Full Q&A with the writers and directors of Zootopia! (And rumors about Zootopia 2)

Source (Image not from reported event, it’s just hard to find a picture with more than two of them in it)

You want to learn more about how Zootopia came to be, right?  What am I saying, of course you do!

A few days ago, the American Film Institute held a special screening of Zootopia, followed by a special Q&A with director Rich Moore, director Byron Howard, co-director and co-writer Jared Bush, and co-writer Phil Johnston.  The panel, run by podcaster Jeff Goldsmith (of The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, appropriately enough) lasted a little over 80 minutes, and provided a glimpse of the process that brought us Zootopia, from pitching the idea to John Lasseter to the switch to Judy as the protagonist.

There was a moment in this podcast that led to some rumors of a Zootopia 2 script in development.  As much as I wish it were true, I am afraid I have to report that it was nothing but rumor- there’s still no actual news about Zootopia 2.  The rumor came about because of some people in attendance mishearing a comment regarding a completely different project that Phil Johnston had worked on (Confederacy of Dunces).  The actual comment can be heard at 24:00 in the podcast.

So, with that cleared up, go on and give the whole thing a listen!  It will be well worth your time, trust me.  There were some things they discussed from the movie that even I hadn’t noticed!


You can find the full podcast on iTunes, or on Jeff Goldsmith’s website.  Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments!