Street Date 3/3/26;
Disney;
Animated;
Box Office $425.8 million;
$34.99 DVD, $40.99 Blu-ray, $ UHD BD Steelbook;
Rated ‘PG’ for action/violence and rude humor.
Voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Idris Elba, Patrick Warburton, Danny Trejo, Jenny Slate, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Alan Tudyk, Shakira.
A deft blend of silly humor that should appeal to kids and adult-friendly sophisticated storytelling, the sequel to 2016’s Zootopia delves into a Chinatown-esque conspiracy involving the history of the animal-populated title city and why there aren’t many reptiles around.
Picking up from the events of the first movie, Zootopia 2 finds rabbit Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and former con artist fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) now partners in the Zootopia Police Department. When their attempt to bust a big smuggling case goes awry, they get assigned to counseling to work out their differences, but Judy recovers evidence that a reptile might be involved.
She and Nick go undercover at a gala celebrating the 100th anniversary of the technology that regulates the city’s weather so all the different species can live comfortably together. They soon encounter a snake, the first one seen in the city in a century, who steals the original notebook containing the plans for the weather regulator, running afoul of the lynx family descendants of the inventor who patented the device.
When the snake, Gary (Ke Huy Quan), claims the journal holds the key to reversing a great injustice involving the snakes, Judy and Nick decide to help him, disobeying orders in their effort to uncover the truth while being branded fugitives.
While pursuing another message of togetherness similar to the first film, the lively Zootopia 2 is also loaded with crazy action sequnces and filled with fun references to previous Disney animal-related classics.
As to a 4K home release of Zootopia 2, while Disney made it available on 4K through digital retailers, the studio announced the only way to get the film on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc is through a limited-edition Steelbook release that is apparently in such low supply that Amazon took down its listing page for it, and other online retailers offering it have preorders listed as sold out.
The 60th animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Encanto, will arrive on Disney+ and digital starting Dec. 24 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD Feb. 8.
With songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto tells the tale of the Madrigals, an extraordinary family living in a magical house in the mountains of Colombia. But when Mirabel, the only ordinary Madrigal, discovers the magic surrounding their home is in danger, she may be her family’s last hope.
Extras include a sing-along feature, the bonus short Far From the Tree with an intro by the director, outtakes, deleted scenes and numerous featurettes.
Disney will launch the feature film Raya and the Last Dragon in theaters and on the Disney+ SVOD platform in March 2021. It marks the first time Disney is launching a new theatrical release on its branded streaming platform and in theaters concurrently.
It will be available on Disney+ as a Premier Access add-on for $29.99.
The company previously moved the live-action Mulan remake from its theatrical slate and into the home via premium VOD over the Labor Day weekend. Pending theatrical release Soul is now bowing on Disney+ on Christmas Day.
Raya and the Last Dragon is a computer-animated adventure fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, the film is produced by Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho and was written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim. The film features the voices of Kelly Marie Tran as the lead character, Raya, and Awkwafina as Sisu, the last dragon.
According to the Disney website, “Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the last dragon in order to finally stop the Druun for good. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than dragon magic to save the world — it’s going to take trust as well.”
A new animated short film based on the Olaf character from the “Frozen” movies will debut exclusively on Disney+ Oct. 23.
Once Upon a Snowman will explore the previously untold origins of Olaf, the snowman created by Queen Elsa in the original Frozen from 2013. What happened within the moments after Elsa created him as she was building her ice palace, and when Anna and Kristoff first meet him in the forest? And how did he learn to love Summer?
Actor Josh Gad once again returns to provide the voice of Olaf.
The short from Walt Disney Animation Studios is co-directed by Trent Correy, animation supervisor of “Olaf” in 2019’s Frozen II, and Dan Abraham, the veteran story artist who boarded Olaf’s “When I Am Older” musical sequence in Frozen II.
“This is an idea that started to form when I was an animator on the first Frozen,” Correy said. “Dan Abraham and I are so grateful and excited to have had the opportunity to direct this short, working with our incredible colleagues at Walt Disney Animation Studios.”
The Disney animated hit Frozen II dominated home video sales the week ended Feb. 29, topping both NPD VideoScan’s First Alert chart, which tracks combined DVD and Blu-ray Disc unit sales, and the dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart.
The sequel to 2013’s Frozen earned $477.1 million at the domestic box office and $1.45 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing non-photorealistic animated film of all time. The first film spent nine weeks as the No. 1 seller when it hit disc in 2014, including eight consecutive weeks upon its debut.
Lionsgate’s Knives Out debuted at No. 2, selling about 14% as many copies as Frozen II. The murder mystery from writer-director Rian Johnson earned $164.8 million at the domestic box office.
The previous week’s top seller, the war film Midway from Lionsgate, slipped to No. 3 on both charts in its second week.
