There’s A Major Reason Why Disney’s Live Action Movies Will Never Be Re-Made Into Animation Claims Disney Animation Boss

At this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Collider’s Steve Weintraub sat down with Disney Animation’s Chief Creative Officer, Jared Bush, to pick his brain on the eagerly anticipated Zootopia 2. Bush, who served as co-director on the first film alongside Byron Howard, tells us he’s just as excited as audiences to return to a world that he deeply loves, and lets us in on some of the behind-the-scenes and what production looks like now.

In Zootopia 2, we’ll return to the bustling animal metropolis, where Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) find themselves hot on the trail of a new snake in town, Gary De’Snake (Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan), in a new whirlwind mystery adventure. The voice cast also introduces Quinta Brunson as Dr. Fuzzby and Fortune Feimster as Nibbles Maplestick.

In this interview, Bush explains why it took nearly a decade to return to the world of Zootopia and goes in-depth on the brand-new neighborhood the sequel will take fans to, Marsh Market. He also discusses what was most important to the story of Zootopia 2, Disney Animation branching out into other live-action IP, and shares details on Frozen 3.

What Did ‘Zootopia 2’ Take Nearly a Decade?

“It’s a major undertaking.”

COLLIDER: Let me start by saying congratulations on the new gig. It’s awesome.

JARED BUSH: Yeah. There’s no way around it. It’s like this weird dream.

I was a huge fan of the first Zootopia. How come I had to wait so long for a sequel?

BUSH: This is a question I get asked quite a lot. Two factors. The biggest one is that after the first Zootopia, Byron [Howard] and I started to work on Encanto almost immediately, and we had to clear Encanto first as we finished up Zootopia. Then the other part, to be honest, is that it’s a major undertaking, and trying to figure out when to do it, when’s the right time, and then what do we want to say? And that’s knowing the expectations of this film and wanting to continue the story in a way that is very true to character, but that the character story dovetails into the larger thematics and what’s happening in the mystery. It’s just a lot of work, and it takes time to figure it out.

‘Zootopia 2’ Takes Us Into the Marsh Market

Creating this neighborhood was like “an alien environment that you have to invent.”

I saw the footage today, and there is an incredible action set piece in the movie. Talk a little bit about how you decide where and when to deploy the budget resources, because a scene like that is not cheap.

BUSH: The scene you’re talking about is in Marsh Market, this environment that is designed for semi-aquatic and marine mammals. We didn’t get to see that part of the town in the first film, and very early on, this was a neighborhood that I was really excited about. So, to your point, you have to say, “Well, where are we going to put our focus as we’re moving forward?” And that was just a location that we deeply believed in. But to do it right, the entire neighborhood has to be built out so believably that we wanted to make sure that, when you got there, the audiences got their money’s worth, and we were doing something that was fun and exciting and a challenge and really took advantage of the entire environment. So, early on, we had to say, “This is going to be a priority, and all of our resources are going to be put around making this something really special.”

What do you think would surprise animation fans to learn about what shots are more expensive than people would think, and that you actually have to debate?

BUSH: It’s interesting. It’s a difficult question because sometimes the reason it is more quote-unquote expensive is because of the location that it’s set in, and you have to build that location. So, of course, sometimes we have a set extension, and so we’re not actually building the whole thing out, but for a movie like this, for that location that you’re referencing, so much thought and time has to be put into it. I think specifically for that one, it’s an environment that there’s no human equivalent to. So, as opposed to someone going to Tundra Town, which is cold, and you go, “Oh, I know what it’s like to be cold. I know what a human being does in the cold. I kind of know what an animal would do in the cold,” or in the desert, “Oh, I know what a human being does in the desert.” But to have a location that is both above water and below water, designed for animals that go above and below constantly, as if there’s no transition between those two things, means that it’s almost like an alien environment that you have to invent what that society looks like. That takes tons of iteration to do something that’s really fun and clever and outside of the box, but when you see it, it feels very organic. To me, it’s sort of the thought process into the location that makes those things really difficult.

