Zootopia 2 set to captivate Chinese audiences

With the long-awaited Zootopia 2 set to premiere, Chinese fans are eager to reunite with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde on the silver screen.

Picking up directly after the first film, which was released in 2016, the new installment follows the two protagonists as they are swept up in a decades-old mystery involving Zootopia's most prominent family, the Lynxleys. The arrival of the first snake in the animal metropolis in 100 years further complicates the plot. When the pair begin to unravel Zootopia's biggest secret, they unexpectedly become fugitives and embark on a new adventure.

The upcoming film will be released in multiple formats, including IMAX. Ginnifer Goodwin, who voices Hopps, described watching Zootopia 2 in IMAX as a "fully immersive experience" that allows audiences to feel every emotion. Jared Bush, the film's director and writer, also described IMAX as his happy place, adding that the format makes audiences feel as if they're truly living alongside the characters.

The film's marketing has captured public attention. A flash mob video has gone viral online, showing more than 10 young professionals suddenly leaving their workstations to change into costumes and dance as the Zootopia 2 theme song plays. This initiative, co-organized by IMAX, the co-working community WeWork, and the professional networking platform Maimai, aims to connect the IMAX cinema experience with the emotional needs and desire for release among young urbanites.

Zootopia 2 will be released simultaneously on the Chinese mainland and North America on Nov 26.