Over Thanksgiving break, millions swarmed to the theaters in order to view the sequel to the Disney movie Zootopia. A few days before Thanksgiving, on November 26th, the movie had been successfully released in theaters, reaching a gross profit of $616.8 million worldwide at the end of the first week.

For many viewers, the success of this sequel has shown Disney’s comeback within the entertainment industry. Due to several movie flops from Disney in recent years, the release of Zootopia 2 was heavily anticipated, with excitement yet caution for a sequel of an already celebrated movie. However, on the other hand, many knew from the start that Zootopia 2 would be a major success. According to Jordyn Charron, a junior at Morris Hills, “I was super excited when I found out there was going to be a second movie because I knew they were going to take a different direction on it.”

This new direction certainly did occur with the plot of Zootopia 2 focusing on Nick and Judy’s relationship as police cop partners. The pair face challenges within their partnership while investigating the mysterious return of a snake to Zootopia. However, when the tide shifts, the pair must run from the cops themselves, on a mission to discover the truth and bring the true criminal to justice. For obvious reasons, the film was a hit with all types of viewers whether children, fans of the first film, or a combination of both. The film was very similar to the original with light hearted jokes and the return of many loved characters, incorporating the old with the new very successfully.

However, despite the success of the movie, there is still room for improvement and criticism even from beloved fans. Senora Perez, a Spanish teacher at Morris Hills, feels that although the “movie was cute with a creative storyline” it was “a little too long”. In addition, she feels that “the first one was definitely better because it took the stereotypes with the animals and incorporated it into real life situations.” For a different set of reasons, Jordyn also agrees that “nothing can top the OG!” However, she does express that, in her eyes, Zootopia 2 was an amazing production. She commented, “This is one of the better “part 2s” I’ve seen in a while and doesn’t feel rushed or repetitive or too far off from the movie’s original concept, I think they did a great job.”

As of now, Disney has confirmed that they are working on Zootopia 3, although the anticipated release date has not been disclosed. However, many fans are already excited for the next installment in the movie series, as Zootopia 2 had a teaser around the next creature that will be entering into the Zootopia universe. What species will be next? Only time will tell.