‘Zootopia 2’ Possibly Tying Itself To Modern Politics?

The debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is more than just words between candidates.

If you’ve watched Zootopia, you should be familiar with the underlying message of prejudice. The movie revolves around “predators” seemingly turning against “innocent mammals”, which leads to speculation that the film is much more than cute creatures and humorous moments. If past and current events are any indication, Zootopia 2 is going to follow suit.

Judy Hopps will return in Zootopia 2 as the first rabbit to join the police force. We see at the beginning of the first movie that Hopps is quickly exposed to the different opinions of change, especially with her being the source of it. Nick Wilde, the sly fox who joins her during her adventures, serves to be the target of racial profiling done by so many in the movie. Are we looking at a mirror image that reflects some of the values of our candidates? The similarities that potentially tie them together are strong.

The speculation stems from the makers of Zootopia having a hand in tying the debate into the current movie. According to Deadline, the filmmakers hosted a debate-watching party on the night of Hillary and Donald’s figurative boxing match. Coincidence? Hardly.

With Zootopia 2 being a sequel, there’s no doubt that Judy Hopps will face further adversity. Hillary Clinton does the same, though her struggle is more “gender” than “species.” A woman running for President of the United States? It would be the first in history if she won. Much like Judy, Clinton is clearly underestimated on some fronts because of her character. If Zootopia 2 were to use current events, Hillary would be the spitting image of Judy and the obstacles that await her. Lost mail and menstruation jokes aside, we’re looking at bright eyes and a bushy tail taking over the office.

Zootopia 2 is almost guaranteed to bring Nick back to the big screen for more action. While it’s considered an insult to put Trump in the same category as a fox (the fox being the insulted party), the traits are still there. The presidential debate proved just how evasive Donald can be; questions were asked, and he dodged giving direct answers while attempting to redirect focus. He plays a card of innocence with sly words. Without question, one could paint a picture of Trump possessing Nick Wilde’s characteristics. He even covers Nick’s physical appearance: critics jab at Trump’s skin color, noting that he seems more “orange” than anything. With a little more hair on his body, Trump would be quite the understudy.

“Election year makes dysfunctional politics of Zootopia ring truer,” said one critic.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Ginnifer Goodwin believes that it was a coincidence that Zootopia was tied into the election’s current state. When asked who she thought was most like character Assistant Mayor Bellwether, Goodwin had this to say.

“The intention behind the politics of the movie is really just a coincidence. It’s not like Disney knew what was coming when this movie was written. It’s just a marvel of coincidence.”

It’s almost as if Goodwin doesn’t want to be caught in the middle of the controversy. If she takes up the role of Judy Hopps in Zootopia 2, she may not have a choice. Whether we want to recognize it or not, there’s definitely a connection between animal and election. By the time Zootopia 2 reaches the big screen, it’s almost guaranteed that we’ll see further similarities adjacent to the speculated agenda.

Ultimately, modern politics are creeping into film. While it might not be the first to be doing so, Zootopia 2 certainly won’t be the last.

Do you feel that Zootopia 2 is an underlying tie to the current election? Are the shared similarities between the film’s underlying tones and our current presidential candidates a huge coincidence? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

[Featured Image by Walt Disney Pictures]