Now established as official partners at the ZPD, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde face their most challenging case yet when a mysterious reptile named Gary arrives in Zootopia—a city where reptiles have never existed. As they go undercover to track him down, they uncover a century-old conspiracy involving the city's elite that threatens to unravel the delicate balance of their society. With their own partnership tested like never before, the duo must decide if they can truly trust each other when the stakes are higher than ever.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
November 26, 2025 |
Running time |
108 minutes |
Genre |
Animation Adventure Comedy Mystery Family |
Budget |
$150,000,000 |
Box Office |
$1,712,000,000 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
Jared Bush Byron Howard |
Produced by |
Yvett Merino |
Written by |
Jared Bush |
Music by |
Michael Giacchino |
Cinematography |
Daniel Rice (Lighting) Tyler Kupferer (Layout) |
Edited by |
Jeremy Milton |
Production Co. |
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Animation Studios |
Distributed by |
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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Movie Collection |
Movie Order: #02 in Zootopia Collection
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The Plot
Heroes Under Pressure
Following the arrest and incarceration of Dawn Bellwether, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are hailed as heroes throughout Zootopia. Now official partners in the ZPD, the duo continues to patrol the streets, eventually earning the rank of detectives. Their actions, however, have become increasingly erratic, fueled in part by Judy’s relentless determination to prove herself and Nick’s casual inability to take anything seriously. Mayor Brian Winddancer, a former action film star, publicly applauds the duo for breaking species stereotypes, but inside the precinct, tensions are rising. One week into their partnership, Chief Bogo briefs the department on a high-stakes target: Antony Snootley, a suspected criminal posing as a dock inspector who is believed to be smuggling contraband through the shipyard.
Bogo assigns the operation to seasoned veterans: Captain Hoggbottom and Officer Truffler on point, Officers Higgins and Bloats in the middle, and the "Zebros" taking up the rear. Before Bogo can even assign Nick and Judy to a lowly observer role, Officer Clawhauser bursts in to announce that the rookie detectives are already on site—and they have a baby with them. Against Bogo’s wishes, Nick and Judy, accompanied by a reluctant Finnick, have gone undercover at the docks posing as a family to get close to Snootley.
The Dockside Ambush and the Chase
At the shipyard, the disguised trio approaches Snootley. Nick launches into a distracted, elaborate sob story about "his son" Finnick’s various ailments to keep Snootley occupied, while Judy slips away to inspect a suspicious large crate. Just as she prepares to crack it open, Bogo’s voice roars over the walkie-talkie, ordering them to stand down and wait for backup. Ignoring the direct order, Judy pries the crate open, revealing a massive shipment of illegal catnip. The sound alerts Snootley, who realizes the "family" is actually police. He immediately bolts, hijacking a catering van to make his escape.
Nick admits defeat, but the sudden arrival of the "Frantic Pig" in his souped-up Hog Rod gives them a second chance. Commandeering the vehicle, the duo initiates a high-speed pursuit through the city. Captain Hoggbottom intercepts them, ordering the rookies to let the "real teams" handle the situation, but Judy insists they are a real team and recklessly speeds up. Nick navigates her through a shortcut, bringing them neck-and-neck with Snootley. The chase comes to a chaotic end when Snootley is distracted by a banner blocking his windshield and is subsequently knocked unconscious by a stop sign. His van careens toward the Zootennial parade crowd. Against Nick’s advice, Judy leaps into the moving van to steer it away, crashing it off a bridge. The vehicle lands on and destroys the newly unveiled statue of Ebenezer Lynxley, one of Zootopia’s founders. While the Zebros take credit for the arrest, Judy investigates the wreckage and discovers something baffling: shed scales and a snakeskin, despite the fact that no snakes reside in Zootopia.
The Ultimatum
Back at the precinct, the atmosphere is toxic. Bogo is apoplectic with rage over the public destruction of a founder’s monument. The argument heats up when Judy tries to present the snakeskin as evidence, only for Captain Hoggbottom to dismiss them as "one-hit wonders" who belong back on meter duty. Nick exacerbates the situation by taunting Hoggbottom, suggesting she is jealous of their ride in the Hog Rod and comparing her likeness to her mother. Bogo clears the room, leaving only Nick and Judy.
In a moment of candor, Bogo admits that despite his efforts, he likes Judy, but her need to prove herself is reflecting poorly on the ZPD and any future rabbits who want to join the force. When Nick tries to deflect with humor, claiming it’s a defense mechanism for a traumatic childhood, Bogo offers a retort: "Would you like a traumatic adulthood?" He issues a "make or break" ultimatum: the duo must attend partner counseling with Dr. Fuzzby. If they cannot resolve their dysfunction, they will be permanently separated and barred from case work.
