The two stars ofZootopiahave been depicted as human beings in new artwork, and they look shockingly good. The original movie was released in 2016 and followed the rabbit Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and the fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) on a classic buddy cop adventure. It was incredibly popular, earning over $1 billion on a budget of just $150 million.Zootopiaalso earned rave reviews, which praised its characters, its world, and its excellent sense of humor. A sequel is currently in development.
While Judy and Nick are supposed to be animals, a new piece of artwork depicts the pair as humans. Created by@ylanaston Instagram, both characters are completely transformed to a surprisingly realistic degree. Check it out below:
In the artwork, the characters are drawn in the classic Disney style. Judy has flushed cheeks and an officer-like uniform, while Nick is a red-headed young man in a shirt and tie.Both are seemingly wearing their on-screen ears as headbands, which are hidden by their hair. The art is colorful, and Nick appears to be depicted as a more realistic take on the character than Judy is.
What A Human Version Of Zootopia Would Mean
The Point Of The Franchise Is In Its Anthromorphic Animals
Zootopiais best known for featuring non-human characters in human situations. Both major characters operate as police officers in a typical city, which only features aesthetic differences to suit the more animal-like citizens. The city is so human-oriented that there is a mayor, Department of Motor Vehicles employees, and even traffic officers. It is easy to imagine redirecting the narrative of the movies to star humans instead, and there would not need to be much of a shift.Unfortunately, it would just be another movie about cops.
There are some major differences from reality, however, and reverting them would create a much darker tone.Characters are judged by their status as predators or prey.Prey are expected to serve as farmers or secretaries, while predators take positions as officers and construction workers. These are ties to reality, as that discrimination is a metaphor for racism. The metaphor should receive further exploration, as the first movie was successful enough thatZootopia 2is currently in production. It is likely to create further differences that are more easily addressed through an animal metaphor.
Our Take On The Human Zootopia Depiction
The Art Refreshes The Franchise
Without the animals, the franchise would simply be another procedural. It would eliminate the most compelling elements of the franchise, as the anthropomorphic characters are more than enough to make younger viewers more interested in the movies. If the original was instead about humans, it would take away from some of the magic. Just as theupcoming Disney live-action remakesrisk losing audiences by changing the core animation, the same could be true here.Zootopiaworks because it is about animals. It would be a mistake to change that.
Zootopia
TheZootopiafranchise is a modern animated series from Disney that explores a world where anthropomorphic animals coexist in a sprawling metropolis. The franchise highlights themes of diversity, prejudice, and the importance of community through the adventures of Judy Hopps, an optimistic rabbit police officer, and Nick Wilde, a sly fox con artist. The series is known for its vibrant animation, clever social commentary, and engaging storytelling.