Then, there are an immense amount of animals. That’s the other part of this. Every single shot you’re seeing hundreds of animals. All of those animals have their own storylines going on. All of those animals are largely seals and sea lions and walruses — they are not bipedal at all. That means that how those guys even move around is another thing that needs to be figured out. So, it takes dozens of people in multiple departments to figure all that out that goes into making a shot like that.

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Where are you in the actual production process? Because the movie comes out in November.

BUSH: We’re cranking. There are a lot of different departments. We are heavy into animation right now. We have an audience preview that’s coming up; you usually learn something from that. But usually, this is the point that we’re kind of into last looks and adjustments. So, that’s where we are right now. To me, this is the very fun, exciting part because you’re moving past story questions and you’re going into the execution of ideas and people operating at their highest level. People know the characters in the world well enough. I just literally came from a meeting a second ago. You’re just seeing people at the very top of their game, absolutely crushing it. So, it is an immense amount of work that we are doing right now as we’re finishing up, but also, you’re seeing some of the most special animation we’ve ever done.

‘Zootopia 2’ Keeps Nick and Judy Front and Center

“Your central characters are what people are really there to see.”

I’m sure at some point in the past, you showed a version of this movie. What was the big thing you learned in one of those early screenings?

BUSH: It’s funny, I think one of the benefits of having done this a few times at this point is I am always waiting for that moment where you go, “Okay, we really took our eye off the ball on what needs to be fixed.” I’d say for this one, we kept on asking that question. I think more than anything else, something that, certainly for a sequel that’s important, is there’s always a tendency to just want to do something enormous and huge for the sake of it. I think audiences expect there to be something bigger, something more, but for me, sequel stories that are the most successful are the ones that don’t forget that your central characters are what people are really there to see. So, early on, we got some really good feedback that said, “Hey, you have this big mystery that’s going on, but what we really care about is the character story between Nick and Judy. So, making sure that they’re always the dominant part of that, and that required us to deepen their character story, at the same time, to simplify the mysteries so that didn’t start to take over and become too weighty and didn’t allow you to spend time with the characters.

In the last few years, I’ve been really impressed with the animation being produced in Hollywood. I think the audience clearly showed their love for Spider-Verse. I saw the footage today of Gatto. How have you, as an animation fan, seen what’s being done in the evolution of storytelling and said, “Disney Animation needs to do insert this?”

BUSH: I get asked that question a lot. I think, across the board, people are really trying to push what animation can do and the style. To me, more than anything, continuing to evolve that style is important, but it always has to be tied organically to the story. So, Spider-Verse is a great example of that. It works so well and it’s groundbreaking, but it’s also deeply tied to comic books, and so that style makes a lot of sense to push that way, because it is so deeply tied to what the story is and what the genre is. So, as we’re moving forward, I think we have to keep surprising our audience.

I’d say the one distinction that Disney Animation has is we have this 100-year history, so there are people that watch our movies that are 20, 30, 50, 60 years old, right next to the movies that are coming out now, and there is an audience expectation that they feel of the same world. So, trying to figure out where we can break the mold, which is important to do, and sort of push forward, and at the same time, we’re not just dropping a legacy just to do it, because we feel it’s necessary. So, more than anything, I think it is making sure that any project that’s going to push some of those boundaries, there’s a reason to do it, and that reason is tied to the story itself.

Could We Get Disney’s Live-Action Franchises in Animation?

“We have these amazing storytellers who have a view of the world that’s important.”

This leads me to my next thing. I’ve said this for years to people, and I’m wondering how much you’re thinking about this. Obviously, people want to see original movies, and they also love sequels, and they love IP. No matter what they say, they love it. My question is, how much have you already started thinking about taking Disney IP that has not been made in animation yet, i.e, Tron or Pirates — there are so many things that Disney has made — and bringing it to the animated world?

