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Shanghai Disneyland Adding ‘Zootopia’-Themed Land

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Mammalian magic is headed to Shanghai Disneyland.

Shanghai Disney Resort has announced that it is adding a new land inspired by the 2016 animated film “Zootopia.” As other areas in the park do, the forthcoming attraction will offer themed entertainment, merchandise, food, and beverages. Guests will get to wander through the “mammalian metropolis” and likely catch glimpses of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde as they do.

“Zootopia” has proved to be a popular film in China and beyond. The movie earned more than $1.02 billion at the global box office. It was also 2016’s second highest-grossing film in China, according to Box Office Mojo data, and it took over as the country’s top animated movie ever.

The “Zootopia” expansion will be Shanghai Disneyland’s second since the park opened in 2016. The first, “Toy Story” Land, opened on April 26, 2018. The other themed areas include Mickey Avenue, Garden of Imagination, Fantasyland, Treasure Cove, Adventure Isle, and Tomorrowland. Ah, there’s so much fun to be had.

Construction on the “Zootopia” expansion is slated to begin before the end of 2019.

[via: Disney Parks Blog]

January 23, 2019
‘Total Recall’ Writer Accuses Disney of Copying ‘Zootopia’

Disney’s “Zootopia” does suggest you “Try Everything,” but they probably don’t mean “file a lawsuit against us.” Disney just picked up the Best Animated Feature Film Oscar for “Zootopia” and now the studio is fighting back after the co-screenwriter of “Total Recall” and “Big Trouble in Little China” filed a lawsuit alleging they copied “Zootopia” from an idea he pitched to them — twice.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, writer Gary Goldman filed the complaint Tuesday, and the lawsuit alleges that Disney has a history of ripping off the work of uncredited writers:

“They did it with ‘Zootopia,’ too, when they copied Gary L. Goldman’s ‘Zootopia.’ Twice — in 2000 and 2009 — Goldman, on behalf of Esplanade, pitched Defendants his ‘Zootopia’ franchise, which included a live-action component called Looney and an animated component called Zootopia. He provided a treatment, a synopsis, character descriptions, character illustrations and other materials. He even provided a title for the franchise: ‘Zootopia.’ Instead of lawfully acquiring Goldman’s work, Defendants said they were not interested in producing it and sent him on his way. Thereafter, consistent with their culture of unauthorized copying, Defendants copied Goldman’s work. They copied Goldman’s themes, settings, plot, characters, and dialogue — some virtually verbatim.”

The complaint included artwork comparisons from Goldman’s pitch to Disney’s “Zootopia” characters (via Deadline):

The lawsuit alleges that Goldman pitched his idea to former Disney executive and Mandeville Films’ CEO David Hoberman at Disney’s offices in 2000, and that everyone at the pitch meeting “understood that writers pitch ideas and materials to studios and producers in confidence in order to sell those ideas and materials for financial compensation.” The company passed, but Goldman tried again nine years later, allegedly pitching his “Zootopia” idea to Disney exec Brigham Taylor in February 2009. Disney then allegedly began work on its own “Zootopia” movie. The lawsuit alleges violation of plaintiff’s copyrights, breach of implied contract, breach of confidence, and unfair competition.

A Disney spokesperson responded to the suit in a statement, saying, “Mr. Goldman’s lawsuit is riddled with patently false allegations. It is an unprincipled attempt to lay claim to a successful film he didn’t create, and we will vigorously defend against it in court.”

Read the full complaint here. “Zootopia” has made more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

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March 21, 2017
What’s New on TV, Netflix, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: June 6-12

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new TV, we’ve got you covered.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

“Zootopia”
Those sloths at the DMV could learn from Disney’s super-fast home release of “Zootopia.” The instant classic blockbuster came out in theaters in early March, and it’s already arriving on Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD, and On-Demand on June 7. The Blu-ray and Digital releases come with a magical amount of bonus features, including “Zoology: The Roundtables,” with Ginnifer Goodwin (who voices rabbit officer Judy Hopps) leading an in-depth look at the movie’s characters, animation, environments, and more. Other extras include “The Origin of an Animal Tale,” “Research: A True-Life Adventure,” “Z.P.D. Forensic Files,” “Scoretopia,” a look at deleted characters, a bunch of deleted and alternate scenes (including an alternate opening), and Shakira’s “Try Everything” music video. The DVD just has “Scoretopia,” the featurette on the making of the musical score, plus the “Try Everything” music video. The Digital HD release comes with its own exclusive “International Character Reel,” showing the variances in news reporters in Zootopia around the world.

