It's no secret that Hollywood is still a little shaken as moviegoers are a touch more finicky ever since the pandemic led to people staying home for months on end, stewing in the realization of how not-so sanitary theaters can be. But, as we've obviously gone back to mostly normal behavior when out and about, films have just felt a little less appealing for many. That's not to say moviegoers aren't going out, it just has to be the right film and the right time.
In a mere 17 days, Zootopia 2 surpassed a billion at the box office, which on top of being just the third film of the year to reach that milestone, with the other two being the live action Lilo & Stitch adaptation and Ne Zha 2, it also holds another solid milestone of reaching that billion faster than any other animated PG film, according to THR.
Zootopia 2 did falter a small bit, falling in second place to Blumhouse's Five Nights At Freddy's 2, but it returned to the top spot at the box office during its third weekend. Talking about its massive success, Walt Disney Animation Studios CCO, Jared Bush, opened up about how much passion was put into the story and waht a big honor it is for the sequel to see so much success.
“Everyone at Disney Animation put their heart, soul and passion into this film to tell a story full of joy, imagination and incredible thoughtfulness. This milestone means the world to us, because more than anything, it means audiences are coming to theaters for a shared experience of watching this movie on the big screen, everyone together, from all walks of life around the world — and that is a Zootopia dream come true.”
To be clear, we think the success of Zootopia 2 is largely due to solid marketing that balanced hyping it and keeping it within a reasonable scope to avoid overhype and expanding the world.
Again, it seems Hollywood doesn't have much to worry about and just kinda needs to realize that theatergoers will turn out for good movies. Now while things aren't set in stone, we think it's obvious that Disney is already probably prepping for a third Zootopia.
"In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia 2,” detectives Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who arrives in Zootopia and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before."