Hideo Kojima Takes a Film Role No One Saw Coming — And It’s Perfect

Hideo Kojima is adding another cameo to his very stacked cameo resume, and this one is delightfully odd: he is in the Japanese dub of Zootopia 2 as a cop. A mole cop. Sure.

The role, the ask, the session

Per Famitsu, Kojima voices Paul Moldebrandt, a mole who works at the Zootopia Police Department in the film's Japanese version. Co-director Jared Bush personally reached out and offered the part, and Kojima said yes on the spot. It is his first time dubbing an animated feature, which even surprised him a little since it is, you know, Disney.

"I have plenty of experience with cameo appearances in live-action films and games, but this will be my first time dubbing an animated feature film. And it is from Disney, to my surprise!"

The part is small — one scene — but the process clearly made an impression. Kojima said the recording was smooth thanks to detailed illustrations to guide him, and that stepping into the booth reminded him how much precision voice actors bring to the job, down to things as basic as page turns and managing mic noise. For someone who is usually on the directing side, it sounds like it doubled as a quick masterclass.

• Who: Hideo Kojima, legendary game designer and enthusiastic cinephile
• What: Voices Paul Moldebrandt, a mole at the ZPD
• Where: Japanese dub of Zootopia 2
• How it happened: Co-director Jared Bush contacted him directly; he accepted immediately
• Why it is notable: Kojima's first time dubbing an animated feature, and for Disney
• Scope: A brief scene, recorded with impressively detailed visual reference

Meanwhile, in Zootopia 2

The sequel picks up not long after the first movie. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are back on the beat, digging into a fresh conspiracy that pulls in Ke Huy Quan as a reptile named Gary De'Snake. Yes, that is the character's name, and yes, the franchise is finally bringing reptiles into the mix.

Box office-wise, the movie blasted out of the gate with a reportedly record-setting opening, tallying $556 million worldwide over its debut weekend. There is no official third movie yet, but the film apparently hides an Easter egg that all but winks at a threequel and teases what it might be about.

Zootopia 2 is in theaters now, and if you hear a very familiar voice coming from a very industrious mole at the ZPD, your ears are not playing tricks on you.