ZOOTOPIA+ Trailer Gives Minor Characters The Spotlight
Disney+ has a new original streaming series debuting on November 9, Zootopia+. Head back to the animal kingdom of Zootopia where animals of all stripes and spots live together in harmony. But this new series won’t be about the adventures of Judy and Nick, instead we’ll get short stories about Judy’s parents, Fru Fru the shrew, Duke the weasel, Mr. Big the Godfather, dispatcher Clawhauser, and everyone’s favorite sloth Flash. Directed by Josie Trinidad and Trent Correy, the show looks like it will have all the same charms as the original movie. Here’s a list of all the episodes that will be available on November 9:
Hopp on Board – When Judy boards the train from Bunny Burrow to Zootopia to begin her life as the big city’s first bunny cop, Stu and Bonnie’s youngest daughter, Molly, hitches a ride atop the train, forcing the down-to-earth duo out of their comfort zone and into an action-packed rescue mission.
The Real Rodents of Little Rodentia – Newly engaged, Fru Fru kicks off wedding planning with enthusiasm and flourish—at least until her scene-stealing cousin Tru Tru arrives to assume the role of Shrew of Honor. A battle for the spotlight ensues until a close call with a giant donut reveals that for better or worse, no one knows you better than family.
Duke the Musical – After being wrangled and arrested in a giant donut—compliments of Officer Judy Hopps—clever criminal weasel Duke reevaluates his life, pondering where he went wrong—in song. In a musical aptly staged in his own mind, Duke contemplates how to go from a small time crook to the Big Time!
The Godfather of the Bride – A touching tale about the powerful arctic shrew known as Mr. Big revisits Fru Fru’s big day when he delivers a revelatory father-of-the-bride speech. Taking guests back in time to his days as Mr. Small, a new immigrant to Zootopia, he imparts the wisdom he gained then about the importance of friends, family and community.
So You Think You Can Prance – ZPD dispatcher Clawhauser persuades his boss, Chief Bogo, to audition for “So You Think You Can Prance.” The stakes are high as the ultimate prize is a dream-come-true opportunity to dance on stage with megastar pop sensation Gazelle.
Dinner Rush – As super server Sam urgently tries to finish her restaurant shift to make a once-in-a-lifetime Gazelle concert, Flash and Priscilla show up at the last minute with hopes of a once-in-a-lifetime dinner.
I’m a little surprised that Zootopia hasn’t gotten any kind of real sequel film, but I think this will probably help Disney gauge if there is still enough interest in the movie. I really like this idea as a follow up, Zootopia had some great side characters that you wouldn’t necessarily want a full movie focused on, but you want to see more of. I loved Flash, I thought he was perfect in the movie and I’m really excited to see his little story, but I suspect that will be the maximum amount of time I would want to focus on him. This world is so diverse and full of so many potential stories, I kind of like the idea of doing a little slice of life series like they have done with Baymax. Check out the trailer and let me know what you think, would you rather have a real sequel or do you like this format or do you just want all Zootopia all the time?