Creative Bloq: Disney shares unseen footage from Zootopia 2
The animators share their thoughts on the film's most technically ambitious scenes.
As Creative Bloq reports, Zootopia 2 became Disney’s biggest animated film of all time shortly after its release and won the BAFTA award for Best Animated Film, but can you imagine how it was made? A newly released video with never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage and interviews gives some insight into why this film is more than numbers, but also pure artistic passion.
“The great thing about animated films is you’re limited by your imagination,” says Dorian Bustamante, Layout Supervisor. “It’s a form that allows you to tell stories visually and in different styles that physically might be impossible.” That freedom is evident throughout Zootopia 2, where every sequence brims with creativity, scale, and detail.
Zootopia itself is a vibrant, fully realized world, a reflection of our own society but with animals at its heart. Producer Yvett Merino explains, “Zootopia is such a fun world. It really reflects the human world that we live in. But it’s a world full of animals. And so you can connect to that, no matter who you are. The idea that anyone can be anything in Zootopia really applies here.”
“Zootopia 2 is one of the most ambitious films we’ve made here at Disney Animation.” he adds.
According to the film’s supervisors, the scale is huge, as the average Disney film has 1,600 shots, and this one has about 2,055 shots in 42 sequences. It’s a complex process in which all the elements are modeled, with more than 8,000 of them.
Autodesk Maya was at the center of everything. Animation software was needed to make everything go faster. According to the Supervisors, they used Maya to create new, large environments in Zootopia 2. And it’s kind of like the connection tool between all the departments. Disney is always trying to push themselves.
Despite the complexity, the results speak for themselves. “In the very beginning, I would see these things that were so rough. And then when you see the end product, you’re just blown away because you make sure that the process works,” says O’Connell, Environment Modelling Supervisor.
Zootopia 2 became the highest-grossing animated film of all time and deservedly won the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, cementing its place in animation history. For fans, the behind-the-scenes footage is more than just a glimpse into the production; it’s a testament to the patience, skill, and innovation that went into bringing the beloved world to life.
All images courtesy of Walt Disney Animation.
