Meet the Residents of Zootopia!

By Erin

*I was invited as a guest of Disney to the early press day of Zootopia for purposes of this post*

ZOOTOPIA – FLASH, THE FASTEST SLOTH AT THE DMV -- When rookie rabbit officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) has only 48 hours to crack her first case, she turns to scam-artist fox Nick Wilde for help, but he doesn't always have her best interests at heart. Their investigation takes them to the local DMV (Department of Mammal Vehicles), which is staffed entirely by sloths. Directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, and produced by Clark Spencer, Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia" opens in U.S. theaters on March 4, 2016. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Last month I introduced you to the World of Zootopia, a city filled with different neighborhoods that celebrate the various animal cultures. So who lives here then, you’re probably thinking? Zootopia is a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. Let’s take a look then at some of the critters we will find running around in Zootopia!

Judy Hopps

Zootopia’s first bunny officer Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) is the first bunny ever to join Zootopia’s police department, but is sidelined into a boring career as a meter maid as she is not as big and tough as other members on the force. Judy is determined to prove herself and she jumps at the chance to crack a case, even if it means teaming up with a con-artist fox.

Nick Wilde

Con-artist fox Nick Wilde is voiced by Jason Bateman and is a charming, small-time, con artist fox with a big mouth and a lot of opinions. But when he gets outsmarted by a rabbit cop, he suddenly finds himself helping her solve a mystery.

Gazelle

International superstar Shakira is the voice of Gazelle, and performs an all-new original song, “Try Everything.” Gazelle is very popular in the world of Zootopia, and has many adoring fans, including Judy Hopps and Clawhauser. She is very socially-minded and is all about acceptance and equality for all.

Welcome to the World of Zootopia!

By Erin

*I was invited as a guest of Disney to the early press day of Zootopia for purposes of this post*

The other month, I had the pleasure to meet a few friendly critters… like Judy and Nick here—who are a rabbit and a fox—natural enemies by definition, so they don’t exactly get along at first. They come to the relationship with ideas about each other—beliefs that aren’t informed or accurate. They’re a little pushy… but definitely *NOT* camera shy! 😉 They both live in a magical place called Zootopia, which I was able to get a first look at while I was visiting.

Zootopia isn’t like any other city you’ve ever been to before. It is made up of neighborhoods that celebrate different cultures. There’s ritzy Sahara Square for desert animals, Tundratown for the polar bears and moose, the hot and humid Rain Forest District, Little Rodentia for the the tiniest mice, and Bunnyburrows for the millions and millions of super adorable cute little bunnies. The downtown area, Savanna Central, is a melting pot where a wide array of mammals from every environment come together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. When Rookie Officer Judy Hopps arrives, she finds out that being the first bunny on a police force that is run by a lot of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Having a deep desire to prove herself, she jumps at the chance to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde, to solve a mystery…

So what do these different neighborhoods look like exactly in Zootopia? Before going into more depth of the characters (in a future post), you’ll want to have a better understanding about the layout of the land! 😉

THE BIG SIX

Filmmakers had endless possibilities to explore when it came to creating different lands for Zootopia. They needed to narrow down the districts of Zootopia. Ultimately, six key areas were agreed upon, giving each a specific color palette and details.

ZOOTOPIA - Concept Art by Matthias Lechner (Art Director, Environments). ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Sahara Square: The glitz! The Glamor! The lights! Sahara Square is made up of sand dunes and buildings that are shaped like sand dunes. “The heart of Sahara Square is inspired by Monte Carlo and Dubai,” says Matthias Lechner, art director of environments. “We learned that desert animals are mostly nocturnal because it’s too hot during the day. So we built lots of nighttime activities—casinos and a giant palm-tree hotel with an oasis surrounding it.”