‘Zootopia 2’ Cast a Bunch of Disney Animation Alums in Fun Cameos

What would you say if we told you characters from Moana, Frozen, Encanto, and The Princess and the Frog were going to appear in Zootopia 2? Hopefully, you’d say that can’t be true because it isn’t. But actors who provide the voices of some of the most memorable characters from those titles are joining the film, which is almost as exciting and makes a lot more sense.

Zootopia 2 opens in theaters on November 26, and, to celebrate tickets going on sale, the company revealed that Dwayne Johnson, Auliʻi Cravalho, Rachel House, and David Fane from Moana and Moana 2; Josh Gad from Frozen and Frozen 2; Anika Noni Rose from The Princess and the Frog; and Stephanie Beatriz, Wilmer Valderrama, and John Leguizamo from Encanto will all have voice cameos in the film.

“From the beginning, Easter eggs and winks to our favorite films and characters have been a hallmark of the world of Zootopia,” Jared Bush, the head of Disney Animation and writer-director of Zootopia 2, said. “We are ecstatic that Zootopia 2 expands our Zootopia family to include even more members of our extended Disney family, filled with dear friends and true Disney Legends.” Here’s how it breaks down:

• Dwayne Johnson is Zeke – “Zeke is an accident-prone dik-dik who meets with a musical mishap as a result of Judy and Nick’s high-speed pursuit gone awry.”
• Auli’i Cravalho is Anti-Venom Pen – “The antidote for pit viper Gary De’Snake’s venom, his Anti-Venom Pen is almost as cute as he is.”
• Rachel House is Gramma Taller – “Currently behind bars at the ZPD, Gramma Taller makes Nick’s visit to the jail even more unpleasant.”
• David Fane is Truffler – “Truffler is Captain Hoggbottom’s meathead razorback partner.”
• Josh Gad is Paul Moledebrandt – “Ornery mole and ZPD’s IT expert, Paul Moledebrandt rules his domain with a tiny iron paw.”
• Anika Noni Rose is Squeal of Fortune Mouse – “This adorable mouse is the lucky winner of an almost-new car on Zootopia’s favorite game show, Squeal of Fortune.”
• Stephanie Beatriz and Wilmer Valderrama are Bloats and Higgins – “Hippo ZPD cop partners Bloats and Higgins may be excellent swimmers, but they can be easily distracted in their pursuit of new fugitives Judy and Nick.”
• Finally, John Leguizamo is Antony – “Smarmy anteater Antony is a smuggler who bolts at the first sign of trouble.”

I almost wish this news hadn’t been announced until after you saw the movie, because it would have been very weird to be watching Zootopia 2 and hear the voice of Maui, Tiana, or Bruno kind of come out of nowhere. Nevertheless, it’s a fun wink to some modern Disney classics.

In addition to Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman returning in their lead roles as Judy and Nick, Zootopia 2 is adding a ton of new voices who aren’t Disney Legends just yet. There’s also Ke Huy Quan, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song, Quinta Brunson, Robert Irwin, and Patrick Warburton (who kind of is a Disney legend, actually). It opens on November 26. Here’s the new trailer.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.