Zootopia hits all the standard story beats of any buddy film: mismatched characters reluctantly team up, gradually develop a grudging respect for each other, reveal their vulnerabilities and eventually become deeply, mutually supportive friends -- but it all happens so smoothly and naturally it never feels by the numbers or that it’s happening strictly because the story needs it to happen. As in Disney’s best films, the characters set the plot in motion which in turn affects and changes them -- the character arc that is the backbone of a good screenplay.
“The relationship between Nick and Hopps is emotionally strong. You do feel them change,” says Howard, sharing his storytelling philosophy. “That’s why I do buddy movies so often -- to watch the characters change each other and become more whole as a pair, which I think is really rewarding.”
“When Zootopia was still in the discussion phase,” Moore recalls, “John Lasseter asked me, ‘If you’re going to do an animal movie, how do you do it differently than it’s ever been done before?’” The answer: unlike your standard “funny animal” movie where all critters live together in peaceful harmony, the predator/prey dynamic is at the heart of Zootopia. Its creators pulled off the challenging balancing act of combining real-world animal behavior and the imaginary civilization they inhabit.