Hi r/movies! I'm Jared Bush, director of ZOOTROPOLIS 2 & ENCANTO, I wrote the screenplay for MOANA and I was a writer on ZOOTROPOLIS, MOANA 2 and the upcoming live-action adaptation of MOANA. Since 2024, I've also served as Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Ask me anything! I'll be back on Monday at 5pm GMT/12pm ET/9am PT to answer any of your questions, see you there!
by JaredBushOfficial
33 Comments
What if humans existed in Zootopia?
When will you break the silence on WildeHopps? Curious minds want to know!
(Also, thank you for helping to bring Zootopia 2 to the screen! It was my favourite movie from last year, just a blast to watch!)
Zoo….tropolis? Is this the Mandela effect? I swear they literally say “Zootopia” in the movie.
I appreciate Zootopia and Encanto for not relying solely on tragedy to push the story forward. Looking at you dirty MFers at Pixar.
is it hard to direct an animation movies?
Hi Jared! It was reported that Zootopia 2 cut an extended reference to Silence of the Lambs over the fact that “kids wouldn’t get it”.
However the first film features an extended reference to The Godfather and I’m pretty sure kids are similarly unfamiliar with the original scene. So could you expand on the decision and why the Godfather joke in 1 was kept but the Silence of the Lambs joke in 2 was cut?
Is it true that Judy never visits Nick’s house based on the scene early in Z2 that shows how much of a slack he is?
Hello Mr. Bush! Excellent work on Zootopia 2, I can tell you and the rest of the creative team love this universe and wanted to make something that felt like a genuine, meaningful extension of it rather than a rushed, unfulfilling experience. I’ve got three questions:
1. How’d you even GET Patrick Warburton to voice Winddancer? And how often did you guys laugh during recording sessions?
2. The animation landscape is shifting faster than ever before with independent projects from Glitch and other grassroots coalitions of animators currently taking the spotlight. Do you think they can co-exist with major corporations or will things continue to change?
3. I know I know…you’ve probably been asked this question like a million times and you’re probably going to hear it a million more…but here goes…is a 2D-animated film in the cards for this era of Walt Disney Animation Studios?
I have a lot of respect for your new role at Mickey’s stomping grounds. You’re gonna do great!
Is there anything you’d like to tease about Hexed?
How often do you find a movie ss elevated by a good soundtrack or score or both?
Is Encanto fully explored? As a story it’s very well tied off, did it tell everything it was made to tell?
I know LionsGate is/has moved towards AI tools in-house. What role if any will AI have in the Disney creative process? Whether from story-boarding a quick concept etc…
What do you think of the unofficial “I Will Survive” Zootopia comic by Borba? Was it an influence in any way on Zootopia 2?
Hey Jared, love your work!
Will Disney ever make a hand drawn animated feature ever again? Or are we forever in the digital art stage. One more, what steps will you take to ensure AI usage will never happen at Disney animation studios?
If you could adapt any story for the screen, what would you choose?
Why do animated films have more than one director? And how are the roles divided between them? Thank you and congratulations on Zootopia’s success
Hey, Jared! Thanks for making such a great film. What would you say was the toughest part about following Nick and Judy’s relationship so soon after part one, given the extended production time? And how did you pull it off? Thanks again!
My question is about a scene about halfway through the film. I’m putting it in spoiler tags as a courtesy.
>!I loved Zootopia 2, but I wanted to ask you about a scene I didn’t love: the conversation after the water tunnel. I think it’s good for characters to have flaws, and Judy putting herself in danger to constantly prove herself is one that works well for her character arc, but Nick nearly died too and her failing to register that and then blaming him for letting Gary get away has been extremely controversial in the fandom. It hurt Judy’s overall likability. Why did you think it was important to have that scene in the movie and were you at all concerned with how it would be received?!<
Which is All time favourite movie of yours
Hi Jared, just want to ask how the collaboration between writing and story art goes. Are there times when the story team thinks something as written can’t be drawn?
What was the best advice you gotten from someone ?
Why did you drop the subtitle “Electric Zoogaloo” from its name? Most upsetting.
How would you describe your job as CCO? A lot of people think it means you have pure creative power over every project, down to the design and every story choice.
I want to say – I enjoyed both Zootopia films and Moana, and they’ve been among the strongest films of the Disney Revival Era. Looking forward to Hexed.
I would like to know if there’s any plans for 2D animated films blended with 3D elements similar to the Renaissance and Experimental Era.
The artistry of those films are immaculate and aesthetically pleasing, not to mention it’s been 15 years since the last 2D film.
PS:- I’ve got an idea that’s something to do with a cheetah.
Hi Mr Bush, I would like to say thank you so much for Zootropolis 2, you and the team did a fantastic job working on this film!!!
I also love Nick and Judy’s relationship in this film so much and the confession scene is so touching.
Here are a few questions:
1) What inspired you to create the story?
2) What makes Judy and Nick’s relationship so special?
3) What was your favourite part from the film?
4) Could we possibly get a third film?
Again thank you and the crew so much,
Keep up the great work 👍👍
Hello Jared, It’s not a question, but a comment.
It’s a shame Disney didn’t give Zootopia the
recognition it deserved even though the first movie was very successful. I hope
the HUGE success of this sequel makes all those executives finally realize that
this is an IP just as big as Frozen.
Hi Jared,
Have you or anyone on the production thought of doing a zootopia game or other type of spin off? The world seems full with life that I wonder how just another movie could cover such a unique world.
Thanks for being here, Mr. Bush! How do you (and by extension Disney Animation Studios overall) feel about a shift back to the 2D animation style that defined the Disney classics that are so well loved?
Were you truly satisfied with Moana 2 as it was released in theaters, or do you wish you could release a “Director’s Cut” after the fact – because… the film kinda feels as if parts were cut out, which didn’t really benefit the story?
What’s your favorite animated film of all time?
Which animated movies do you wish Disney would make a live action out of that hasn’t been done? And which ones you hope they’d stay in the animated format only?
Can you do a backflip
What was the turning point in your career? Was there a lucky break that started the road to your success? I’ve heard that succeeding as a director is 90% Luck and 10% Hard work.