Walt Disney Animation Studios has been turning out some truly fantastic films in the past few years, from Tangled to Frozen, so it’s pretty exciting to see the company aiming high with one of its upcoming features: anthropomorphic fantasy Zootopia.
The pic, which is being jointly directed by Byron Howard (Tangled) and Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph), takes place in a city populated entirely by animals. Jason Bateman voices Nick Wilde, a con-artist fox who finds himself framed for one of the few crimes he actually didn’t commit. Initially hunted by Lieutenant Judy Hops (Ginnifer Goodwin), Wilde teams up with his would-be arresting officer when she is also framed for the crime.
So, who wants to bet on the wise old owl being secretly responsible? The first image doesn’t tell us much of anything about the pic, but it does showcase a buddy comedy slant that seems very familiar but will still likely be good for some laughs.
Here’s the official synopsis:
In the animal city of Zootopia, a fast-talking fox who’s trying to make it big goes on the run when he’s framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Zootopia’s top cop, a self-righteous rabbit, is hot on his tail, but when both become targets of a conspiracy, they’re forced to team up and discover even natural enemies can become best friends.
Anthropomorphic fantasies are always terrific fodder for young audiences, and animation is at such a place that such a fascinating location could really be depicted on screen to its fullest extent. And with Howard and Moore involved, it seems likely that Zootopia could be another wonderfully imaginative addition to Walt Disney Animation’s recently stellar lineup.
Zootopia opens March 4, 2016. Stay tuned though as a new teaser trailer is expected soon, possibly attached to next week’s Inside Out.