Therapy and Dysfunction
The duo arrives at the office of Dr. Fuzzby, a therapy animal who immediately psychoanalyzes their relationship. Fuzzby deduces that Judy suffers from a compulsive need to take the lead without consulting her partner due to constant stress, while Nick hides his deep-seated self-consciousness and insecurity behind a wall of humor and sarcasm. The diagnosis annoys both detectives, who insist they are fine, but Fuzzby warns them that their partnership is fragile.
Following the session, the tension lingers. Back at the station, Judy plans to plead her case to Bogo again. Nick attempts to lighten the mood by getting her a "Big Carrot Soda" from the vending machine. In a display of frustration and clumsiness, he accidentally throws the soda can through the office wall, where it sprays Paul Moledebrandt, who is working on a computer, further alienating them from their colleagues. As they leave the precinct, mocked by other officers, Judy affirms that they need to prove their worth "forever."
Connecting the Dots
At their respective homes, the partners handle the stress differently. Nick lounges around his apartment, avoiding responsibilities, while Judy studies fiercely, dodging a call from her talkative parents, Bonnie and Stu, who lecture her on healthy partnerships. Distracted, Judy turns on the news and sees a report on the upcoming Zootennial Gala, a celebration of the city's 100th anniversary hosted by the affluent Lynxley family. The report highlights the unveiling of Ebenezer Lynxley’s journal, which contains the original patents for the city’s weather walls.
Judy notices that the catering vans at the Gala are identical to the one Snootley was driving. Connecting the vans to the snakeskin she found earlier, she deduces that the mysterious reptile is planning to steal the journal. She rushes to Nick’s apartment, recruiting a reluctant Wilde to infiltrate the Gala. Nick argues that Bogo will split them up if she’s wrong, but Judy counters that they will be split up anyway if they don't act.
The Zootennial Gala
Using Judy’s old meter maid cart, the pair arrives at Lynxley Manor in Tundratown. Disguised in formal wear and equipped with earpieces, they blend in with high-profile guests, including Mr. Big and Mayor Winddancer. Judy approaches the display case containing the journal and notes its unusual metal cover. She bumps into Pawbert Lynxley, the youngest son of the family patriarch Milton Lynxley. Judy immediately befriends the awkward Pawbert, causing Nick to feel a pang of jealousy. Their conversation is cut short when Milton, accompanied by his elder children Cattrick and Kitty, arrives to sternly reprimand Pawbert.
As Milton takes the stage to welcome the guests and announce plans for Zootopia’s expansion, Nick spots a hooded figure perched on a chandelier high above the crowd. Before he can warn Judy, Chief Bogo spots him. Bogo grabs Nick, dragging him toward the exit and declaring that he and Judy are "done." In the struggle, Nick kicks a spotlight, blinding the figure on the chandelier. The intruder falls, crashing onto the stage and revealing himself to be a blue pit viper named Gary De'Snake. Panic erupts. In the chaos, the Zebros aggressively shove a tiger dancer aside to evacuate Mayor Winddancer, causing pop star Gazelle to glare at them with a grudge.
The Frame-Up
Gary the snake seizes the opportunity to steal the journal and kidnap Milton Lynxley, slithering away into the manor. Judy gives chase, cornering them in the Lynxley den. Gary pleads with her, insisting he stole the journal only to help his family return home and that Milton is the true villain. Judy hesitates, sensing truth in his words, but Nick arrives late to the scene. Unaware of the nuance, Nick knocks Gary unconscious with a frying pan. Milton, Cattrick, and Kitty rush in, demanding that the officers kill the snake and keep the incident quiet. When Nick and Judy refuse to execute a suspect, the situation turns volatile.
Bogo bursts into the room, furious. In a freak accident, the unconscious Gary jerks awake due to the cold temperature and bites Bogo on the head, injecting him with venom and losing a fang in the process. Bogo collapses into a coma. As Judy pulls the fang from Bogo’s head, Captain Hoggbottom and Truffler arrive. Taking advantage of the optics, Cattrick lies, claiming Judy and Nick attacked the Chief to help the snake. Hoggbottom assumes the worst. With no other choice, Nick and Judy grab the journal and the snake, escaping through a window just as a masked figure on a motorcycle arrives to scoop up Gary. The detectives are left running into the night, branded as traitors.