BUSH: It’s interesting. Disney Animation puts out one theatrical release per year, so those are very special things. So I think that, within the building, we have these amazing storytellers who have a view of the world that’s important, and I think more often than not, people are drawn to a story that they’re deeply connected to. So I’d say for us, usually that means it’s an original or it is stepping into, for me, for instance, Zootopia 2 is a world that I deeply love. Working on the first film, we always wanted to expand that world, and so stepping into something where we’re continuing the story because we love it is really important. I think pulling from other things would only be difficult in that you’d have to have a deep connection to it. So I guess it’s not an impossible thing, but in my experience, I think where most people are drawn to, typically artists like to create something brand new or play in the world that they already created.

Disney+ is a huge priority for the company. Even if they slow down on output, it’s still a massive priority. How much is there the possibility of doing more Disney animation on Disney+? Based on traffic on Collider, when a movie is in theaters and then it goes to streaming, it is a way bigger deal.

BUSH: We think about that a lot. I’d say that for me in this role, my number one priority is making sure that we are putting something in the theaters that people want to go see in theaters. I think the shared experience of being in an auditorium with a bunch of people laughing at the same time or crying at the same time, or being surprised at the same time is a it’s a very unique experience. I have three teenage boys, and they are hungry for that shared experience. So, more than anything, it is protecting our theatrical releases to make them phenomenal movies that, globally, everybody can relate to and want to go see.

In terms of Disney+, you’re right. When we take a movie that’s been in theaters and put it on Disney+, there’s no downside, meaning it’s not like, “Oh, if I hadn’t put that in theaters, it would have done better on Disney+.” There’s actually almost no correlation, or if anything, it makes people want to go see it more when it goes to the service. In terms of other material, we do have short form that we look at for Disney+, but I find that for right now, making theatrical our clear focus is the best moving forward.

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I’ve spoken to Kevin Feige many times, and he’s always talked about how they have their five-year or their 10-year plan, and then that plan changes all the time. So, at the office, how far ahead is Disney Animation on the board? Do you have the next eight years figured out?

BUSH: I do. For me, stepping into this role, I am a planner. I like charts and graphs, and I like knowing where something is, always with the idea that if we need to make an adjustment, if we need to be flexible, we have to do that. We have a really fun puzzle of a schedule because we have to balance originals to a continuation of stories, but we also have musicals to non-musicals, which is another aspect that’s kind of unique to us. So, looking and saying, “How do all these fit together?” Then, obviously, we have Pixar that we work in concert with and that are great friends of ours, so making sure that our schedules are also aligned or we’re supporting each other in the same way is a really fun balance. Our movies also take five to six years; it makes you really have to be thinking that far down the field and have a plan set up. Everyone at Disney Animation loves to be excited and inspired by the next thing out, so that’s also for us, too. It’s not just for the audience. It’s saying, what’s going to keep people excited in the studio and push boundaries and give them challenges?

Jared Bush Teases “Phenomenal” Work on ‘Frozen 3’

“I think we’ll surprise people in the best way.”

Of course, I have to bring up a certain franchise called Frozen.

BUSH: I’ve heard of it.

I’ve heard it’s very popular, and you guys are making two sequels. What can you tell people about them? Is the third and fourth a two-part movie, or are there separate stories in each one?

BUSH: Some of that is under wraps, but what I’d share with you is that right now, the work being done on Frozen 3, specifically, is phenomenal. When people see it, I think returning to that world with those characters, the entertainment value of watching them go on a new journey, but that feels very organic to the story they’ve already been on, is fantastic. For me personally, I think that it’s critical to make sure that every movie we do is fantastic. We have the luxury of being able to look at movies many times, so looking at Frozen 3 as, “Can we tell the very best story we can with that and not worry about where we’re going to split into that next story,” is sort of important. One thing at a time is, to me, the best way to approach it.

Have you guys started working on the music? Have you heard the song? Each of the frozen movies has the song.

BUSH: The song is always deeply tied to what the character’s story is going to be and what those dynamics are. I’d say I have an idea of what that’s going to be. That’s very exciting. I think we’ll surprise people in the best way. I guess that’s as much as I can say about that.

Zootopia 2 is set to release in theaters on November 26.

Zootopia 2

Release Date

November 26, 2025

Director

Jared Bush, Byron Howard

Writers

Jared Bush