Also in its second week, the Mr. Rogers docudrama A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood fell to No. 4 on both charts.
No. 5 on both charts was the racing drama Ford v Ferrari, from Disney-owned 20th Century Fox.
Blu-ray Disc formats accounted for 78% of total unit sales for Frozen II, with 9% of its overall tally coming from the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition. For Knives Out, 66% of its total came from Blu-ray, with 17% of its total from 4K Ultra HD.
While the enormous success of the 2013 animated film Frozen all but guaranteed a sequel, the filmmakers said they weren’t under pressure from the studio to deliver one until they had a story they felt needed to be told.
“The nice thing about the studio is it really is a filmmaker-driven studio,” said producer Peter Del Vecho during an event Jan. 28 at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, Calif., to promote the Frozen II home video release. “We only do sequels if the original filmmakers have an idea that they think is worthy of telling. And I think that is in essence to protect what’s valuable about the property.”
Disney will release Frozen II through digital retailers Feb. 11, and on Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD Feb. 25.
The Best Animated Feature Oscar won by Frozen, on display at the Walt Disney Animation Studios.
The first Frozen told the story of Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel), the queen of Arendelle who possesses powers to control ice, and her sister, Princess Anna (Kristen Bell). They are joined by Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his reindeer Sven, and the living snowman Olaf (Josh Gad) on an adventure to save the kingdom from perpetual winter.
The film went on to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, and while fans enjoyed the movie and its songs, the story nonetheless raised a few questions that the filmmakers felt should be addressed in the new film.
“Why does Elsa have powers? The sisters had just found each other, but what was in store for them? All of those things were haunting us so we felt like there was more to do,” said Jennifer Lee, Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer, and co-writer and co-director of Frozen II.
In the sequel, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf visit a mysterious enchanted forest to learn the secrets of the Northuldra tribe, their magical mastery of Earth’s elements, and the role they played in the history of Arendelle and their connection to Anna and Elsa’s ancestry.
“We tried to make Frozen 1 and Frozen 2 really feel sort of like one piece,” said co-director Chris Buck. “Because they’re both musicals, and Frozen 1 was kind of act one of a Broadway musical, and Frozen 2 was act two, so we tried to weave the stories together.”
The team hasn’t yet started developing story ideas for a potential third film, Lee said. The second film has earned $1.4 billion at the domestic box office, the highest-grossing non-photorealistic animated film in history.
(L-R): Frozen II producer Peter Del Vecho, co-writer and co-director Jennifer Lee, and co-director Chris Buck.
Disney also created a VR animated short film, Myth: A Frozen Tale, which delves into the mythology of the Northuldra, and is looking at expanding distribution of the short in the coming months.
The idea of exploring the family tree of Anna and Elsa was also the subject of a story arc on “Once Upon a Time,” the ABC series about a fictional town in Maine where all the fairy tale characters lived. However, the events depicted on the series were not considered by the filmmakers when crafting their own sequel.
“We did meet with them, which was lovely, to talk about the characters, and they were wonderfully receptive,” Lee said. “But we knew it wasn’t part of our canon. Part of me didn’t want to see it because I didn’t want to be influenced.”
The new film contains a number of surprise revelations about Elsa, her family’s history, and its impact on the future of Arendelle.
“It was almost torture because we had some inside information and it was so exciting to be among the first people who heard it. And then not allowed to tell anybody about it,” said Jason Ritter, who provides the voice of Ryder, a new character introduced as a member of the Northuldra.
Rachel Matthews, who voices Ryder’s sister, Honeymaren, said she was a massive fan of the first film in college, and was excited by the prospect of joining the franchise.
“I was just soaking up every second of the opportunity to be at Disney animation studios,” Matthews said.
Her favorite scene, she said, involved Olaf retelling the story of the first film.
“That had me hysterically laughing,” Matthews said.
(L-R): Frozen II castmembers Rachel Matthews, voice of Honeymaren, and Jason Ritter, voice of Ryder.
Matthews also related a story about the film’s impact on a younger audience. She said that at the film’s premiere she sat behind actor Jeremy Sisto, who plays Anna and Elsa’s grandfather, a former king of Arendelle who leads an attack on the Northuldra.
“His little boy kept looking at him throughout the movie and was like, ‘Bad Dad! Bad Dad! Mean Dad!” Matthews said. “He was so mad at him. It was amazing. ‘Now Dad, you should not have done that! He was actually mad at his dad.”
For the songs, the award-winning husband-and-wife songwriting team of Bobby and Kristen Lopez explored a number of musical styles for the film.
“Jen and Chris gave us this insight into the characters early on that Elsa is a mythic character and Anna is a fairy tale character,” Bobby said. “They’re two different kinds of heroines, and I think in terms of their songs, and they’re really the two main characters, Elsa’s style reaches for that pop opera — mythic, epic contemporary feel. And instead of going for fairytale princess for Anna, this time, because it felt like in Frozen 1, Anna had already gone through her big lesson, we really went more for a folk rock influence in this one.”
