DisneyDo you wanna build a snowman, Judy Hopps?
Walt Disney Animation Studios' Zootopia is in theaters Friday, featuring the voice talents of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Shakira, Idris Elba, Octavia Spencer, J.K. Simmons, Jenny Slate, Tommy Chong, Bonnie Hunt, Josh Dallas, Katie Lowes, Nate Torrence, Alan Tudyk, Mark "Rhino" Smith and other stars. Look closely and you'll see that two Frozen Easter eggs are hidden in Tundratown.
(Don't see them? Keep looking...)
Zootopia tells the story of Judy Hopps (Goodwin), the very first bunny on the police force. She (quite literally) jumps at the opportunity to crack her first case, even if it means teaming up with a sly fox like Nick Wilde (Bateman). Together, the unlikely allies must find out why Zootopia's animals are suddenly turning on one other. For as long either Judy or Nick can remember, Zootopia was a place that celebrated different animal cultures in six neighborhoods: Sahara Square, Tundratown, Little Rodentia, Bunnyburrow, Savanna Central and the Rain Forest District.
Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush teamed up to direct the family-friendly comedy, which received a PG rating. "At its core, Zootopia is a buddy movie," Moore says. "Judy and Nick—a rabbit and a fox—are natural enemies by definition. So these characters don't exactly get along at first. They come to the relationship with ideas about each other—beliefs that aren't informed or accurate."
Sixty-four unique animal species are featured in the movie.
(Two of them appear in the Frozen Easter Egg scene. Getting warmer?)
Judy and Nick's differences make them a perfect crime-solving team. "Judy is the eternal optimist who believes anyone can be anything—it's the city's motto, after all. Nick is the complete opposite. He's a cynic. He believes we are what we are. So, we put this country bumpkin who's full of vim and vigor in the middle of the big city alongside Nick—the realist—and he gets to have a lot of fun messing with her," Howard says. "But she has a few tricks up her sleeve."
So did the animators. For those who weren't able to spot the Frozen Easter eggs, here's a close-up of two elephants wearing Princess Anna and Queen Elsa's clothes:
The ties to Frozen don't end there. Kristen Bell, who voiced Princess Anna, lends her talents to Zootopia; she plays a sloth named Priscilla who works at the DMV.
Zootopia is in theaters Friday.