Zootopia 2's co-director and the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Jared Bush, recently explained why cats and dogs are not present in the Zootopia movies after fans noticed that there weren't any furry little friends running around. Zootopia 2 recently premiered in theaters and has cemented itself as one of the biggest animated box office juggernauts of all time. Since the film's release, creative minds such as directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard have opened up about what goes into flicks like Zootopia.
Many fans have questioned why it seems as though cats and dogs are non-existent in the Zootopia franchise. Notably, there were no animals of that nature in the first film, and the sequel continued that trend. Recently, Disney producers Jared Bush and Byron Howard answered some fan questions, with the former explaining why dogs and cats don't have a place in Zootopia.
During a Q&A with fans through Weibo (a Chinese microblogging website) as shared via Sina News, Bush and Howard were asked about the lack of dogs and cats in Zootopia, and Bush gave an answer that makes perfect sense. It is worth noting that the following responses from Bush have been translated into English and have been slightly edited for clarity.
In the Q&A, one fan noted that they felt like dogs and cats do not show up in the films because they are domesticated animals, and Zootopia is not a place where there is animal domestication. Bush essentially told the fan they hit the nail on the head, confirming that domestication plays the biggest role in it. Specifically, the co-director stated that "the reason we don't have cats and dogs is because they were domesticated by humans."
However, Bush went even further, confirming that domestication is also the reason fans "don't see monkeys, apes, gorillas, [or] chimpanzees:"
"You came prepared, I like that. I think you're right. The reason we don't have cats and dogs is because they were domesticated by humans. For the same reason — excluding humans — we don't see monkeys, apes, chimpanzees, gorillas, etc. in the film either, because we say: if they don't exist, then no one domesticated them..."
However, there is a technical caveat that Bush brought up. He referenced "African wild dogs," talking about how they are in "the African savanna." Because they are a wild dog, Bush confirmed that they do exist in the world of Zootopia. So, according to the co-director, certain dogs exist, "just not the domesticated breeds we know:"
"This is quite interesting. On the African savanna, there are 'African wild dogs,' a type of untamed, wild dog. So strictly speaking, dogs also exist in Zootopia, just not the domesticated breeds we know."
The co-director and CCO of Walt Disney Animation Studios also pointed out how horses can be wild or domestic, calling them "more laissez-faire" when it comes to their inclusion in the franchise. He did, however, admit that, in certain circumstances, they are okay with "slightly [crossing] the line" if character development calls for it:
"We're definitely more 'laissez-faire' with our stallions (horses can be wild or domestic), though there's still that feeling of a free-spirited horse. Occasionally, we come close to creating some domesticated animals; we try to follow our rules, but for the sake of character development, we occasionally slightly cross the line."
Bush then commended the fans in general for figuring out why domesticated animals like dogs and cats aren't in the Zootopia films, saying that the world's rules are "very important to [them]:"
"However, I appreciate that people have noticed these points and tried to clarify these rules, because they are actually very important to us. In the process of exploring the story, we do need boundaries to figure out what is possible. This has been evident in many aspects since the first film, and I hope it will continue in the future."
The fan asking Bush the question then referenced a line spoken in Zootopia 2 where Idris Elba's Chief Bogo called Jason Bateman's Nick Wilde an "orange dog," saying how that line was funny, even though domesticated dogs don't exist in that world.
Bush admitted that the "line was hilarious," and that it was "improvised" by Elba:
"Absolutely! That line was hilarious. Elba improvised it, and it was fantastic. He only did it once, and then we said, 'Let's try something different,' and he said, 'Orange dog!' In Chief Bull's tone, and we said, 'Great! Use that in the movie!'"
Zootopia 2 also stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps, Ke Huy Quan as Gary De'Snake, and Quinta Brunson as Dr. Fuzzby.
How Zootopia's Domestication Rule is a Symbol of the Franchise's Success
Zootopia's rule about not including domesticated animals, which includes dogs and cats, may seem like a small detail that has little to no importance. On the surface, yes, it is, but it represents something that, deep down, helps make Zootopia the money-printing franchise that it is.
The creative minds behind the Zootopia movies have created rules for the universe they are exploring. The domestication rule is just one of those, but Bush mentioned how it is important that they not overstep those boundaries they have set. In the domestication case, it is simply an in-universe rule, but it also indicates that there are high standards for the rest of the process that the entire production follows.
In turn, these high standards lead to a better product, and, honestly, historically, Disney has always set extremely high or even unreachable standards for its content, whether it be movies, TV shows, or theme parks. Those high standards are largely to thank for the success the company has seen for almost 100 years now.
Zootopia doesn't just read the fine print. It studies it, just as many other Disney films have done over the years. When the next Zootopia installment is released, fans can expect the same attention to detail, and, hopefully, other upcoming Disney titles will take a page out of Zootopia's book.