Descent into the Underworld
Fleeing the police, the duo is intercepted by Mr. Big’s limousine. They are tossed into the trunk, where Judy receives a call from her parents; Nick destroys her phone to prevent tracking. The car takes them to a warehouse where Mr. Big and his daughter Fru Fru are running a legitimate fashion business. Mr. Big reveals that the Lynxleys are powerful crime lords who built the weather walls and have controlled the underworld for a century. He offers Nick and Judy fake passports and a safe passage out of Zootopia. Nick wants to take the offer, but Judy refuses to give up. Fru Fru suggests they contact a podcaster named Nibbles Maplestick, a conspiracy theorist who has long argued for the existence of secret reptiles in Zootopia.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, an enraged Milton Lynxley orders Mayor Winddancer to hunt down Nick and Judy, threatening the Mayor’s political future if he fails. The media paints the duo as rogue agents responsible for "fanging" Chief Bogo.
The Marsh Market
Nibbles Maplestick picks up the fugitives, thrilled to be part of the adventure. She drives them to Marsh Market, a run-down district for aquatic mammals that is slated to be paved over by the Lynxleys' Tundratown expansion. At a local dive bar, Nick’s abrasive humor gets them in trouble with a sea lion juggler, but Nibbles manages to smooth things over. They eventually find Russ, a plumber walrus, who agrees to strap seats to his belly and ferry them across the water to a secret location.
The Reptile Hideout
The ferry takes them to a vertically sunken ship, a secret hideout for the hidden reptile population. Inside, they meet Jesús, a basilisk lizard. After a prank involving eating worms, Jesús examines the stolen journal. He explains that the metal cover contains a secret visible only to reptile eyes—specifically snakes—and that a tortoise was once killed trying to protect this secret, leading to the banishment of all reptiles. The ZPD, tipped off by the angry sea lion juggler, raids the hideout. Jesús helps the trio escape by running across the water, but Gary appears and swallows the journal before fleeing. Judy and Nick pursue him into a water tunnel, eventually washing out near the Cliffs of Copenhoofen.
The Breaking Point
Soaked and exhausted at the base of the cliffs, tensions boil over. Nick blames Judy for their predicament, while Judy is furious at losing the snake. They encounter two German-accented goats who point them toward an abandoned honeymoon lodge at the summit. As they climb, Nick playfully taunts Judy using her carrot pen recorder—the same one she used to blackmail him, now a symbol of their partnership—playing a remix of her saying, "I really am just a dumb bunny." The playful teasing turns into a genuine fight. They struggle over the pen, and it slips, falling down the cliff and shattering on the rocks below. The silence is deafening. Devastated, Judy climbs ahead, leaving a guilt-ridden Nick behind.
At the lodge, Judy finds newspaper clippings detailing the vilification of reptiles. Nick catches up, seeing the ZPD closing in. He begs Judy to leave, shouting that "the case isn't worth dying for." Judy, heartbroken by his lack of commitment, replies that perhaps they are "too different" to be partners. The ZPD bursts through the walls, separating them.
Betrayal and Capture
In the chaos, Judy is saved by the masked motorcyclist, who reveals himself to be Pawbert Lynxley, working with Gary the snake. Pawbert claims he wants to stop his family’s evil deeds. Judy is hit with a tranquilizer dart but is whisked away by Pawbert and Gary. Nick, however, is captured. Milton Lynxley interrogates Nick in the back of a police van, mocking him for his reckless heroism and his obvious feelings for Judy. He claws Nick’s paw, promising that Nick will be forced to watch Judy die.
The Secret History of Zootopia
Judy wakes up in a desert campsite in Sahara Square with Gary and Pawbert. Gary uses his heat vision to look at the journal’s metal cover, revealing hidden drawings. Pawbert explains the truth: Zootopia was founded not by Ebenezer Lynxley alone, but alongside Gary’s great-grandmother, Agnes De'Snake. Agnes designed the city and the weather walls to allow all species to coexist. Ebenezer stole her credit, burned her patent (which was saved by a tortoise maid), framed her for murder, and exiled the reptiles to a hidden district called Reptile Ravine. The drawings reveal a map to the ravine, accessible via a clock tower on the Lynxley estate.
Prison Break
Thrown into jail, Nick finds himself in a cell opposite Nibbles. He finally opens up, admitting to her that he refused to help Judy because she is his first real friend and he was terrified of losing her. Nibbles reveals she has picked the lock. In a clumsy escape attempt, Nick accidentally hits the master release, opening every cell in the prison. Chaos ensues as 200 criminals, including Dawn Bellwether, escape. Nick and Nibbles manage to flee and call Flash Slothmore. Though Flash speaks slowly, his driving is anything but. He rushes them across town to intercept Judy, who is being tracked by the ZPD.