Another goal for the pair was finding a song for Groff, since Kristoff wasn’t featured much in the music from the first film. The result was “Lost in the Woods,” presented in the style of a 1980s power ballad. In addition to the main lyrics, Groff also provides 18 background vocals for the song.
“That also was one of the things, not only getting to hear Jonathan getting to sing this ’80s ballad, but 18 of himself in harmony too,” said Kristen Lopez. “We were like, we’re going to give them so much Jonathan we’re going to make up for not giving him a song in the last movie.”
(L-R): Frozen II songwriters Kristen and Bobby Lopez.
The duo won an Oscar for writing “Let It Go” for the first film, and are nominated for the song “Into the Unknown” from the second film. They also won an Oscar for the song “Remember Me” from Coco. Bobby Lopez is also the youngest person to record the EGOT (winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) and the only person so far to double-EGOT (winning each award more than once).
“The score has to tell the story, obviously, that’s the function of it, but it also has to work almost as a cast album,” Bobby said. “It has to feel like a good sequence of songs because it progresses almost as a concert at the same time, so one way of doing that is by reaching for different styles and different tropes.”
The advantage of a sequel, they said, was their familiarity with the actors who would ultimately be singing the songs they wrote, particularly Broadway star Menzel.
“Knowing her voice and knowing that down low she can sound really vulnerable and intimate and fragile, and the higher you take her, the more powerful she gets, and the way that sort of is similar to what Elsa can do, that she’s fragile and vulnerable and so strong at the same time,” said Kristen Lopez.
Frozen II
“I’m hearing a lot that ‘The Next Right Thing,’ Anna’s song, is really connecting with people, and helping people through some tough times,” said co-director Buck. “I’ve always loved that song, I knew it had such strength to it, it’s inspiring, so it’s interesting to see the impact that it is having right now.”
The Lopezes described the process of crafting the songs as a constant give-and-take to figure out what helps make the story work.
“People assume we just show up and the script is done, and they tell us we need this song and this song and this song, but that’s now how it works,” Kristen said. “We talk and we talk and we talk about theme about what we want to do with these characters, then we start outlining, and we imagine, oh we can put this song here and this song there, and then we get a script, and then we write like one or two or three songs. And there’s a screening, and then out of that the story totally changes and at least two songs fall on the floor. And you do it again. It’s almost like layers upon layers, and you hope each time that at least one or two songs stick. And by the end you have seven songs but you will have written 20 songs for six different scripts.”
Two deleted songs are presented with the home video version of the film. Other extras include a “Sing-Along” mode, outtakes, deleted scenes, music videos and several behind-the-scenes featurettes.
For Lee, a couple of songs that stand out to her are the ones that convey the story arc of Elsa.
“I’ll watch ‘Into the Unknown’ and then ‘Show Yourself’; there’s just something about seeing how far Elsa gets on her journey,” Lee said. “What I’ll have to do now is watch ‘Let it Go,’ then ‘Into the Unknown,’ then ‘Show Yourself’; now that we have the DVD, I can put them all together, so I will do that.”
Bobby and Kristen Lopez singing a medley of ‘Frozen II’ songs at the Jan. 28 press day for the film’s home video release.
Disney; Animated; Box office $341.3 million; $29.99 DVD, $39.99 Blu-ray, $34.99 UHD; $39.99 3D BD; Rated ‘PG’ for some thematic elements, rude humor and action. Voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, J. K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk, Shakira.
Anthropomorphized animals are practically a Disney tradition. And we’re not just talking animals that talk but are basically still acting as animals. As one of the filmmakers in the Zootopia bonus materials puts it, the specific subset here is animals wearing clothes (think the 1973 Robin Hood, or “Talespin”), and the genesis for Zootopia was to do one of those with 3D CG animation.
The story is based upon the idea of a reality in which mammals developed intelligence and the ability to walk but still more or less resembled the animals they’re supposed to be, labeled with names that are mostly puns about their species. The story turns on the notion that predators and prey are living together in peace, but the prey species, which comprise 90% of the society, are always on the lookout for if the predators revert to their carnivorous ways. That forms the crux of a pretty heady Disney message about prejudice and self-determination.
Zootopia itself is a giant city separated into various ecosystems based on the natural habitats of their residents (a winter section for cold-weather creatures, a rainforest section, a desert, etc.). The city is also designed to accommodate animals both big and small at the same time, setting the stage for a fun sequence in a rodent village where it seems everything is in miniature compared with the other characters.
Our heroine is Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a rabbit from farming country who dreams of being a big-city cop in Zootopia, where the motto is, “anyone can be anything.” While investigating a series of kidnappings, she encounters the hustler Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a fox who is trusted by no one because he’s, well, a fox.
