Disney’s Zootropolis Trailer Lands; Characters Introduced

It may not be in cinemas for almost 12 months, but Disney have teased us with some new details on the main characters and released a teaser trailer that introduces us to the world they inhabit.

And just to clear things up, the film’s still called ‘Zootopia’ in the US but now goes by the name of ‘Zootropolis’ here in the UK.

USA Today have also revealed some info about our anthropomorphised heroes – a cunning con-artist fox, Nick Wilde, played by Jason Bateman, and a rookie rabbit, Judy Hopps, voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin.

The unlikely duo may be a mismatch in reality, but Disney are known for pairing such animals together, such as in ‘Robin Hood’ which pairs an outlaw fox with a giant bear (aka Little John). Interestingly, Nick does resemble the heroic creature from said 1973 animated feature…

Co-director Rich Moore (’Wreck-It Ralph’) describes the story as focusing on a pair “who would naturally never hang out or like one another in the beginning, but over the course of the movie develop a relationship and become friends.”

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Nick’s shifty, dry-witted demeanour meant Bateman was ideal for the role, according to Moore, and would also provide a funny and warm quality to the character. “He’s a crafty, sarcastic schemer, and that I’ve been doing in parts since I was 12,” shared Bateman.

It seems the actor is the personification of Nick in many ways. "I foolishly said, ‘What kind of voice do you guys want me to do?’ And they just looked at me like I was an idiot and said, 'Just do what you do. Just talk,’ ” Bateman recalls.

The ‘Arrested Development’ star’s counterpart, Goodwin, offers a “very centered sweetness, tremendous heart and a great sense of humor.” Moore even refers to her in a comparable way to Charlize Theron’s character in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ by saying she’s “a little Pollyanna mixed with Furiosa.”

And just in case we still weren’t taking Goodwin’s cute bunny character as seriously as we should, she reminds not to misjudge Judy. “People mistake kindness for naivete or stupidity, and she is a good girl through and through. But she’s not a dumb bunny.”

The early artwork and animated snippets production look gorgeous, so expect to hear a lot more on this one over the coming weeks.

‘Zootropolis’ hits UK cinemas on 25 March, 2016.

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Picture credit: Disney