Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Welcome to the Wise News Network Monday Movie Review, where we take a closer look at the films that became box office hits over the weekend.
On November 26th, Disney premiered its highly anticipated animated sequel, Zootopia 2. Nearly ten years after the original film, the follow-up broke records at the box office, earning $556 million globally in its first five days, including $272 million from China alone. This officially makes it the biggest worldwide opening for any animated film in history. To view the current statistics, please visit this page.
Disney's track record with sequels continues to outperform many of its newer originals or live-action remakes. For example, Disney's last original animated feature film, Wish (2023), grossed $255 million worldwide. For Disney, this success will likely reinforce a strategy to prioritize sequels and established franchises over original movies. In a challenging theatrical climate, Zootopia 2 is a win that could reshape the studio's future release slate.
The film revisits the partnership of Judy Hopps (played by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (played by Jason Bateman). Now fully established as police officers, they navigate the complexities of a vast and diverse metropolitan city. Their newest assignment takes them into an unexplored region of Zootopia. What begins as a routine investigation turns into a mystery that threatens the future of Zootopia and everyone living in it. This plot presents new species, subcultures, and challenges that complicate Judy and Nick's moral framework.
You can't change the present without facing the past. The narrative of Zootopia 2 illustrates how the legacy of a city's past continues to shape its present social structure. By introducing a new district marked by its own history of conflict and uneven treatment, the film underscores that historical prejudice never fades. It becomes built into the culture, politics, and community. This mirrors how real cities inherit the consequences of earlier decisions. Sound familiar?
Take the Civil Rights Movement, for example: decades of segregation and discriminatory laws left lasting effects on American society. The film suggests, in a broader cultural sense, that meaningful progress requires a willingness to acknowledge uncomfortable histories rather than ignoring them. Characters are confronted with the reality that restoring history is not a passive process; it demands action, courage, and fairness, even when public opinion resists that change. In this way, Zootopia 2 reflects a historical moment where society is compelled to confront its past and decide whether it will continue to repeat old patterns or act differently to build a more just future.
Packed with laughs, thrills, and a few life lessons, Zootopia 2 proves that saving a city, and learning from it, can be wildly entertaining.
Now that you have reached the end of the review, we will rate it on a scale of 1-5 hoots.
Movie Rating System (Owl-Hoot Scale):
Owl Hoot Scale Graphic
WNN
I'm giving Zootopia 2 four hoots! With its fast-paced sequences, it makes it challenging to digest the story along with all of its pop-culture references. I need to watch it again, and you should too. For more information, please visit the IMDb page for the film here.
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