Disney 'Zootopia 2' Surpasses 2 Million in 6 Days... Behind the Scenes Revealed by the Korean Production Team

The best duo in Disney animation history, Judy and Nick, have returned. 〈Zootopia 2〉 has come back with overwhelming scale that surpasses the previous work and is hitting the global box office from the first week of its release.

According to Walt Disney Company Korea, 〈Zootopia 2〉, which was released on the 26th of last month, attracted a cumulative audience of 2,259,000 in just 6 days in Korea. The global revenue has surpassed $556.4 million (approximately 818 billion won), securing a spot in the top 10 global box office hits of the year.

At the center of this box office success is the hidden effort of the Korean staff who completed the details of the work. In a video interview held that day, layout supervisor Lee Sook-hee, animation supervisor Lee Hyun-min, and animator Choi Young-jae shared the behind-the-scenes stories of the work without reservation.

Expansion of the Worldview: 50,000 Crowds and 'Marsh Market'

This sequel is a large-scale project involving over 700 Disney artists under the direction of Byron Howard and Jared Bush. The biggest change is the 'scale'.

Layout supervisor Lee Sook-hee, who was in charge of background design, said, "The directors wanted backgrounds that looked much larger and more splendid than what was shown in the first 'Zootopia'," and "This work features many new spaces that have not been seen before as Judy and Nick conduct their undercover investigation," he explained.

He stated, "In particular, the 'Marsh Market', a habitat for aquatic animals, and the desert festival scene where over 50,000 animals appear on screen were technical challenges," and added, "We meticulously studied the actual habitat environments of animals like seals and beavers that were not present in the previous film and reflected them in the layout." Additionally, to maintain Zootopia's unique identity within the expanded worldview, careful direction was applied by strategically placing landmark buildings.

A 10-Year Gap, But in the Movie, 'One Week'

In reality, 10 years have passed since the first film, but the time in the movie is set one week after the ending of the previous work. Therefore, maintaining character continuity was the biggest challenge for the production team.

Lee Hyun-min, who primarily led the animation of Judy Hopps, said, "It was important for the character to have consistency," and added, "While doing so, I animated in a way that allowed the audience to engage with the character more interestingly and deeply as they faced a new phase of the character."

He emphasized, "Judy is a character with big eyes and a small nose, so even a slight change in the rigging values can completely alter her expression," and stated, "I adjusted even the subtle tremors of her expressions to capture Judy's multidimensional charm, which hides bravery and intelligence within her cuteness."

"Capture the Repeat Viewers"... The Battle of Details

Animator Choi Young-jae stated, "They are animals that walk and talk like humans, but we thoroughly verified the unique skeletal and muscular movements of each animal so that the audience does not feel a sense of alienation." In particular, when expressing the chemistry between Judy and Nick, "I focused on expressing their special chemistry (breath)," and explained, "While maintaining the overall skeletal structure of the face, I expressed the twitching of the nose and wrinkles when they frowned, making them attractive characters that viewers would want to keep watching."

The recent trend of 'repeat viewings' in theaters and the culture of re-watching on OTT platforms also influenced the production process.

Lee Hyun-min, the animator, expressed confidence, saying, "I paid more attention to details so that viewers can discover new details even if they rewind it 100 times."

Supervisor Lee Sook-hee analyzed the factors for the film's success, stating, "It seems that the narrative of Judy and Nick, who have different personalities but grow as partners while having conflicts, resonated with audiences across generations."

The movie ends with an ending that hints at a sequel. Animator Lee Hyun-min said, "Just being able to animate these characters, who feel like old friends, was like meeting a close friend or family again," and added, "I approached the ending work with the hope of meeting them again someday," expressing gratitude to the audience.