Watch this exclusive behind-the-scenes clip from the “Roundtables” featurette, showing voice actors Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman (Nick Wilde) in the recording booth, plus interviews with the animators:

“Hail, Caesar!”
The Coen Brothers are back, this time with a fun, frothy little number about Golden Age Hollywood tomfoolery. Josh Brolin plays the lead role of Hollywood exec/problem solver Eddie Mannix, with backup from all-stars George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson, and new Han Solo Alden Ehrenreich. The DVD and Blu-ray, out June 7, come with several making-of featurettes with the cast and crew.

Check out this exclusive behind-the-scenes clip with Channing Tatum talking about his character, Burt Gurney:

“Jarhead 3: The Siege”
A Marine on his first assignment gets caught up in a global crisis in “Jarhead 3: The Siege,” which is out on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD, and also Netflix on June 7. Original “Jarhead” star Dennis Haysbert returns to co-star with Charlie Weber and Scott Adkins. The Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, and Digital releases include an unrated version of the movie, plus a making-of featurette.

Check out this exclusive clip from the movie:

“Anomalisa”
This latest bit of artistry from the brilliant mind of Charlie Kaufman (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Being John Malkovich”) has its Blu-ray release June 7. The Blu-ray Combo Pack with Digital HD includes an in-depth look at the filmmaking process with writer/co-director Charlie Kaufman and co-director Duke Johnson; details on the groundbreaking techniques used to create one of the most intricate and intimate scenes in the film; and an exploration of sound design and its role in the film’s emotional impact.

New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only

“Midnight Special”
Michael Shannon re-teams with his amazing “Take Shelter” writer/director, Jeff Nichols, for this compelling sci-fi thriller co-starring Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, and Sam Shepard. Own it on Digital HD June 7 before it’s out on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand June 21. The story follows a father, Roy (Michael Shannon), who goes on the run to protect his young son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), who has mysterious powers that even Roy can’t comprehend. The Blu-ray and DVD both come with six special features.

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2”
Opa! The whole Portokalos family is back in this sequel to the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time. Watch Toula (Nia Vardalos), Ian (John Corbett), and their lovingly smothered teen daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) on Digital HD June 7, before the Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand release June 21. The Blu-ray and DVD will include a gag reel and two fun making-of featurettes.

“Casual” Season 2 (Hulu)
Bachelor Alex (Tommy Dewey) finds himself living with his newly divorced sister Laura (Michaela Watkins), and her teen daughter Laura (Tara Lynne Barr) in this sweet, funny, original Hulu comedy series. Watch the dysfunction continue when Season 2 begins on Tuesday, June 7.

TV Worth Watching

“UnReal” Season 2 (Monday on Lifetime at 10 p.m.)
If you like “The Bachelor,” you’ll like “UnReal.” And if you love to hate all things Bachelor Nation, then you will LOVE “UnReal.” Quinn (Constance Zimmer) and Rachel (Shiri Appleby) — who have been compared to the female “Breaking Bad” team — return in the second season of this edgy, addictive, acclaimed drama. In the June 6 premiere, aptly titled “War,” Quinn promotes Rachel to produce Season 14 of “Everlasting,” and Rachel sets out to change history by casting the first African-American suitor. However, newly empowered men’s rights activist Chet arrives on set to reclaim control of the show.

Check out the Season 2 trailer:

“Ride with Norman Reedus” (Sunday on AMC at 10 p.m.)
Fans won’t get to see Daryl Dixon back until October, but AMC is keeping Norman Reedus on screens in this six-episode series, following the actor as he rides to new cities and hangs out with fellow motorcycle aficionados.

