‘Zootopia 3’ Cast and Filmmakers Tease How Birds Add a ‘Fun Surprise’ to Disney Animation’s Hit Franchise

In August, during the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Jared Bush, Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, had something to crow about: Zootopia 3 is officially in early development. After sharing the news with thousands of elated fans inside the Honda Center, Bush and other members of the cast and creative team — including stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Ke Huy Quan — shared a bird’s-eye view of what audiences can expect before the movie flies into theaters.

“I was looking at the faces of my children who were in the front row, seeing everything through their eyes, and their excitement is next level,” Goodwin, who voices Judy Hopps, shared. “In general, the announcement definitely made me emotional. I was like, ‘Please don’t cry onstage, Ginny!’ I just can’t believe my luck that we get to keep telling this story.”

Zootopia 2 (2025) — Hollywood’s biggest animated movie of all time — featured a post-credits scene in which a feather floated onto Judy’s windowsill. At D23, Bush screened an exclusive extended sequence for the audience, confirming birds will play a major role in the next installment of the award-winning, multi-billion-dollar film franchise.

“The idea of bringing birds into this world is something that we’ve been excited about for years,” Bush, who co-wrote Zootopia (2016) and wrote and directed Zootopia 2, said. “Obviously, at the end of Zootopia 2, you see this little teaser of a feather coming in. What that means for Nick and Judy, what that means for the world of Zootopia, that’s going to be the fun surprise of this movie. For this one, we want all of our really fun characters to come back — but we’re going to really be pushing on this one to bring people some new things.”

Goodwin and Quan have already been pitching ideas and jokes to the creative team.

“I did know — as I believe the audience knew — that the next one would end up being about birds. I have been texting them random thoughts,” Goodwin said. “There are things I’m discovering about myself and my own relationship with birds that maybe we could use.”

Quan admitted he doesn’t “know anything” about what’s in store for his character in Zootopia 3, “but I can’t wait to hear and go back to the recording booth and play Gary again.” While birds and snakes are natural enemies in the real world, Quan hopes they’ll get along in the world of Zootopia. “Gary is such a nice guy. The birds might be afraid of him because he’s a pit viper, but I like to think that because of how cool he is that they’ll eventually see who he actually is and be good friends with him. We’ll see what happens!”

Yvett Merino, who produced Zootopia 2, said subverting fans’ expectations about how different species interact is why she’s excited to return to the animal metropolis. “The world of Zootopia is one of my favorites to play in, because it’s such a mirror of the world we live in,” she said. “Just like the stories in our world, the stories in Zootopia are endless.”

Clark Spencer, President of Disney Animation, shared Merino’s sentiment.

“There are so many stories to tell,” Spencer said. “There are so many other districts we can go into. We didn’t have reptiles the first time, and we’re allowing birds to come in this time. That allows the story to get bigger and bigger, to always feel fresh. But, at its core, this is always going to be a story about Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps. It’s going to always have Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin, because they are the core of these films. They bring not only comedy, but great emotion and great conflict. And one of the things I’ve always loved about the franchise is that there’s a procedural side and a fun mystery to go with it.”

Byron Howard, who directed the first two Zootopia films, said the next film will continue to tackle another aspect of “predator versus prey, and how those two get along.”

“With the sequels, we want to look back at what was created, what people fell in love with, so that we can deliver something even better, expand the world, and take the characters to new levels,” he continued. “If you look at Nick and Judy, there are people who want them together as a couple, and people who want them to stay friends. I love that there’s that tension among the fans, and it just speaks to the fact that Jason and Ginny brought those characters to life and people really believe in their souls. I think we’re going to keep leaning into that. We’re going to keep delivering for the audience, keep making the world bigger, and keep taking you places you haven’t been before — with a lot of new animals.”

Release timing for Zootopia 3 will be announced at a later date.