Hello all, we’ve got even more Zootopia 2 related news on the D23 Expo that we’re all just dieing to share with you thanks in large part to the diligent work of NamiVi, our field reporter on the scene.
There’s a lot to cover so I won’t mince words, go ahead and take it away, Nami!
Hello everyone!
I’m Nami, a Brazilian Zootopia fan, here today as a guest author for ZNN. I was asked to help cover the first edition of D23 Brasil, and I hope I can deliver!
Important things you have to know before reading this article:
-I’ve been in this fandom for the past 9 years and I’ve been making fanart for it for just as long
-I only got a ticket for the first day of the convention, Friday the 8th, so I cannot speak on Saturday and Sunday.
-I did attend the event because we were promised Zootopia content, and did go looking specifically for Zootopia, so I did go out of my way to find things related to it (it is my hyperfixation after all), so my experience was curated and may not reflect other attendees.
– I’m a geek convention veteran, having been regularly attending them since I was 15, and help produce some smaller comic conventions in my hometown, so I am highly opinionated on anything con related.
Anyway, hope you like whatever I have to say!
Shall we start?
Judy poster at one of the entrances for D23 Brasil, via NamiVi
Merch
Zootopia merch was pretty scarce, which is disappointing but not surprising (let’s hope this changes once we get Zootopia 2!!). We got a single exclusive t-shirt, from the collection “Memórias Mágicas”(‘Magic Memories’), a series from 2010 and beyond. The material itself is of average quality, and the print includes screenshots of Nick, Judy and Flash in grayscale. The text on it can be translated to “How may I help you today?”, the Brazilian adaptation of the iconic “What can I do for you today?” from the DMV scene. Its price was BRL$90, which is roughly USD$15, so on the higher end for a fandom t-shirt in Brazil but not an unreasonable amount.
I ended up getting one for myself, even!
The shirt itself, via NamiVi
Memórias Mágicas collection, all designs. Via Almanaque Disney.
Display
The article detailing the Zootopia 2 display can be found here.
Panel
The Panel itself was the best part of my day by far.
One of my biggest complaints from my experiences in Comic Con São Paulo is how hard it is to enter panels. We Brazilians are a passionate crowd, so it’s not uncommon to see fans sleeping outside for days while waiting in line to enter the main arena and get a chance to see early screenings or catch a glimpse of someone famous, and it’s always a security risk and never fails to cause fights.
D23 Brazil tried to solve it by first forbidding overnight lines and establishing a system for reserving seats. Each visitor was allowed to schedule one panel per day they got a ticket for, including magic pas holders. The reservations for all panels were done on October 24th at 10 pm, via a virtual queue that assigned random numbers to those trying to schedule something, and fan speculation estimates that the reserved seats were the equivalent of 50% of the arena, not including press and guests exclusive seats. I personally had a good experience getting a reservation, but I realized that I was lucky. The system was flawed, left many unable to secure a seat and felt just like trying to get tickets to a Taylor Swift concert.
Those unable to reserve a seat could enter a line that started three hours before the opening of the Arena to try and get unclaimed seats, and that did cause some commotion from people unable to enter after it was full. There were some smaller conflicts within the reserved seat line as well, and it was a bit of a mess. That caused Disney to open another virtual queue after Friday was over, and now 100% of the seats will have to be reserved. If that will help with anything it remains to be seen, but up until the time I’ve finished writing this article (Saturday, 10 am) we don’t have any updates.
Let’s now recap everything Zootopia related that happened at the panel!
Nick, Judy and Nibbles ate D23 Brasil, via NamiVi
On Friday we only got one single panel at Disney d23 Brazil, and it was a compilation of Walt Disney Animation, Disney Live Action, Pixar and 20th Century Fox. Disney Animation was the last of the bunch, but the presentation already started with a Zootopia clip(to my utter delight). Introducing the new segment of the panel, we get to see Nick entering the screen and greeting everyone at D21, before being corrected by Judy (offscreen, we only hear her voice) that it’s D23, to which he cracks a joke about how if someone had asked him, it should have ended at D22 and then asks what was with all the unnecessary sequels before being hit in the head and thrown out of the picture by the title screen. He then raises only his paw and proclaims “Guess Bob Iger doesn’t like those kinds of jokes” and the screen goes black.
Jared Bush then takes the stage, and he starts to talk reminiscing about how he started at Disney as a co-writer for Zootopia and how much Zootopia 2 means to him. After reinforcing how Nick and Judy are the heart of the story, he confirms the return of Chief Bogo, Clawhauser and Flash if he can make it on time (at this moment flash starts to appear from the side of the center screen, moving very slowly). He then announced the return of a character that wasn’t announced before, and we were shown a clip of Shakira announcing the return of Gazelle (and her tigers!) with a brand new song. The clip can be seen on Disney socials, but the version shown in São Paulo included a piece of the final concept art for Gazelle’s new look. We weren’t allowed to record that part of the presentation(no recording allowed during the clips), but I can describe it as a black collant-like piece, with sheer parts and silver sequins, very similar to a figure skater costume in my opinion.
Jared Bush speaking at D23 Brasil, via NamiVi
*This next section may contain spoilers, so be careful!
We then move on to the announcement of how we’re meeting reptiles for the first time in Zootopia 2. He then explains that reptiles have a shady past in Zootopia, and how there’s one reptile in particular that shows up and sends Judy and Nick on a whole new mystery, before showing what seems to be test animations for Gary the snake. It’s interesting to notice that Gary seems to move a lot more cartoony and very similar to Sir Hiss from Disney’s Robin Hood. Jared then confirms that when we first meet Gary he’s a wanted criminal that Nick and Judy have to go undercover to try and find him, and that they’ll have the help of a new character: Nibbles the eager beaver. While being shown some test animations for Nibbles, Jared talks about how Marsh Market is a new area we get to meet in Zootopia, where the semiaquatic animals live, and it’s similar to a swamp. In there, the animals have their very own way of living and doing things that are all new to Nick and Judy and they’ll need help to find anyone who has seen Gary.
Gary test animations, via NamiVi
We were then shown the same clip exhibited at Anaheim, but we got a first peek at the Brazilian dub for that scene, which was very nice. I’m glad to see our local VAs returning, and as a fun fact the BR adaptation includes a lot of regional talk for the Marsh residents that’s very derivative of my home state in Brazil, and that makes me happy.
As a final dot, Jared says that he cannot wait for us to see the final movie when it comes out and we’re shown a clip of a dancing elephant wearing a silver angel costume and that if we want to know why she’s dressed like that or what she’ll be doing, then we’ll have to see Zootopia 2 next year!
Dancing elephant, via NamiVi
Conclusion
Overall, we had some good content even if most of it is not exactly new, and I’m pretty happy with what I got to see and experience. D23 Brasil still has a lot growing and adapting to do, and the hiccups we had this year were expected for a first time event. Hopefully, we’ll get to see the convention continue to grow on Brazilian soil and feed the passion of our local fans, because we sure do have the love for everything they have to offer.
Here’s to hoping I get to see more next year!
See you next time, ZNN!
Nami Vianna
Nami, a very serious field reporter.
Thanks for that Nami, we appreciate all the hard work! Anyway, that’s all we have for now, but be sure to stick around because the next time there’s an update on Zootopia 2, you can be we’ll be there to cover it. Until then, you all be sure to keep keeping on.
Be the first to comment