The movie is full of such animal stereotyping, which plays into its dominant anti-prejudice theme but also squeezes out some good laughs — none better than the sloths working at the DMV.
With her superiors at the police department skeptical of a bunny’s ability to be a cop, she recruits Nick to help her track the missing animals, hoping to prove that any animal can be more than what nature programmed them to be.
Zootopia is so intricately constructed that at times it feels like it was genetically engineered for maximum appeal to its audience, and the ensuing merchandise sales such an effort would entail. But it’s also so cute and richly detailed that it’s easy to get swept up in this furry world. The animation is bright and lively and really shows how far the CGI craft has come.
Kids will obviously love all the animal characters, but there are plenty of nuggets for adults, too, such as a Godfather parody involving shrews. And who would have thought a Disney animated movie would ever find a way to make a “Breaking Bad” reference that didn’t seem out of place? Well, they manage one here. For more hidden references, check out the three-and-a-half-minute “ZPD Forensic Files” featurette on the Blu-ray.
The Blu-ray also includes a bunch of behind-the-scenes featurettes that convey a fascinating tale of how the film’s story evolved. In the nine-minute “The Origin of an Animal Tale,” we learn the original idea involved predators wearing shock collars to keep them from turning on the prey animals, and the primary focus was on Nick and his efforts to find himself in a world in which predator animals were essentially slaves to their past. That made the film feel too dark and cynical, so it was reworked to focus on Judy and a more upbeat message of tolerance.
Some storyboards from this alternate, early version of the film are included among the 28 minutes of deleted scenes included on the Blu-ray, with optional intros from directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore. There’s also a featurette about unused characters that runs about three minutes.
The 10-minute “Research: A True Life Adventure” chronicles how the filmmakers studied real animals at both Disney’s Animal Kingdom park in Florida and on safari in Africa, and how the efforts aided in designing and animating the characters. This process echoes efforts chronicled on the Up Blu-ray to study mountains in South America.
Those interested in the film’s music can check out Michael Giacchino creating the score in the five-minute “Scoretopia” featurette, as well as a “Try Anything” music video by Shakira, who voices a hip-shaking pop star named Gazelle in the movie.
Finally, the Blu-ray includes 18 minutes of roundtable discussions with the filmmakers offering more behind-the-scenes details as they interview each other.
There are two additional featurettes available digitally through Movies Anywhere. First up is a seven-minute video about the voice talent and why they play the characters they do. But more interesting is the 11-minute “The Wild Times You Never Saw,” which offers more details on the earlier version of the film — and a subplot on which Nick builds an amusement park for predators where they can take off their collars to have fun.
Walt Disney Animation Studios (Disney Animation) has launched an internal program enabling animators at the company to pitch their own short films to stream on the parent company’s Disney+ subscription streaming video service bowing in November.
Dubbed “Short Circuit” experimental films, the program’s selected content will begin streaming on Disney+ in early 2020.
Initial titles include “Jing Hua” from Jerry Huynh, who reportedly worked as a technical director on Disney animated theatrical/home entertainment hits Moana and Ralph Breaks the Internet, among others.
“Just a Thought” from Brian Menz, whose credits include Bolt, Big Hero 6, Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Zootopia, Moana and Ralph Breaks the Internet.
And finally, story artist Natalie Nourigat’s (Ralph Breaks the Internet) short film, “Exchange Student.”
All three films have their debut June 14 at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France — the same venue that premiered Moana in 2016.
As part of the home video promotions for Ralph Breaks the Internet, Walt Disney Animation Studios has donated a replica of the Sugar Rush steering wheel for an eBay auction, with 100% of the proceeds to be donated to Make-A-Wish.
In the film, the steering wheel on Vanellope’s Sugar Rush game breaks, prompting her and Ralph to head to the Internet to buy a new one, which they find for sale on eBay listed for $200.
The replica steering wheel has been autographed by cast members Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot and Jane Lynch. The winning bidder will also receive a Blu-ray copy of the movie and a limited-edition autographed poster by the cast and filmmakers including Silverman, John C. Reilly, Taraji P. Henson, Jack McBrayer, Phil Johnston, Rich Moore and Clark.
The bid was up to $1,675 as of the morning of Monday, March 4.
Make-A-Wish helps grant life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses. Since 1980, Disney has helped Make-A-Wish grant more than 130,000 wishes. More than 10,000 Disney wishes are granted every year.
The 60th animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Encanto, will arrive on Disney+ and digital starting Dec. 24 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD Feb. 8.
A new animated short film based on the Olaf character from the “Frozen” movies will debut exclusively on Disney+ Oct. 23.
While the enormous success of the 2013 animated film Frozen all but guaranteed a sequel, the filmmakers said they weren’t under pressure from the studio to deliver one until they had a story they felt needed to be told.
