Zootopia 2: what has Disney CEO Bob Iger said about animated sequel - why is film called Zootropolis in UK?

Disney announced three major upcoming projects as CEO Bob Iger said that the company would focus on its most popular franchises. Planned sequels to major films announced on 8 February include Toy Story 5, Frozen 3, and Zootopia 2.

Collectively, these three franchises have grossed more than $6.5 billion at the box office, and Disney intends to add several billion more to that figure with the three upcoming sequels.

Zootopia was released in 2016 and made just over $1 billion - it was the fourth highest-grossing movie of the year behind other Disney-owned movies Finding Dory, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Captain America: Civil War. It went onto win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2017.

Zootopia, which is set in a city of anthropomorphic animals, follows a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox who work together to uncover a shocking conspiracy. The main cast from the first film are expected to reprise their roles in the sequel.

More than six years after the first film was released a sequel has finally been confirmed, but there could still be a long wait before it arrives in cinemas. This is everything we know about Zootopia 2 so far:

Is Zootopia getting a sequel?

Yes, Bob Iger confirmed the decision to make the sequel in a conference call about the company’s financial results for the first quarter of the year. The recently rehired CEO said: “Today I’m so pleased to announce that we have sequels in the works from our animation studios to some of our most popular franchises, Toy Story, Frozen, and Zootopia.

"We’ll have more to share about these productions soon, but this is a great example of how we’re leaning into our unrivalled brands and franchises.”

Why is Zootopia also called Zootropolis?

Zootopia is titled as Zootropolis in the UK and other European, Middle Eastern, and North African countries. Disney could not copyright the Zootopia title in these regions - the Danish Givskud Zoo registered the name Zootopia in 2014.

The film was also renamed in Germany where it was given the title Zoomania because German author Kay Fischer had published a book under the title Zootropolis in 2010.

Who is in the cast of Zootopia 2?

The official cast of Zootopia 2 has not yet been confirmed, but it’s likely that most of the main cast from the first film will return. This could include:

• Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps

• Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde

• Idris Elba as Chief Bogo

• Jenny Slate as Bellwether

• Nate Torrence as Clawhauser

• Bonnie Hunt as Bonnie Hopps

• Don Lake as Stu Hopps

• Tommy Chong as Yax

• J.K. Simmons as Mayor Lionheart

• Octavia Spencer as Mrs. Otterton

• Alan Tudyk as Duke Weaselton

• Shakira as Gazelle

When is the Zootopia 2 release date?

A release date for Zootopia 2 has not yet been confirmed, but it is in production. The film is likely to be released no earlier than 2024. It will land on Disney+ several months after its cinematic release.