2025 was a big year for Disney and for the Zootopia franchise. Zootopia 2 had an incredible run that ultimately saw it become the highest-grossing animated MPA film of all time. Now, it is also an Oscar-nominated film as well. The film is directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, and produced by Yvett Merino. Ahead of this Sunday’s Oscars, Howard and Merino shared some thoughts about how Zootopia 2 got to where it is today.
“It’s a great honor to be nominated,” said Howard. “It sounds cliché to say, but to be a part of the conversation is really great. It’s also been nice to get a chance to meet the other filmmakers from around the world and celebrate really great storytelling from a bunch of different, diverse sources.”
Last month, Merino found herself getting to talk shop with living legends, including Steven Spielberg and Chloé Zhao, during the 98th Oscars “Class Photo. “I wanted to go out and buy a lottery ticket, because it was my lucky day!” Merino said. “It was such an honor to talk with them about their films, and for them to talk about our film.” This was just one fantastic moment during a very special awards season for the film.
Outside of industry events, Merino said, “One of my favorite things is to get a text from a friend that says, ‘I just saw the movie! I loved it. It was so funny. It meant so much to me.’ Hearing from so many different people who’ve connected with the film has been amazing.”
Howard and Merino shared more about the film and its success in the following Q&A:
Before Zootopia 2 was released last year, you spoke about how you hoped audiences would receive the movie. Zootopia 2 just won a BAFTA Award and became the top-grossing movie of 2025 — and the Oscars are weeks away. How are you feeling now?
Byron Howard: The Oscars will be a big, glittery wrap-up for us on this wild Zootopia 2 journey. It’s been a joy doing this with Yvett and Jared; I absolutely love working with them.
What made seeing Zootopia 2 in theaters such an important communal experience?
Yvett Merino: The magic of the world of Zootopia is that it reflects our human world, but it’s not our human word; it’s the animal world. That allows people to come in with a sense of openness. Knowing that some people have seen this movie over and over again has been amazing, because they’ve built a community. People are seeing it in full theaters, and maybe they haven’t had that experience before. For some kids, this movie was the first time they’ve ever been inside a movie theater. Being able to laugh together with strangers — having that shared experience — is something truly magical that you only get in theaters.
Byron Howard: Yvett mentioned standing next to Steven Spielberg, and I’m so jealous of her, because growing up, Jared and I were really influenced by Amblin films — those great Spielberg films from way back when. Whether it was E.T., or one of the Indiana Jones films, or Close Encounters, you would go to the theater and experience those movies together. They gave you something to share and to talk about. Once home video became available, you had a way to experience it again and again. Movies are a way to bring people together.
Yvett and I were in Santa Barbara a couple of weeks ago, and they had 2,000 kids in a packed theater watching Zootopia 2, and their reactions made me cry. It was so amazing to see an audience so deeply invested in the movie and enjoying it so much. Those kids, who are probably 10 or 11, will have that for the rest of their lives to talk about. They will remember when they went and experienced that together. That’s amazing to be a part of.
With Zootopia 2 now available on digital and streaming March 11 on Disney+, fans can really take the time to appreciate some of the movie’s finer details. Which elements do you believe deserve a closer look?
Yvett Merino: We have no real-life reference for a place like the Marsh Market; that all comes from our artists and their imaginations. If you pause and look at the bite marks, for example, you’ll see how much work and thought went into creating that environment to make it look and feel like it’s been lived in for years. It’s just incredible to see all that detail.
Byron Howard: I just learned about Merino’s Café — yes, Yvett’s got a café in Marsh Market! The film is the most detail-packed movie that we’ve ever made, and the fact that people can now watch it in their homes, pause it, and walk up to the screen to look at the tiny details of this world is really, really remarkable. It is an incredibly immersive world, with thousands of characters and amazing environments. No matter where you put a camera, there’s a new story. I’m excited to hear from the public and see what else they might notice.
Zootopia is a world within a city. It’s an amazingly tempting challenge to show more of it, because the potential is endless. I think that’s why audiences love going back to it. To Yvett’s point, the detail and thought that our designers, technicians, filmmakers, and animators put into this movie is really unprecedented. They’re all giving 150%, all the time.
The Oscars are being hosted by Conan O’Brien on Sunday, March 15th. They will air on ABC and Hulu at 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