Burning Mammal Festival
Judy, Gary, and Pawbert race through the Burning Mammal Festival to reach the weather wall control center. The ZPD is hot on their tails. They crash into Gazelle’s tent, and the pop star, still angry at the Zebros, unleashes her tiger dancers to hold off the police. Captain Hoggbottom corners Judy, aiming a dart gun. She hesitates, her honor battling her orders, but is bumped by Officer Higgins and fires accidentally. Flash arrives just in time, blocking the lethal dart with his car. Judy and her team slip inside the weather wall tower.
Ice Cold Betrayal
Inside the tower, the group finds the switch to power up the lighthouse that marks Reptile Ravine. Just as they succeed, Pawbert reveals his true colors. He stabs Judy with a venom injector and throws Gary out into the freezing cold. Pawbert admits he doesn't want to be a hero; he wants to destroy the original patent to finally earn his father’s acceptance. He steals Gary's fanny pack containing the anti-venom and heads to the roof, leaving Judy paralyzed. He encounters Nibbles and Nick on the way up, poisoning Nibbles as well.
The Rooftop Stand
Gary manages to crawl back to Judy, using his body to absorb her remaining heat to warm himself up, while offering her comfort. The ZPD storms the room, but Gary fights them off. On the roof, Nick confronts Pawbert. They fight precariously on an icy ledge. Pawbert mocks Nick, repeating that "it’s not worth dying for." Nick looks down, remembering Judy’s determination, and retorts, "Agree to disagree." He manages to knock the anti-venom pen from Pawbert’s grasp, throwing it down to Gary.
Gary catches the pen and cures Judy. Vitality returned, Judy sprints to the roof just as the ice ledge shatters. She catches Nick, saving him from the fall. In the emotional aftermath, the two finally bare their souls. Nick confesses that he joined the force not to be a cop, but to be part of a "pack," and that Judy is his pack. Judy tears up, admitting she pushes so hard because she fears being seen as weak. She calls him her "fluffle." Gary cures Nibbles, and the group regroups to stop Pawbert, who survived the fall and is racing toward the manor.
The Maze and the Music Box
The quartet commandeers a snowmobile and chases Pawbert into the massive hedge maze of Lynxley Manor. Using a snowplow, they cut through the maze, cornering Pawbert. He insults them one last time, calling them a "dirt-bag fox and a dumb bunny." Nick stands tall, defending Judy, and points out they have a snake. Gary wraps up Pawbert and slams him into the snow. Meanwhile, Nibbles convinces Mayor Winddancer to stop acting and be a real hero; the Mayor knocks out Milton, Cattrick, and Kitty.
The group descends into the hidden Reptile Ravine via the clock tower. Inside Agnes De'Snake’s preserved home, they find the original patent hidden in a music box. Pawbert attempts a final attack with a jerry can and matches, trying to burn the proof, but is knocked cold by Captain Hoggbottom with a frying pan.
Zootopia Reborn
The truth is broadcast across Zootopia. The Lynxley family is arrested for century-long fraud and crimes. Nick, Judy, and Gary are fully exonerated, and Nibbles receives a pardon. At the hospital, the team visits a recovering Chief Bogo. Clawhauser brings donuts, and Gary offers an apology card for the biting incident. Dr. Fuzzby invites Nick and Judy back to therapy, this time to teach the class on how to embrace differences.
Reptile Ravine is reopened, and reptiles are welcomed back into society. A party is held at Gary’s home, where he reunites with his family. Nick presents Judy with the carrot pen, which he has painstakingly repaired. He hands it to her, saying, "Love you, partner." Judy presses the play button, revealing she accidentally recorded the confession. Flustered, Nick asks for it back, but Judy refuses until their next case. When Nick asks if there will be a next case, Judy reminds him of the 200 criminals they accidentally released.
The Sting and the Epilogue
The duo immediately gets to work. At the airport, Dawn Bellwether attempts to flee to Outback Island. Confident she has escaped, she is shocked when Nick and Judy, in disguise, intercept her.
As the credits roll, Zootopia celebrates at the Burning Mammal Festival with Gazelle performing her new hit "Zoo." Mayor Winddancer resumes his duties, while an imprisoned Pawbert tries to reconcile with his furious father using a "Partnership for Dummies" book. Bellwether is shown plotting in her cell, and Bogo is seen dancing. In a post-credits scene, Judy places the carrot pen on her window stand. She replays Nick’s "Love you" message, annoying her neighbors Bucky and Pronk. As she leaves for work, a mysterious shadow flies past her window, leaving a single brown feather behind.
