Disney sequel drives merchandise boom, and reaffirms animation's emotional connection with Chinese audiences, Zhang Kun reports.

In just under two weeks, the animated blockbuster Zootopia 2 has swept across Chinese cinemas with a speed and appetite worthy of its famously bustling fictional metropolis, drawing crowds, driving merchandise frenzies, and reaffirming the enduring emotional bond between Disney's beloved animal universe and audiences in China.

As the film continues climbing the charts with remarkable momentum, its return signals more than just a sequel — it is the revival of a cultural phenomenon once again shaping conversations, consumer trends, and imaginative storytelling nationwide.

The total box-office revenue of the movie reached 3.1 billion yuan ($439 million) in China by Tuesday, only 14 days after its release on the Chinese mainland on Nov 26, the same day it premiered in the United States.

READ MORE: Zootopia 2 fueling IP shopping bonanza

The figure places the film firmly among the most financially successful imported titles in Chinese box-office history, while beyond theater, its influence spreads even faster: Zootopia-themed licensed products are disappearing from shelves as quickly as they appear.

According to the Shanghai-based news portal The Paper, more than 70 consumer brands have collaborated with the Zootopia IP, spanning toys, fashion accessories, dairy beverages, beauty and skincare items, and household products. Some of the most sought-after items, such as toy figure blind boxes, sold out immediately as they hit the market, with preorders now extending well into the end of January.

Zootopia 2 is the sequel to the 2016 animated adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film in 2017, Zootopia was written and directed by Byron Howard, Jared Bush and Rich Moore. The film introduced the world to Judy Hopps, a young rabbit who becomes the first of her kind to join the city police force in an animal metropolis. Determined to prove herself, the rookie cop has to team up with a con artist fox named Nick Wilde to solve a criminal case.

The film received widespread critical acclaim for its animation, characters, and humor, especially the themes against discrimination and social stereotypes, challenging assumptions and promoting inclusiveness.

"Zootopia has long held a special place in the hearts of our fans and audiences, particularly here in China, ever since this original animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios captivated viewers nearly a decade ago," says Zhang Ming, senior vice-president and managing director, The Walt Disney Company (China) Limited.

An audience member said the movie is "impeccable in every aspect: the characters, the animation, and screenplay". Others said they love its "amazing details", as well as "real-life issues in human society"; "you'll find whatever you are looking for in this movie"; and "such is the utopia Disney has built for us: it's always kindhearted, brave, and utterly unexpected", read some of the short critiques on the movie-rating website Douban, where Zootopia got 9.3 out of 10 points.

Its spin-off series of animated shorts, Zootopia+, has led the viewing charts in its category on major Chinese video platforms.

Earlier this November, Disney launched A Day in the Life of Zootopia — a collection of four fun-filled animated shorts that Disney codeveloped with Shanghai Animation Film Studio.

The Walt Disney Company hosted a global celebration for Zootopia 2 on Nov 18 at Shanghai Disney Resort — home to the first and only Zootopia-themed land in the world — followed by the film's China premiere at the Walt Disney Grand Theatre.

"We are beyond excited to invite everyone back to the expansive animal metropolis of Zootopia to join Judy, Nick, and a whole new cast of characters as they embark on their next thrilling adventure," said Disney Animation chief creative officer Jared Bush at the event, who is also the writer and director of Zootopia 2.

"The growing partnership of this dynamic duo is tested like never before," Bush said. "To share the new chapter with our amazing fans inside an immersive land inspired by our original story is truly an experience of a lifetime."

Bush and Zootopia 2 producer Yvett Merino talked with the media on Nov 19, sharing how they brought back fan-favorite classic characters and introduced lovable newcomers, brand-new landscapes, and surprises into unexpected new parts of the animal metropolis.

One of the fun challenges was the creation of the colorful animal characters, Bush said. Zootopia "somewhat demands a lot of characters early on", he said. "They all have to feel like they are not like the ones around them, and then in this world, they also have to feel like they are true to the animal that they represent."

Collaboration played an important role in achieving the authentic representation of the large number and diverse species in Zootopia 2, he said. There are 700 people who work on any Disney movie, "and everybody has a voice … we are constantly asking for feedback and new ideas".

He talked about the "story jams", which are gatherings of up to 40 people for brainstorming creative ideas. He cited the example of a session about an area in the movie known as Marsh Market. "It's somewhat a weird location because there is no human-world equivalent to a place where you live above and under water, which is uniquely animal.

"So we said, don't worry about the story or what happens there. What might you find there? Just what's the most entertaining or smart idea?

"Thousands of ideas came out of these story jams for me," he said. Visual artists on the movie attended the sessions, drawing beautiful production-ready images, and the animation department also came in for ideas.

"Those departments typically don't get to interact until much later in the process. And the fact that we brought everybody in early meant that a story team could see how an animator was thinking a year before a movie would ever actually get to animation, and it really helped us a lot," he said.

READ MORE: World's first Zootopia land opens at Shanghai Disney Resort

Of all the new animal characters in the new sequel, Gary De'Snake is Merino's favorite. "He's so optimistic, and sees the world in such a beautiful way. I wish we could all be more like Gary. I wish I could be more like Gary," she said.

Gary De'Snake, with his voice performed by Chinese American actor Ke Huy Quan, is a character designed with Chinese audiences in mind from the beginning, Bush said.

Three years ago, when Bush and Merino began to talk about the reptile characters in the movie, "we knew this was going to be the Year of the Snake", Bush said. "It has to be (released in) the Year of the Snake, so that was on purpose … That was very important to me."

Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn