See the "Zootopia 2 "Cast Side-By-Side with Their Animated Characters (Including the Oscar-Winner Voicing a Mysterious New Character)

©2025 Disney Enterprises ; Todd Williamson/Getty Disney confirmed that a sequel to the 2016 hitZootopiawas in the works in 2023 Zootopia 2will feature many of the original cast, including Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman The sequel is set to premiere in November 2025 The furry residents ofZootopiaare back — and wilder than ever. In February 2023, Disney CEOBob Igerconfirmed toDeadlinethat a sequel to the Oscar-winning 2016 film was in the works. Thefirst trailerwas released in May 2025, revealing that animal detectives Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) are investigating a mysterious reptile who "arrives in Zootopia and turns the mammal metropolis upside down. "To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before," the official synopsis reads. In addition to Goodwin and Bateman, the original movie featured other major stars likeIdris Elba,Jenny SlateandShakira, who was thrilled to play a show-stopping gazelle pop star for her kids. "Doing something for Disney is justa whole different story, an experience that is completely unique and knowing that I'll be able to share this with my kids later on in their lives," the "Hips Don't Lie" singer told PEOPLE in March 2016. She continued, "Not only now, but also when they grow up, we'll be able to spend the afternoon on the sofa watchingZootopiawhen they're older. It's a movie that will be there forever." WithZootopia 2set to hit theaters on Nov. 26, 2025, take a look at how the cast stacks up against their animated alter egos. Walt Disney Animation Studios ; John Nacion/WireImage It wouldn't beZootopiawithout the sunny, can-do attitude of Judy Hopps, voiced by none other than Goodwin. TheOnce Upon A Timealum voiced the rabbit in the 2016 film and theZootopia+series. She told PEOPLE in August 2024 that shewears bunny earsto get into character and compared returning to the role to riding a bicycle. "Now I have the first movie to use as my homework," Goodwin said, "because I feel like the first time around was about finding her, and then I saw the movie and understood who the character was." Walt Disney Animation Studios ; Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage The yin to Judy's yang, Bateman brought to life everyone's favorite cynical red fox, Nick Wilde. Back in March 2016, theArrested Developmentstar toldScreenRantthat he would love to see his character continue living out his dream of becoming a police officer — and, according to theZootopia 2synopsis, that is the case. "I'd like to see them tackle some big cases and bring down some heavyweight criminals," Bateman told the outlet. "That would be kinda fun if we can kinda scope things out a little bit more." ©2025 Disney Enterprises ; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Everything Everywhere All at OncestarKe Huy Quanjoins theZootopiauniverse as Gary De'Snake, a pit viper whom Judy and Nick are tasked with tracking down. The Oscar-winning actor has previously lent his voice toKung Fu Panda 4, where he played Han. ©2025 Disney Enterprises ; Kevin Winter/Getty Another new addition to the animal-run metropolis of Zootopia is Nibbles Maplestick, a beaver voiced by comedian and actressFortune Feimster. The Mindy Projectstar has a long list of animated characters under her belt in series likeBless the Harts,VelmaandCraig of the Creek. Photo 12 via Alamy ; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Even in an animated film, she's still a pop star. Shakira reprises her fan-favorite role as Zootopia's most famous singer, Gazelle, a Thomson's gazelle with hips that don't lie. The Colombian singer previously recorded a new single, "Try Everything," for the 2016 film's soundtrack. ©2025 Disney Enterprises ; Emma McIntyre/WireImage Quinta Brunsonplays Dr. Fuzzby, a quokka who works as a partner therapist for Nick and Judy. Inthe trailer, Dr. Fuzzby describes herself as a "therapy animal" who leads a counseling group called Partners in Crisis. Walt Disney Animation Studios ; John Nacion/Variety via Getty No one plays a cop quite like Elba. But unlike his emotionally impulsive titular role onLuther, he returns to theZootopia 2cast as the Zootopia Police Department chief, a massive buffalo named Bogo. © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection ; Araya Doheny/Getty Dawn Bellwether is back, and she's still behind bars for orchestrating a plot for predator animals to establish dominance over the frequently preyed upon. Slate will reprise her role as the sneaky sheep, which she originated inZootopia. Disney Music ; Frazer Harrison/Getty Alan Tudykreturns to theZootopiafranchise as small-time weasel crook Duke Weaselton. TheResident Alienstar voiced a character of that same name in the 2013 filmFrozen. © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection ; Jerod Harris/Getty The chillest yak in Zootopia — voiced by the equally chillTommy Chongof the comedy duo Cheech & Chong — is back forZootopia 2. Like Chong, Yax is enlightened and laidback as the owner of a naturist club. Read the original article onPeople

byAlpha World
in
August 01, 2025

See the “Zootopia 2 ”Cast Side-By-Side with Their Animated Characters (Including the Oscar-Winner Voicing a Mysterious New Character)

See the "Zootopia 2 "Cast Side-By-Side with Their Animated Characters (Including the Oscar-Winner Voicing a Mysterious New Charact...
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Whoa, baby! The real story behind the adorable star of 'Fantastic Four'New Foto - Whoa, baby! The real story behind the adorable star of 'Fantastic Four'

Spoiler alert! We're discussing important plot points and the ending of"The Fantastic Four: First Steps"(in theaters now), so beware if you haven't seen it yet. "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" brings a superpowered quartet into theMarvel Cinematic Universe, but there's an important fifth member of that group: an adorable hero baby. Directed by Matt Shakman, the newest Marvel movie is a retrofuturistic sci-fi adventure in which the Fantastic Four deal with the arrival of a world-devouring giant calledGalactus(Ralph Ineson). He'll spare Earth if he can have the baby son of superhero coupleReed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby). The Fantastic Four choose to fight, and little Franklin (Ada Scott) becomes a key figure in the action-packed climax. Join our Watch Party!Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox The MCU is famous for its top-notch casting, and finding the right baby was as significant to Shakman as choosing his other main actors. "We knew that the baby would ultimately probably be the biggest challenge of the movie," he says. "Just because it's a little bit easier to pull off aSilver Surferthan it is a baby who needs to be a big part of these emotional scenes." Filmmakers went down two different roads. Several babies were brought in for production purposes because they could only have youngsters on the set for short periods of time. (For example, they used a three-week-old infant for Sue's zero-gravity space birth.) At the same time, Shakman also needed to cast a "hero baby," which involve screen testing a bunch of kids, looking for the right one to be a scene partner for the A-list stars. They ultimately cast Ada, a little British girl who was 3 months old during filming. "She has so much charisma," Shakman says. "There's so much intelligence in those eyes. Those eyes look just like Vanessa's eyes, they're kind of extraordinary in that way." Ada's face was scanned "extensively multiple times" so that they could build a CGI model of her to use in effects-heavy action scenes or put on top of other babies' bodies for sequences that filmed over multiple nights, like Sue's big speech outside of the Baxter Building. But the real Ada wowed Shakman in a couple of key emotional scenes. One featured just her and Pascal, as Reed Richards tells his son that he doesn't want Franklin to be like him and talks about his insecurities to the child. "She's looking at him with such understanding but also curiosity," the director says. The other major scene is at the end, where Franklin – who's embued with the "Power Cosmic," a big deal in Marvel lore – resurrects his mom after she dies in battle defeating Galactus. "She showed up to play" that day, Shakman says of Ada. "It was a really important moment, and Ada knew it was time to turn it on. It was kind of crazy. She seemed to understand, and I don't know how, what the scene was about. She was fully engaged with Vanessa, she was hyperfocused. Her little hands going down on the chest, that's her. The clapping after Vanessa comes back to life, that's her. That's all in camera." Behind the camera, Shakman had plenty of help with all things baby, too. There was an assistant director whose job was to find the various babies used for filming, while production assistants "would sometimes jump in with toys trying to get eye lines to work," Shakman says. Plus, there was a teacher or welfare worker on the set with the babies, along with the mom, dad and/or primary caregiver. In fact, Ada's mom sometimes dressed up in Kirby's supersuit to help get shots early on during filming. By the time the movie finished, Ada "was very comfy crawling around on Vanessa," Shakman says. And Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who played the motion-capture role of the Thing, also acted as "an on-camera baby wrangler." While Shakman loves working with babies, there are times when they aren't always in the best mood or dozing off or upset because they're hungry. "But I got so lucky," the director says. "I had this really special baby who delivered an incredible performance and I still don't know how it happened. So I thank the movie gods for that." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Who plays Franklin, Reed and Sue's baby, in 'Fantastic Four'?

byAlpha World
in
August 01, 2025

Whoa, baby! The real story behind the adorable star of 'Fantastic Four'

Whoa, baby! The real story behind the adorable star of 'Fantastic Four' Spoiler alert! We're discussing important plot points an...
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US envoy visits distribution site in Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsensNew Foto - US envoy visits distribution site in Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — U.S. PresidentDonald Trump'sspecial envoySteve Witkoffvisited southern Gaza on Friday during international outrage over starvation, shortages and deadly chaos near aid distribution sites. Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to IsraelMike Huckabeetoured one of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's distribution sites inRafah, Gaza's southernmost city, according to an official involved with the visit. The official requested anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. All four of the group's distribution sites are in zones controlled by the Israeli military and throughout their months in operation have become flashpoints of desperation, where starving people scramble for scarce aid. Hundreds have been killed by either gunfire or trampling. TheIsraelimilitary says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces, and GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Witkoff's visit comes a week after U.S. officials walked away from ceasefire talks in Qatar, blamingHamasand pledging to seek other ways to rescue Israeli hostages and make Gaza safe. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that he was sent to craft a plan to boost food and aid deliveries as part of an effort "to save lives and end this crisis," whileDonald Trumpwrote on social media that the fastest way to end the crisis would be for Hamas to surrender and release hostages. International organizations have said Gaza has been onthe brink of famine for the past two years. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading international authority on food crises, said recent developments, including a complete blockade on aid for 2 1/2 months, mean the "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza." Though the flow of aid has resumed, including via airdrops, the amount getting into Gaza remains far lower than what aid organizations say is needed. A security breakdown in the territory has made it nearly impossible to safely deliver food to starving Palestinians, much of the limited aid entering ishorded and later sold at exorbitant prices. In a report issued Friday, Human Rights Watch called it "a flawed, militarized aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths." Israel's military and prime minister's office did not respond to request for comment on the report. A July 30 video published Thursday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs showed an aid convoy driving past a border crossing as gunfire ricocheted off the ground near where crowds congregated. "We were met on the road by tens of thousands of hungry and desperate people who directly offloaded everything from the backs of our trucks," said Olga Cherevko, an OCHA staff member. Thewar between Israel and Hamasstarted when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. They still hold 50 hostages, including around 20 believed to be alive. Most of the others have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel's retaliatory offensivehas killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. ___ Metz reported from Jerusalem and Frankel from Tel Aviv, Israel.

byAlpha World
in
August 01, 2025

US envoy visits distribution site in Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens

US envoy visits distribution site in Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — U.S. PresidentDonald Trump'ssp...
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Microsoft in Brazilian antitrust regulator's crosshairs after Opera complaintNew Foto - Microsoft in Brazilian antitrust regulator's crosshairs after Opera complaint

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Brazil's antitrust enforcer CADE has opened an investigation into Microsoft, days after Norwegian browser Opera complained about Microsoft's Edge, according to a CADE statement published late Thursday on its website. Opera, in its complaint filed on Tuesday, alleged that Microsoft pre-installs Edge as the default browser across Windows devices and computers, thereby preventing rivals from competing on the merits of the products. Opera had 6.78% of the Brazilian desktop browser market in June versus Edge's 11.52% and market leader Google Chrome's 75%. CADE said it had opened an administrative inquiry and set an August 15 deadline for Microsoft to respond to Opera's allegations about its Windows operating system licences, the Microsoft 365 software and its Jumpstart programme. The Jumpstart programme allows Microsoft clients to build autonomous artificial intelligence agents for routine tasks, a move which could help the company monetise its billion-dollar investments in AI. Other Big Tech companies have similar tools. Microsoft did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. Opera has been complaining about its competitor since December 2007 when it took its grievance about the latter's internet Explorer browser bundled with its Windows operating system to the European Commission, resulting in a 561-million-euro ($640 million) fine for the U.S. tech giant. ($1 = 0.8764 euros) (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

byAlpha World
in
August 01, 2025

Microsoft in Brazilian antitrust regulator's crosshairs after Opera complaint

Microsoft in Brazilian antitrust regulator's crosshairs after Opera complaint By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Brazil's antitrus...
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Skydance Tells Senators It Wasn't Involved in Colbert 'Late Show' Cancellation, 'Fully Complied' With Anti-Bribery Laws in Paramount DealNew Foto - Skydance Tells Senators It Wasn't Involved in Colbert 'Late Show' Cancellation, 'Fully Complied' With Anti-Bribery Laws in Paramount Deal

