Disney is moving forward with Zootopia 3 following the record-breaking success of its animated sequel, with Ke Huy Quan set to reprise his role as Gary De’Snake.
The next instalment was announced at Disney’s D23 event in Anaheim, where Quan joined Ginnifer Goodwin onstage to reveal that the upcoming film will focus on birds.
The announcement comes after the blockbuster performance of Zootopia 2, which became the highest-grossing Hollywood animated movie of all time after earning $1.8 billion at the global box office.
Quan voiced Gary De’Snake in Zootopia 2, which expanded the franchise’s world with a new group of animal characters. The sequel also featured Fortune Feimster as podcasting beaver Nibbles Maplestick, Andy Samberg as Pawbert Lynxley, David Strathairn as Milton Lynxley, Macaulay Culkin as Cattrick Lynxley, Brenda Song as Kitt Lynxley and Quinta Brunson as Dr. Fuzzby.
The voice cast additionally included Robert Irwin as Robert Furwin and Patrick Warburton as Brian Winddancer, among others.
While plot details for Zootopia 3 remain under wraps, Disney’s announcement indicates that the next chapter will introduce audiences to more of the animal city’s residents, with birds expected to play a central role.
The Zootopia franchise began with the 2016 animated film, which introduced Judy Hopps, a rabbit police officer voiced by Goodwin, and Nick Wilde, a con artist fox voiced by Jason Bateman.
Judy and Nick initially began as adversaries after Judy joined the Zootopia Police Department. However, they eventually set aside their differences to investigate a mystery affecting the animal metropolis.
The first Zootopia became a global box-office success, earning more than $1 billion worldwide. Its popularity also led to the Disney+ spin-off series Zootopia+.
Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, Zootopia 2 made a major impact during its opening weekend, becoming the fourth-biggest global opening ever at the time and the largest global launch for an animated film.
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The sequel was also nominated for best animated feature at the Academy Awards.
With Zootopia 2 now established as a record-setting animated hit, Zootopia 3 will continue one of Disney’s most successful modern franchises. The next film is expected to bring back Quan as Gary De’Snake while taking viewers into a new story centred on the bird population of Zootopia.
