“Zootopia 3” is officially in development at Walt Disney Animation Studios, the company confirmed Friday night at D23, extending a franchise that became Disney’s highest-grossing animated series with the release of its second installment.
Jared Bush, the studio’s chief creative officer, made the announcement during the Disney Entertainment Showcase in Anaheim, joined onstage by Ginnifer Goodwin and Ke Huy Quan, who voice Judy Hopps and Gary De’Snake. Goodwin delivered the news directly to the crowd: “The bunny and the snake will be back!” Details beyond that remain sparse. Disney released only a title logo, built entirely from feathers, and no synopsis, cast list, director or release date.
The feather imagery points to where the story is headed. “Zootopia 2” ended with a single feather drifting onto Judy’s windowsill during its post-credits scene, a detail fans had flagged as a hint toward birds entering the mammal-dominated world. Disney’s official announcement leaned into that theory outright, describing the franchise as headed “to the birds.”
Bush has previewed this expansion for months. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the “Zootopia 2” premiere, he noted the films had so far shown audiences just one city, one continent, and one planet within the franchise’s world, adding that there was plenty more territory left to explore.
The sequel’s box office performance makes a third film an easy bet. “Zootopia 2” pulled in $1.8 billion worldwide, the largest global opening ever for an animated release, and picked up an Oscar nomination for best animated feature. Combined, the first two films have grossed more than $2.7 billion. Goodwin signaled her enthusiasm for a return well before Friday’s announcement, telling The Hollywood Reporter in November 2025 that she was “putting everything out there trying to manifest a number three.”
No release date has been set. Bush has said in the past that Disney’s animated features typically take four to five years to produce, which would put an early estimate for “Zootopia 3” around 2030, though the studio has not confirmed any timeline.