“The Americans” Season 4 (Wednesday on FX at 10 p.m.)
Is this the best drama on television? Give it some thought, you have a few days before the Season 4 finale, “Persona Non Grata,” which airs June 8. Here’s the synopsis for Episode 13: ” The explosive season finale of ‘The Americans’ finds Philip and Elizabeth in a high-stakes race against the FBI to recover a hazardous package. Will they get there in time? And will Paige follow her parents into the family business?” The show will be back for a 13-episode Season 5 and a 10-episode Season 6, which will mark The End.

“Tony Awards” (Sunday on CBS at 8 p.m.)
Watch “Hamilton” take it all, including possibly the props and light fixtures, when the Tonys air June 12. James Corden is host, so don’t expect anything controversial. Unless “Hamilton” loses major awards. That would be controversial.

New on Netflix

“Scandal” Season 5
Need to stream all 21 episodes of “Scandal” Season 5? It’s handled, as of June 11. The most recent season ran from September 2015 to just last month, with the May 12 finale, and now you can binge it all, Netflix-style. The Season 6 premiere was pushed back from this fall to midseason 2016-2017, so you have plenty of time to catch up.

“LEGO Friends: The Power of Friendship” Season 2
“Voltron: Legendary Defender” Season 1
These two Netflix Original series are premiering June 10. Honestly, the rest of the week isn’t looking that exciting, but you check out the full June lineup and judge for yourself. A ton of stuff came out back on June 1, and you probably haven’t streamed it all yet, so go for it!

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June 6, 2016
8 Disney Characters That Should Have Their Own Spinoff

April 5, 2016
How ‘Zootopia’ Conquered the Box Office

This was the weekend that adults came back to the multiplex. And, for the most part, what brought them back was a Disney movie about a city of talking animals.

“Zootopia,” which opened at No. 1 with an estimated $73.7 million, broke a number of records. It was the largest three-day opening ever for the Walt Disney Animation Studios brand, beating “Frozen” (though that film’s $67.4 million weekend was diluted a bit from having opened on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving). It’s also the fourth-largest March opening weekend in history. Having opened abroad three weeks ago, “Zootopia” is also setting records in various South American and Asian countries; it’s earned a total of $158.8 million overseas so far.

That the film opened so big in North America surprised no one. It had great reviews (98 percent fresh at Rotten Tomatoes) and great word-of-mouth (A grade CinemaScore). These factored into family audiences packing the multiplex this weekend, but it wasn’t just families that came out to see it. According to Disney’s exit polls, some 46 percent of the audience was over 25. Granted, a lot of them came with their kids. Still, a full 21 percent of the ticketbuyers were adults on their own.

Disney’s been especially good at drawing adults to its cartoons over the past quarter century, ever since its animation renaissance began with 1989’s “The Little Mermaid.” For all its kid-friendly, furry adorableness, “Zootopia” seems even more squarely aimed at adults.

The movie’s premise is essentially that of a mismatched-buddy-cop comedy, only with sleuth partners who happen to be a rabbit and a fox. Much of the humor comes from animal-themed parodies of the frustrations of adult life, like the slow-moving sloths who run the DMV. And the film is rated PG, which suggests that there may be some material in it that’s not perfectly kid-friendly.
Disney also smartly marketed the movie to grown-ups, by attaching trailers to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” It created a series of posters that were parodies of some of 2015’s more grown-up films, including “Straight Outta Compton” and “Mad Max: Fury Road.” It also cast Shakira as a slinky pop singer and had her create a typically hip-swiveling song for the film.

“Zootopia” was especially fortunate, however, in its timing. Besides having the family market to itself, the film was fortunate enough to open opposite some fairly weak adult competition. “London Has Fallen,” sequel to the sleeper hit “Olympus Has Fallen,” could have been a contender, but critics found it a disappointment (just 25 percent fresh at Rotten Tomatoes), and poor reviews likely kept the older audience away. As a result, the movie opened in second place with an estimated $21.7 million, well below the $30.4 million debut of “Olympus” two years ago.

