Disney’s return to the bustling, multicultural metropolis of Zootopia brings with it a modern fable for our times, one that digs into how prejudice shapes society and how difficult, yet essential, it is to confront it. Nine years after the Oscar-winning first film, the sequel ventures further into the billion-dollar franchise’s defining themes.

Co-director Byron Howard believes the appeal of the series lies in its allegorical storytelling. As he told AFP, “The great thing about these movies is that they are like fables. The animals are a great way for us to hold a mirror up to human nature and the mistakes that we make.”

The film revisits the uneasy balance between predators and prey, a city that has come far since the events of the original movie but still wrestles with old stereotypes. Judy Hopps, the first rabbit to join the police force, returns alongside fox-turned-officer Nick Wilde. This time, a high-stakes gala celebrating Zootopia’s centennial becomes the backdrop for a tense investigation after a snake artist arrives in uniform, an unprecedented moment that unsettles many of the city’s residents.

When suspicion falls on a rattlesnake named Gary, Judy embarks on a mission not to convict him but “to uncover a secret to restore his family’s honour.” Co-director Jared Bush says the character confronts long-standing misconceptions: “We have a lot of misconceptions about reptiles and snakes in general.” Yet Gary turns out to be, in Bush’s words, “the most kind-hearted, warm, vulnerable character I think we’ve ever made”.

As Judy and Nick dig deeper, their own differences lead to conflict. Howard explains that the creative team wanted them to confront a difficult question: “Are these differences too much for our partnership to succeed?”

Their journey underscores a central message echoed by the filmmakers. As Howard notes, the characters “have very different ways of looking at the world”. But the aim is not to erase those differences. Instead, Bush says, the lesson is that “yes, those differences exist, but we’re stronger because of them.”

With a vibrant soundtrack, including a new Shakira track, and a storyline that reflects shifting cultural debates, Disney positions Zootopia 2 as a pro-diversity fable for a polarised era. The film arrives at a moment when conversations about inclusivity are fraught, yet the creators insist that its message remains simple and hopeful: societies thrive not in spite of differences, but because of them. Watch Zootopia 2 now in Indian cinemas in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

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