Originally released in 2016, Disney’s Zootopia was an immediate hit. Set in a world filled with anthropomorphic animals, it tackled topical themes of inclusivity while featuring memorable characters in the form of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. The film was full of spectacular world-building, even down to the most subtle details. Depending on where you watched Zootopia, you’d even see different animals for their respective countries. It’s rare to see that much care put into a film – an animated film, no less. Since Zootopia’s release, chatter about a sequel hasn’t ever really gone away for six years now.

While a sequel to Zootopia is still a long way away, fans can finally return to the film’s universe in the form of Zootopia+, an upcoming animated series produced by the very same team that worked on the film. Comprised of six episodes, each one will highlight a different section of the city and its inhabitants. Here’s a breakdown for the Zootopia+ trailer.

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Return to Zootopia

The Zootopia+ trailer begins with a sweeping shot of the titular city, blocked out by a passing rail car. A thudding drum gives us brief glimpses of several characters from the original film: Benjamin Clawhauser fawns over a box of doughnuts, Chief Bogo idly stares at his phone, and Judy Hopps saves a small shrew from being crushed by a comically-sized doughnut. Cue the title card.

Scenes from all six episodes are presented in the trailer, with each episode being prefaced by a title card. While the titles of each episode were revealed earlier in the year, it’ll be easier to imagine what each episode can offer now that they’re in motion. Each episode appears to take a wholly different direction in terms of storytelling and presentation.

Six Different Shorts

     Disney+

“The Real Rodents of Little Rodentia” appears to be a Real Housewives parody, down to the dynamic camera, isolated interviews, and outrageous hairstyles. The description states that a wedding will be interrupted by the sudden arrival of “Tru Tru,” an attention-stealing relative. The short will likely poke fun at the same kind of relationship drama that Real Housewives built its legacy on.

“Duke the Musical” looks to be the most fantastical of the episodes. This is based on the visuals presented in the trailer, with the titular weasel Duke climbing aboard floating briefcases and sitting on a throne surrounded by fields of cold hard cash. The description states that it will be a musical “aptly staged in his own mind,” meaning the rules that govern the Zootopia universe will likely be tossed aside.

“Hopp on Board” will feature the return of Judy Hopps in what might be the most action-packed episode on offer. Judy’s parents, Stu and Bonnie Hopps, also take up a good portion of the trailer, racing alongside a speeding train as they figure out the complex act of unlocking a phone. The description states they’ll be chasing the train to catch their hitchhiking daughter, Molly.

“The Godfather of the Bride” appears to be an affectionate tribute to gangster movies, The Godfather especially, as a powerful shrew named Mr. Big reminiscences during a speech at a wedding. Scenes related to this short featured a unique sepia-tone color palette, likely reflecting events that occurred in the past. There’s a good amount of action as well, with a scene featuring a small shrew taking on a gargantuan rhinoceros.

“So You Think You Can Prance” looks like it’ll be relatively straightforward as a send-up to the popular series, So You Think You Can Dance. Seeing how Illumination saw big success with their Sing series, it’d be interesting to see Disney’s take on a similar topic. The description states that it’ll star both Clawhauser and Chief Bogo as they participate in the competition.

Lastly, “Dinner Rush” will feature a restaurant server, Sam, tackling the challenge of serving the sloth Flash and his date, Priscilla. It’ll likely be a comedic short through-and-through, as Flash’s scenes in the original Zootopia won over audiences from the world over.

What’s especially interesting about the shorts is that, despite focusing on different characters, they’re somehow interconnected with one another. According to the trailer’s description, Judy from “Hopp on Board” saves one of the characters from “The Real Rodents of Little Rodentia” from a giant doughnut, which is then used to capture Duke from “Duke the Musical.” The lead from “The Godfather of the Bride,” Mr. Big, is at the wedding from “The Real Rodents of Little Rodentia.” The other two shorts don’t have an immediate connection based on what’s told to us, but we’ll likely see similar connections.

Release Date

The series is set to premiere on November 9th, 2022, exclusively on Disney+. Judging by the wording in the description – that these episodes are “debuting” on November 9th – we can hopefully expect more in the distant future.