"Zootopia 2" hit theaters late last year, and now fans can relive the adventures of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde at home.
The animated film will arrive on Disney+ on March 11 and is also now available on digital.
"There's so many things that you miss in the theater," actress Yvette Nicole Brown, who is part of the movie's voice cast, told ABC News ahead of the film's Disney+ release. "I'm not just saying this because I want people to stream it, but the animators were so brilliant, the voiceover actors are so brilliant, and there's a lot of stuff I promise you that happened in a frame that you missed."
Since the release of "Zootopia 2," the film has shattered box office records, officially becoming the fifth title from Walt Disney Animation Studios to surpass $1 billion globally, according to Disney.
On top of that, it earned an Oscar nomination for best animated feature in January and also won the BAFTA Award for best animated film last month.
Ahead of the 2026 Oscars, director Byron Howard and producer Yvett Merino reflected on the impact that "Zootopia 2" has had on audiences and why expanding Judy and Nick's world was important to do now.
"I think reflecting the world that we live in is important in all the films that I've done and that I worked on," Merino said. "It is a big priority of mine."
In "Zootopia 2," fans are reunited with their favorite rabbit and fox duo -- Judy and Nick (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, respectively) -- as they team up for a new undercover escapade that takes them deep into a whole new neighborhood of Zootopia. The rookie cops find themselves uncovering a mystery when Gary De'Snake (Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan), arrives in the animal metropolis.
Amid the many animal adventures that unfold, much like the first film, "Zootopia 2" also tackles issues that mirror real-world society, including systemic oppression and prejudice, while emphasizing the importance of standing up for what's right.
While Howard said that while their intention for the film was to not be "messagey," he said that he along with fellow filmmakers wanted the film to be "substantial."
"We love that the audience wants that from these films," he said. "They expect social awareness to be part of what these films are about."
He added, "We also want these movies to end on a note of hope, saying the world is a very complex place, but we have each other. So we never wanna sugarcoat it. It's a tough life to go through, but we have each other and this idea of differences actually bringing us together is really key to 'Zootopia 2.'"
Howard, who co-directed the first "Zootopia" film alongside Jared Bush and Rich Moore, said that expanding the world of Zootopia was exciting, saying that what fueled filmmakers was audiences' reaction to the idea of a city built by animals, for animals.
"It's just fun to play in ... new characters, endless stories to tell," he said.
By his side was Merino, who led Walt Disney Animation Studios on the 2021 film "Encanto," which won the Oscar for best animated feature in 2022.
The producer said that what she loved about working with Howard and Bush was that "we are all curious about the world that we live in."
"When things come into a room that they don't understand, rather than just put it aside and say, 'Well that's not how I grew up,' they're super curious about it, and we're able to dive into it and dive into the differences."
Merino said that curiosity helped give "Zootopia 2" a rich story. She added that the addition of new voices in the cast's 71 speaking parts added another layer to the film.
In addition to Brown and Quan, new voices included Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, Shakira, Patrick Warburton, Ed Sheeran, Quinta Brunson, Robert Irwin, Danny Trejo, John Leguizamo, Josh Gad, David Strathairn, Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song, June Squibb, Dwayne Johnson, Auli'i Cravalho, Anika Noni Rose, Wilmer Valderrama and Stephanie Beatriz.
Brown said working on the film was one of the best experiences she's had. As an actress, she said, getting to record at Disney Animation Studios was also a full circle moment for her.
"As a kid, we grew up watching animated shows and films, and to get to be in the place where the magic happens is just beyond," she said. "Just getting to play a small part in what this film has become is just -- I don't even know where to put that in my brain."
When asked about the possibility of a third "Zootopia" film, Howard and Merino didn't share much, but didn't close the door on another Judy and Nick adventure.
"We're always excited to play in this world, so who knows what that future holds," Merino said.
"Zootopia 2" will arrive on Disney+ on March 11.
The 98th Academy Awards will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 15, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News.
