Disney confirmed at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim on Friday that Zootopia 3 is officially in development at Walt Disney Animation Studios, fast-tracked following the massive success of Zootopia 2, which grossed $1.87 billion worldwide and became the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time behind Ne Zha 2.
Disney Animation chief Jared Bush made the announcement alongside stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Ke Huy Quan, confirming that Judy Hopps and Gary De'Snake, Quan's character introduced in Zootopia 2, will both return.
"The bunny and the snake will be back," they said on stage. Jason Bateman's Nick Wilde is also expected to return though was not confirmed Friday night.
The teaser detail: "The world of Zootopia is about to go to the birds." Disney Animation's social media post showed a bird feather, matching a post-credits scene at the end of Zootopia 2 in which a feather lands on Judy Hopps' windowsill, setting up exactly this.
No release date has been announced. Bush has previously estimated animated features take four to five years to complete, pointing to a possible 2030 or 2031 window.