TIna Fey‘s war comedy “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” was also supposed to attract a grown-up audience. But Fey’s not a proven box office draw outside her usual wheelhouse (broad farce), and “WTF” is a semi-serious satire based on recent real-life wartime events. Mixed reviews (60 percent at Rotten Tomatoes) didn’t help. Predicted to open between $10 and $12 million, “WTF” premiered instead with a fourth-place finish of $7.6 million.
And then there’s “Deadpool.” After three weeks on top of the chart, “Zootopia” ended its reign, knocking the superhero adventure to third place with an estimated $16.4 million. (Don’t weep for Wade Wilson; the mouthy Marvel hero has earned $311.2 million to date.) Now, maybe there’s not a lot of audience overlap between an R-rated comedy about a raunchy, pansexual superhero and a PG-rated Disney cartoon whose heroine is a chirpy-voiced bunny named Judy Hopps.

Still, as the residents of “Zootopia” learn, it’s not wise to underestimate Officer Hopps or the power of her perky persistence.

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March 6, 2016
Idris Elba Facts: 9 Things You (Probably) Don’t Know About the ‘Zootopia’ Star

%Slideshow-370303% Luther,” “The Wire.” Now, he’s getting animated with Disney’s new movie, “Zootopia.”

From his near-death experience to struggling in New York, here are nine things you probably never knew about Idris Elba.
[Sources: IMDB, EW, WhatCulture, US Magazine, GQ]

March 4, 2016
8 Disney Characters That Deserve Their Own Spinoffs

%Slideshow-367208%We loved forgetful Dory in “TaleSpin.” But we need more things featuring our favorite Disney characters.

From Sven to Abu, here are eight other Disney characters that deserve spinoffs we can’t wait to watch.

March 4, 2016
‘Zootopia’ Infographic: Disney’s Wild New Movie by the Numbers

How many animators did it take to make Disney‘s “Zootopia“? How many brothers and sisters does Officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) have? How many costume changes does Assistant Mayor Bellwether (Jenny Slate) make? The answers to all of your burning “Zootopia” questions (and then some) can be found in our handy infographic below. You can thank us later.

Disney’s “Zootopia” is in theatres March 4th.

March 3, 2016
‘Zootopia’ May Be the ‘Most Easter Egg-Packed Movie Ever Made by Disney’

This weekend, “Zootopia” joins the illustrious Disney legacy of people-less, all-animal animated movies, like “Robin Hood” and “The Lion King.” Directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore bring us a new take on the genre by creating a world not unlike our own, filled only with anthropomorphic animals, some of whom call the big, sprawling city of Zootopia their home. The movie tackles a number of social and emotional issues, while, at the same time, breaking new ground in computer animation.

We sat down with directors Moore and Howard to talk about the early days of “Zootopia” and the long road to becoming (potentially) one of the most important (and impactful) Disney movies to date.In early concept art, “Zootopia” seemed to have a very different look and story. Can you talk about how the movie went from space bunny adventure to animal metropolis film noir?

Byron Howard: One of the ideas was about animals in space hunting space animals. The other idea was the “The Island of Doctor Meow” that had a Roger Corman B-movie feel about a mad scientist who had a savage serum. So you see little bits of these ideas sort of floating around back then. All these ideas had anthropomorphic animals in them cause I loved “Robin Hood” growing up. John Lasseter was also a fan of that genre of Disney classic cartoons. He said, “I will fully support any movie that features animals running around in tiny clothing.” He got on board and loved the idea of doing it. He really did charge us with making it different from any other animals movie before. He said, “Don’t think about story, just go off and do research.”

We did about seven or eight months of research. We talked to animal experts and sociologists. Experts about how cities get built and formed and then he sent us down here to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and we talked to experts down here who helped us figure out animals personalities. And then finally he said, “Go to Kenya.”

Kenya is amazing. He sent about 14 of us, including a lot of our leadership in different departments of the film, to Kenya. And they were all looking for something different. The animators were looking for movement and how animals’ fur behaves in light, and we came back completely changed and making the film way more in-depth than when we first left. It really did change our viewpoint on what we were going to do.

