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Fans can expect new corners of the city, returning favorites, and Ke Huy Quan’s Gary De’Snake at the heart of the story in Zootopia 2.
Posted in: Disney, Movies | Tagged: disney, zootopia, zootopia 2
Zootopia 2 Co-Director Calls Gary De'Snake the "Anchor" of the Story
Fans can expect new corners of the city, returning favorites, and Ke Huy Quan’s Gary De’Snake at the heart of the story in Zootopia 2.
Article Summary
- Zootopia 2 returns to theaters on November 26, 2025, with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde facing a new mystery.
- Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan joins the cast as Gary De’Snake, the emotional anchor and heart of the sequel.
- Gary De’Snake’s arrival leads the heroes into unexplored corners of Zootopia and challenges their partnership.
- Directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard promise fresh cases, new faces, and expansion of the Zootopia universe.
Nine years after the release of Zootopia, Zootopia 2 is preparing to bring Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) back to theaters on November 26, 2025, with Jared Bush and Byron Howard co-directing and Bush penning the script. This time around, Disney's plot tease for the animated sequel promises a fresh case that begins with a mysterious reptile arriving in the mammal metropolis, sending Judy and Nick undercover into corners of the city that the first film never explored. And, of course, it will put their partnership to the test.
During a recent press day (via ComicBook), Howard pinpointed the element that originally unlocked the sequel's story, which happens to be newcomer Gary De'Snake, voiced by Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan.
Zootopia 2 Co-Director on Gary's Importance
Howard divulges, "In finding what the core of the story is, Key [Huy Quan] as Gary's voice, and Gary himself as the emotional core of the movie, asserted itself in a really big way. Like, as soon as we found Gary and the emotion behind his family and what he's after, that really gave us the anchor point for the whole film. And so, Gary not only had to be well animated as a snake and really appealing, but he also kind of had to carry a massive part of the story. He's a huge part of that. The animator is a huge part of that."
Beyond Hopps and Wilde, Disney lists returning and new voices that round out the city's unique ecosystem, like Idris Elba (Chief Bogo), Nate Torrence (Clawhauser), Jenny Slate, Alan Tudyk, plus Quan as Gary and Fortune Feimster as Nibbles. Additional cast includes Quinta Brunson as therapist Dr. Fuzzby, Patrick Warburton as Mayor Winddancer, and Yvette Nicole Brown as the Bearoness.
For returning Zootopia fans, the current sequel's appeal lies in its straightforward, family-friendly buddy cop hook and a fresh perspective courtesy of Gary. For Disney, the appeal is probably the opportunity to broaden Zootopia's (billion-dollar) world and turn a film into a franchise. Though come November, we'll see if Zootopia 2 can bring audiences back to theaters for more hijinks.
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