Zootopia 2 Puts Judy and Nick’s Chemistry Front and Center
Zootopia 2 roars back with a new trailer as directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard tease a high-stakes ZPD case that puts Nick and Judy’s partnership to the test.
Disney dropped the Zootopia 2 trailer, and the directors sound genuinely fired up about where they’re taking Nick and Judy. Yes, the ZPD partners are back on a case. No, they’re not exactly on the same wavelength. Here’s what the filmmakers are teasing, what the trailer shows, and why they waited this long to jump back in.
The Nick and Judy of it all
Jared Bush and Byron Howard know fans have been reading the chemistry between Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps since 2016. They’re not trying to kill that energy; they’re leaning into it while keeping the relationship ambiguous enough for people to see it however they want.
'I love that there’s been a buzz about the relationship since the first film... it’s just undeniable chemistry, in whatever form you want to see it.'
In the new footage, Nick and Judy are working a fresh case as part of the Zootopia Police Department. The catch: their differences are a real problem this time. The trailer opens with them trying to fix something and, thanks to crossed wires, arguably making it worse. It’s messy, it’s relatable, and it gives their partnership actual stakes. Instead of defaulting to perfect team-up mode, the movie seems to push the idea that even the best duo can trip over miscommunication.
So why a sequel now?
The directors told Collider they didn’t seriously pursue a follow-up until they had a story that felt worth telling. That’s notable because, let’s be honest, a lot of animated hits get sequels just to keep the lights on. Bush and Howard are clearly aware of the 'don’t milk it' concern and say the focus is on giving fans what they love while still surprising them.
'The trick of this film is delivering on people’s expectations, but also pushing something where people go, Oh, man, I didn’t know that was going to happen.'
Translation: they want the familiar Nick-and-Judy spark, but with left turns that feel earned. It’s been a long gap since the first film, and they’re treating that time like a chance to grow the characters, not just rerun the greatest hits.
The world gets bigger
Visually, the trailer flexes some new corners of Zootopia: dense green forests, sweeping snowy vistas, and generally more range than the original’s urban safari vibe. It looks like a broader map and a bigger canvas for the case. That’s a subtle bit of inside baseball — expanding geography is an easy sequel trick, but it also signals they’re not content to just revisit the same neighborhoods.
Bottom line
Nick and Judy’s bond is front and center, and it’s being tested in ways that feel riskier — and more human — than last time. The filmmakers sound confident, the world looks larger, and the comedy seems to come from their differences rather than in spite of them. I’m in.
Zootopia 2 opens November 26, 2025 in the U.S.