Skydance Media has responded to an inquiry from three left-wing U.S. senators who expressed concerns about "bribery" with respect to the Trump administration's approval of its deal to acquire Paramount Global — and had questioned whether Skydance had any part in the cancellation of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." In a July 21letterto Skydance CEO David Ellison, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Ron Wyden asked a series of pointed questions about Skydance's Paramount deal. Among those: "Is there currently any arrangement under which you or Skydance will provide compensation, advertising, or promotional activities that in any way assist President Trump, his family, his presidential library, or other Administration officials?" The letter also asked, "Were you or other Skydance executives involved in discussions about canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert?" More from Variety Kamala Harris Explains Why She's Not Running for Election on Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show': 'I Don't Want to Go Back in the System. I Think It's Broken' Shari Redstone Invokes Father Sumner Redstone's 'Steadfast Belief That Content Is King' in Final Quarterly Earnings Call as Paramount Global Owner Paramount Captures Small Q2 Profit Ahead of Sale to Skydance In a reply sent Thursday (July 31) to the senators obtained byVariety, Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon, Skydance's general counsel and co-president of business operations, said in part, "Throughout its history and during the review of the proposed acquisition of Paramount, Skydance has fully complied with all applicable laws, including our nation's anti-bribery laws." Skydance was "not involved" in CBS's decision to cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," according to McKinnon. "Paramount did provide notice of its decision to Skydance [about Colbert's show being canceled], but only after Paramount reached its own independent decision, and shortly before Paramount publicly acknowledged the cancellation." CBS said the cancellation of Colbert's show was "purely a financial decision." The senators' letter also noted that Trump has claimed he had aside deal with Skydance under which the new owners of the merged company are expected to contribute $20 millionin advertising, public service announcements and "similar programming" that promote causes he favors. That purportedly would be in addition to Paramount's $16 million payment to settle his lawsuit accusing "60 Minutes" of deceptively editing a pre-election interview with Kamala Harris. In the letter, McKinnon didn't directly address the question of whether Skdyance has a "side deal" with the president for free advertising or other airtime. She wrote, "Skydance was neither a party to the lawsuit nor to Paramount's settlement of its litigation with the President." Paramount has said that its settlement with Trump — under which most of the$16 million will go to his future presidential library— "does not include PSAs or anything related to PSAs. Paramount has no knowledge of any promises or commitments made to President Trump other than those set forth in the settlement proposed by the mediator and accepted by the parties." Under the transaction agreement, according to McKinnon, "Paramount had full discretion to settle any outstanding litigation unrelated to the transaction for up to $50 million without Skydance's consent." On July 1, Paramount requested Skydance's consent "to only one particular term relating to the publication of transcripts of interviews of Presidential candidates. Skydance did not believe its consent was required, but acceded to Paramount's request and provided it," McKinnon wrote. Two days beforethe FCC approved the Skydance-Paramount deal, which is nowset to close Aug. 7, Skydance's McKinnon senttwo letters to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. In one, she said Skydance would install an ombudsman at CBS to review "complaints of bias or other concerns" as part of ensuring "viewpoint diversity." In the other, she said Skydance confirmed that Paramount eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, that Skydance doesn't have DEI initiatives and that the company committed to not implement any in the future. In her July 31 letter to the senators, McKinnon reiterated that "Skydance is committed to promoting non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity and fully complying with applicable laws." She also wrote, "Skydance believes in unbiased journalism and embraces a broad range of viewpoints. Upon closing of the acquisition, these guiding principles will ensure that editorial decision-making at CBS News reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers. Skydance likewise believes all content should reflect independent editorial judgment and be free from government intrusion and politicization." "As with any transaction that requires regulatory approval, Skydance executives and its representatives have had routine and customary interactions with government officials, including with the Administration, Congress, and federal regulators," McKinnon concluded in the letter to Warren, Sanders and Wyden. "We value productive relationships across all levels of government and look forward to strengthening those, including with you and your colleagues, in the months and years ahead." Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025 Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.

byAlpha World
in
August 01, 2025

Skydance Tells Senators It Wasn’t Involved in Colbert ‘Late Show’ Cancellation, ‘Fully Complied’ With Anti-Bribery Laws in Paramount Deal

Skydance Tells Senators It Wasn't Involved in Colbert 'Late Show' Cancellation, 'Fully Complied' With Anti-Bribery Laws ...
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