Since its release in China on November 26, Zootopia 2 has seen a meteoric rise at the box office, surpassing 500 million yuan by the morning of November 28.
Unsurprisingly, this highly anticipated year-end blockbuster from Disney Animation Studios will see its box office soar this weekend. Not only are adults and children who missed the weekday due to work or school contributing to the box office, but many viewers who have already seen it also plan to watch it again this weekend. The sequel is packed with homages and Easter eggs, so many that it's easy to miss some on the first viewing. So, just how many references and references are hidden in *Zootopia 2*? The following list serves as a starting point.
Zootopia 2 poster
Hollywood A-listers make cameo appearances as supporting voice actors
In the original voice cast, Ginnifer Goodwin (Judy Hopps) and Jason Goodman (Nick Fox), who continued their roles from the previous film, along with several new main characters such as Kwan Chi-wai (Gary the Snake) and Andy Samberg (Lin Sheriff Bobbert), are already well-known. Many of the supporting characters who only made brief appearances are also quite accomplished, including Dwayne Johnson as the voice of the antelope that gets stuck in the toilet due to Judy's recklessness; Macaulay King as Bobbert's brother, Lin Sheriff Catley; Ed Sheeran as a sheep in the sheep barbershop; Jean Reno as the goat police officer Bushlen; and Danny Trejo as the Mexican-American villainous supporting actor, who plays the menacing but kind-hearted Soho lizard.
The Antelope stuck in the giant is voiced by Dwayne Johnson.
It's worth noting that Tommy Lister, the actor who voiced Nick's friend, the fennec fox Finnick, passed away in 2020. With his family's permission, the production team used lines that were cut from the first film. Furthermore, the voice of the tiger weatherman is provided by Robert Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company; this marks his first acting role after two terms as head of Disney.
Crazy tributes to the classics
Zootopia 2 is undoubtedly a family-friendly film, but the numerous homages to classic films and Easter eggs scattered throughout the movie add to the viewing experience. Compared to the first film, which used The Godfather to add humor to the character of Mr. Big, this sequel can almost be considered a cinephile's delight.
Judy's dress pays homage to Emma Stone in La La Land (picture 1 below), and her hairstyle is inspired by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's (picture 2 below).
Still from La La Land
A still from Breakfast at Tiffany's.
The most obvious homage to the film is probably the Ratatouille that Judy and Nick encounter when they escape from the ball.
In addition, the scenes of Judy and Nick facing the maze and an exasperated Bobbert dragging one leg in the snow are from the thriller "The Shining".
The image of a furious Bob dragging one leg across the snow is from the thriller "The Shining".
Nick's line "I could fight all day" comes from Captain America;
The scene of the polar bear under the Big Brother smashing the camera is a tribute to the scene in "The Godfather" where Sonny smashes the camera at the opening wedding.
The scene where Nick knocks Gary unconscious with a frying pan comes from Disney's own "Tangled";
"Mulholland Drive" is a tribute to David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive";
Mayor Sheep, separated by glass in prison, pays tribute to "The Silence of the Lambs";
Gary's great-grandmother's house pays homage to the Land of Oz in The Wizard of Oz;
The Soho lizards in the bar are reminiscent of the animated film "Rango";
Mayor Ma Feiyang's prototype seems to be Arnold Schwarzenegger, who served as the governor of California. His representative film during his career was translated into Chinese as "Huang Feima," which is obviously taken from the kung fu movie "Huang Feihong." His signature move is reminiscent of Bruce Lee.
Mayor Ma Feiyang
The plot where the antidote pen pierces the heart and instantly revives the person comes from Pulp Fiction.
The plot where the antidote pen pierces the heart and instantly revives the person comes from Pulp Fiction.
Some of the logos and character names in the film are also quite interesting, incorporating both puns and highlighting the characteristics of the animals. For example, the abbreviation SNFR on the Wild Boar SWAT team's vehicle stands for sniffer, a name that mimics SWAT (Special Terrorist Task Force); the zebra partner's name Zebro is a combination of zebra and brother; Nick uses a windshield wiper to impersonate a snake; and the streaming platform Nick watches movies on refers to Disney's Hulu.
Finally, the post-credits scene not only features Judy and Nick showing off their affection, but also a falling feather hinting that the next sequel will revolve around birds that have not yet appeared in Zootopia.