disney movie does exceptionally well. Everyone from Timon and Pumbaa to Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder has received the made-for-TV treatment, but Zootopia+ on Disney+ handled things a bit differently than some of the series that came before.

Charlotte (Nicdao Sau) checks the time in 'Zootopia+' Episode 6, "Dinner Rush". Credit: Disney Animation Studios
Credit: Disney Animation Studios

Disney briefly describes the series with the following,

“‘Zootopia+’ heads back to the fast-paced mammal metropolis of Zootopia in a short-form series that dives deeper into the lives of some of the Oscar-winning feature film’s most intriguing residents, including Fru Fru, the fashion-forward arctic shrew; ZPD dispatcher Clawhauser, the sweet-toothed cheetah; and Flash, the smiling sloth who’s full of surprises….”

While the series only has a handful of episodes, it feels bizarre that Disney has yet to give the same treatment to arguably its most prominent success since The Lion King (1994). Then again, Elsa and Anna have had quite successful careers outside their core series without the aid of a TV show.

From the Screen to the Disney Parks

Shanghai Disneyland Zootopia hot persuit
Credit: Disney

When a Disney animated feature is even a moderate success, it’s only a short time until its characters appear in the theme parks. Disneyland and Walt Disney World have introduced characters from both films into their cavalcade of beloved cartoon characters, but the sequence of events warrants further attention.

Related: Disney Reportedly Replaces Zootopia-Land

Frozen made its debut, and then Anna and Elsa appeared in the parks as characters before getting a ride at EPCOT (replacing the beloved Maelstrom), eventually leading to the construction of the World of Frozen expansion at Hong Kong Disneyland. In the case of Zootopia, things get a little more interesting.

While Zootopia was indeed a success, its influence at the parks has been more-or-less basic until recent developments. Although Nick and Judy have had a prominent presence in Disneyland’s California Adventure park, they were only recently given a full park expansion at Shanghai Disneyland last year. Judging by how much Disney has invested in its Zootopia fixtures overseas, it can be easy to assume that the studio is gradually building its presence for something bigger.

Both Films Changed the Disney Formula

Nick and Judy side by side with Elsa
Credit: Disney

Until Anna and Elsa took over after 2013, Disney movies had a distinctive formula that established its identity for nearly a century. The Walt Disney Company and the Walt Disney Animation Studio were built on the foundation of fairytales and fantasy, and the brand’s cinematic presence practically stood on the shoulders of its princesses.

Related: Disney Releases New Marvel, ‘Coco’ and ‘Zootopia’ Experiences

Frozen essentially redefined the Disney narrative by introducing a story that focused on familial love as opposed to romantic love, a villain that hid in plain sight, and a storyline that focused more on the character development of the two leads while mocking traditional Disney tropes like falling in love at first sight, talking animals, and random musical numbers. Zootopia had a similar MO but went in a more personal direction.

Like Frozen, Zootopia utilized the familiar Disney tropes of talking animals and cartoonish antics seen in movies like The Jungle Book and the litany of Mickey Mouse shorts as a vehicle for a bigger message. Once the Night Howlers are introduced, what starts as a fun, buddy-cop-styled outing soon takes a sharp, dark turn into detective thriller territory. And that’s not even mentioning the prejudice allegory at work behind the scenes.

Why Here and Why Now?

Stu and Bonnie hug their baby
Credit: Disney

In this writer’s opinion, returning to something like Zootopia will be a breath of fresh air for the Disney studio. After its recent “Flop Era,” many fans are begging Disney to return to tradition and pursue similar elements again, and it’s high time for Anna and Elsa to pass the torch.

Related: Is Disney Too Afraid of Being Canceled for ‘Frozen 3’?

Yes, there is a great need for Disney to get its groove back, something that arguably has yet to be in check since 2018. However, the studio also needs to continue to grow and experiment with new stories and voices. What better place to explore those options than Zootopia, “where anyone can be anything?”

Movie quotes aside, trading in Arendelle for the urban jungles feels like it’s been in the works for ages. Reiterating the points discussed, Zootopia has been shaped to follow Frozen’s pattern for a long while, from the films to the theme park expansions. All we can do now is let nature take its course.

Are you excited to get more Zootopia? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!

 

in Disney, Movies

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