Nick and Judy looking sadly at each other in a snowy setting in Zootopia 2
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Grant Hermanns
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Ash Crossan
Published 27 minutes ago
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Nick and Judy's undeniable chemistry has led to some unique fan video edits online, and the cast and director of Zootopia 2 find themselves quite intrigued by the response. Voiced by Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin, respectively, the pair started off in the 2016 Disney hit on opposite sides of the law, with the fox character getting through life as a con artist while the latter a rookie officer in the Zootopia Police Department.
After a nine-year wait, Nick and Judy are back in Zootopia 2, with the two now working as partners in the ZPD. After their efforts to bring down a smuggling ring fall apart, the two come to suspect a potential snake as being the real culprit behind their failed case, setting off in search of him and a way to clear their names. Hitting theaters in time for Thanksgiving, Zootopia 2 has garnered rave reviews from critics, only falling a few points shy of the original on Rotten Tomatoes.
In anticipation of the movie's release, ScreenRant's Ash Crossan interviewed Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman and returning director Byron Howard to discuss Zootopia 2. The group were asked their thoughts on fans of the franchise shipping Nick and Judy as a romantic pairing, colloquially dubbed WildeHopps, to which Goodwin reveals she was the one who informed Bateman of the fan edits in the lead up to their press tour, including many calling Bateman's character "the perfect boyfriend":
Ginnifer Goodwin: I told him this is a thing! It's a thing. Well, I was telling him that there's a "Hey, girl" Nick Wilde thing that I was told about in the hair salon recently. There's entire social media feeds. Is that the term? I feel like I'm 90 right now.
Jokingly calling Goodwin a "Grandma" for her uncertainty over how to describe social media, Bateman went on to confess being unsure how he feels about the WildeHopps shipping, wondering what fans of the characters were focusing on, pondering if Nick wearing a loose tie "is a good thing." Goodwin went on to express it being "very confusing" at there being "millions and millions [of views]" for the edits of the pair, which is "more than some of the work we do."
Howard went on to feel that the reason for the passionate fan shipping is that Nick and Judy have "really unique" chemistry, which he credits to the fact that Goodwin and Bateman are "by nature, such good actors." The director went on to look back at the original Zootopia, in which the characters "started as Natural Enemies," before the script and story worked to play into the core formula of "great buddy movies":
Byron Howard: [They] are really built around contrast, and we wanted to make sure we held onto that and let them keep growing. In addition to just making them fun characters, we really grounded them. I believe that these guys have souls. They have experiences that they're bringing to the table, and there are obstacles that they're going to run into. They're very real, I think.
While the movie on paper is a buddy comedy, the first Zootopia certainly laid a lot of groundwork for a potential romance between Nick and Judy. Between their charismatic quipping with one another, Judy's expression of love for Bateman's character in the ending, and a deleted storyboard scene showing Goodwin's protagonist introducing Nick to her family, and them all mistaking him for her boyfriend, fans of the film hoping for their shipping coming true had enough weight behind them.
Even Zootopia 2 toyed with a potential romance between the two. The film picks up a week after the first film's ending, and sees Nick and Judy struggling to work together as partners, with the duo subsequently having to attend partner therapy to improve their relationship. Their going on the run for much of the movie's runtime not only further tests their relationship, but also requires them to learn from one another in a way many romantic pairings do in storytelling.
Related
Zootopia 2 Voice Cast & Character Guide: Every New & Returning Disney Actor
Zootopia 2 is full of familiar voices behind its animated animals. Here is every new and returning actor and the characters they play.
Posts By Shawn S. Lealos 1 day agoWithout getting into spoilers, it's safe to say some WildeHopps shippers are sure to be disappointed by Zootopia 2's ending. That being said, with the sequel leaving the door open on a very specific note, not only can Nick and Judy find themselves with another case to solve, but also potentially explore a new facet to their relationship.
Zootopia 2
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG Family Comedy Crime Adventure Animation Release Date November 26, 2025 Director Byron Howard, Jared Bush Writers Jared BushCast
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Ginnifer Goodwin
Judy Hopps (voice)
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Jason Bateman
Nick Wilde (voice)
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Ke Huy Quan
Gary De'Snake (voice)
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Jenny Slate
Dawn Bellwether (voice)
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Zootopia 2
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