Gary De’Snake, Bob Tiger, and Beyond: The Filmmakers Break Down the Making of Zootopia 2

Nearly a decade after the original film won audiences over with its clever worldbuilding and heartfelt themes, Zootopia 2 returns to the mammalian metropolis with even bigger environments, surprising character additions, and a brand-new reptile shaking things up. I spoke with directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard, producer Yvett Merino, and Ke Huy Quan, who voices the film’s breakout newcomer Gary De’Snake, about crafting the sequel, deepening the world, and even bringing Bob Iger into the cast.

“He's been hounding us for years and years and years to put him into one of our films,” Jared Bush laughed about the Disney CEO’s cameo, who voices a weather mammal — Bob Tiger — a nod to his real-life beginnings as a weatherman — and the filmmakers leaned into that parallel. But what stood out most was Iger’s enthusiasm for the process. “He came in and hung out. He didn't just come in and do a line and leave,” Bush recalled. “I think he really liked being part of that process and actually seeing what we do. We had him do like 30 takes, just because it was fun.”

Re-entering the world of Zootopia meant revisiting ideas from the first film, and expanding the world in ways that still served Nick and Judy’s emotional journey. “There are always environments we talk about kind of hypothetically at the beginning of a story that don't make their way into the final film,” Howard explained. “This one is absolutely huge. When you watch this movie, it feels very full. There was even more there before, but we really needed to make sure the real estate was there for Judy and Nick's relationship and all the important emotional stuff.”

The team revisited long-discussed but unused locales. “Even on the first one we talked about Outback Island,” Howard added, a location that is at least referenced in the sequel. They also joked about the long-shelved Nocturnal District. “We just turn off all the lights,” Merino joked. “All we do is hear voices. Super cheap.”

The filmmakers also incorporated a very recognizable Disney song into a sequence they describe as both romantic and ridiculous. Howard teased around spoilers: “There's something so iconic about that song about romance and partnership and whether you want it or not at the exact wrong time. When you're riding on a walrus, that is the song you want to hear.” 

The cast list for Zootopia 2 stretches deep into Disney Animation’s recent history, including voices from Encanto and Moana. “They were really happy to do that,” Bush explained, adding that Moana 2 voice actors Auliʻi Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, and David Fane had to come back for separate recording sessions on this film, so there was no happenstance while they were working on last year’s Disney Animation blockbuster. 

“Actors are full of mischief,” Howard added, who directed Encanto alongside Howard and got to reunite with Stephanie Beatriz, Wilmer Valderrama, and John Leguizamo for their cameos in Zootopia 2. “They like these little tiny weird roles. And sometimes you would think, is this too tiny? They’re like, no way.”

And for a certain snowman, the team found the perfect fit. Bush recalled: “Josh Gad has wanted to do something in the world of Zootopia for a long time. So we said, ‘You’re going to be a real ornery mole.’ He’s like, ‘I’m in.’”

One of the film’s central story elements — a metal-covered book — went through its own evolution in development. “This object that sort of takes us through the entire movie actually went on a large evolution,” Bush revealed. “We were really trying to figure out what is the correct element for them to go after and what does that thing need to be.”

Howard loves how the book connects to the animal-based logic of Zootopia. “Even the fact that it’s got a metal cover, that’s part of the mystery… it leans into those animal superpowers. We talk about why we choose these characters and what’s special about the storytelling that you couldn’t do with a human character.” That connection is especially strong for Gary De’Snake. “It’s one of the first times you really see magic in the world of Zootopia, even though it’s based in real life,” Howard said. “There’s something about this type of animal magic that is very special and a flavor we've not had before.”

For Ke Huy Quan, joining Zootopia 2 fulfilled a childhood dream. “I grew up on Disney animated films,” he said. “It had a huge impact on my childhood.” When he was offered Gary De’Snake, he leapt at the chance. “I wished it would happen, but didn’t think it would ever happen.”

Before Quan was offered the role, Disney Animation had produced a test reel set to his voice from a talk show appearance. “They showed me this little clip... an appearance that I did on Stephen Colbert. They kept my voice and animated Gary De’Snake over me. I saw that, and I go, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s really cool.’” Once he learned the story and character, he was all in. “The whole time I'm thinking, ‘Please, please, this is an incredible story that I want to be a part of.’”

Quan was also already a fan of the original film. “When Zootopia came out nine years ago, I was a huge fan. I loved it. So this time around, getting to play a brand new character — the first reptile to step foot in Zootopia for more than a hundred years — that is pretty amazing.”

Though animated films record actors separately, Quan still found inspiration in Ginnifer Goodwin’s dedicated ambassadorship of Judy Hopps. “I was able to spend a lot of time with Ginny this past week and a half. She's just so lovely… she talks so enthusiastically about Judy Hopps and about Zootopia. And that’s how I feel, too. When you get invited to be a member of this very special family, you can't wait to tell the world about it.”

Quan and Goodwin also got to visit Disneyland, where they became the first guests to hug Clawhouser, who had just made his meet-and-greet debut. His review: “Sweet… fun and warm.”

At Disney Animation Studios, Quan met with Adam Green, head of animation for Gary. For Quan, creating Gary was a true two-person performance. “I only bring one half of the performance,” he says. “The animator gives Gary the facial expressions, the body movement… It’s really the combination of these two elements coming together to create this one character.”

Zootopia 2 builds on the legacy of the first film with new environments, returning favorites, meaningful character dynamics, and one unforgettable snake. With Jared Bush and Byron Howard’s playful camaraderie, Yvett Merino’s grounding influence, and Ke Huy Quan’s infectious enthusiasm, the film feels like a natural continuation of the world audiences fell in love with in 2016. Fans can experience the next chapter — and meet Gary De’Snake — when Zootopia 2 arrives in theaters this Thanksgiving.