Computer-generated animation has come a long, long way. In older movies, hair was more like a blob on a character’s head. Now you can see the breakthroughs Disney’s made, from the hair in “Tangled” to the fur in “Zootopia.” It’s outstanding.

Rich Moore: Our technology took a huge step forward on the movie “Big Hero 6,” because they came up with this new software with a rendering system and lighting system called Hyperion. That makes it possible now to just render out an incredible amount of information per frame on our films. We now have the ability to kind of light scenes more organically, from where light sources come from. The process is sped up so much faster now, and when we’re reviewing animation we’re able to see it looking more like the finished frame.Speaking of “Big Hero 6,” that reminds me of how Disney’s movies have been doing a great job of teaching audiences important moral lessons. That movie dealt with loss, and “Zootopia” feels current in exploring the need for empathy as a theme for the characters living in this big city. Is that something you looked to bring forward?

Howard: That’s a very smart question. You’re actually the first one to articulate the question about empathy, which is a central part of what Judy is, I think in building who Judy [Hopps] (Ginnifer Goodwin) is as a character. I go back to the original “Superman” movie, with Christopher Reeve. What I really love about that film wasn’t that he was a superhero it was that he was compassionate. That’s what I think made that film work for me when I saw it when I was 10.

I saw this person who cared and wanted to make a difference in the world, who had these feelings and this desire to make people happy, and I think that’s where Judy comes from, too; the fact that she sort of has this great Frank Capra-esque core but is still a flawed character that has something to learn, to mature. She does and she becomes a more whole character through this very challenging relationship that she has with this very smart fox. They’re both incredibly smart characters. And the fact that she wants to do good in the world but he keeps knocking down her sort of sunny disposition in saying, “Look, it’s not that easy. Things aren’t like that.” The fact that they actually bond over when he was a kid, he wanted the same things. That gave us very strong threads to pull on in the story, and I think that’s why people really are connecting with her. I think everyone wants to make a difference throughout the world but we find it’s sometimes more challenging than we anticipate.

Moore: I think that the key was letting Judy make a mistake. Letting her not be perfect, not a sterling kind of Eagle Scout of a character that never makes a mistake. The fact that if Judy, who is this pure of heart, can have such a blind spot in her life, then it can happen to anyone out of naivety. We knew that once he had Judy as a main character, we knew that we were going with the theme, it was very important to us that she not just be a cartoon character that’s just a champion for everything good, but that our main character, though enlightened and progressive and thinking that she is kind of above the way that her parents think, is susceptible to these things, too.Lastly, I know you guys have fun with the Easter eggs. What do you suggest audiences keep an eye out for in “Zootopia”?

Howard: This is perhaps the most Easter egg-packed movie ever made by Disney.

Moore: Hidden Mickey-ed movie. If you like sign gags, there’s tons of them all throughout. As soon as you get into the city of “Zootopia,” there are sign gags. If you like silly puns, there’s some and there’s groaners. If you like Disney references, I think it may be the first time, maybe “Aladdin” had a few with the Genie, but we went for it because we wanted it to feel like our world. In their world, they have their version of Disney movies. Let’s show ’em.

Howard: Here’s one that no one knows yet. Our character designer is a big fan of Patrick Swayze‘s “Road House,” and one of the villains wears a t-shirt that is a homage to the bar in “Road House.”

Disney’s “Zootopia” hits theaters Friday.

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March 2, 2016
21 Unlikely Voice Actors You’ve Heard in Disney Animated Movies

%Slideshow-368619% Family-friendly studio Disney has a history, going back 60-plus years, of casting performers from the world of grown-up entertainment in its animated hits. In fact, Disney and Pixar’s classics are full of unlikely voice actors.

The cast of “Zootopia” (in theaters Friday, March 4th) joins a distinguished list of stars — some you’d expect, and some you wouldn’t — who’ve lent their voices to Disney animated features, as you can see in the gallery above.

March 2, 2016