A new adventure with new characters and more complex challenges tests Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, Zootopia’s most beloved detectives, with a new case that challenges not only their cunning, but also their ability to understand others.
“If we dare to spend a little more time understanding the stories and experiences of others, and we succeed, the world would be a better place,” says American actor Ke Huy Quan, the voice of Gary De’Snake, one of the protagonists of the Disney animated sequel that lands on the big screen this Wednesday.
After saving the city on their first mission, Judy and Nick return with a mystery that forces them to question the prejudices of their society with characters like Gary, a snake with a huge heart and a secret past that destabilizes the city.
His arrival not only moves the plot of this second installment, but also becomes the catalyst for reflection for Judy and Nick after discovering his heartbreaking story.
“If you think of empathy, you think of Gary. You can only imagine what it’s like to live with being constantly misunderstood. Yet he’s able to maintain a positive, hopeful attitude, and he just looks at everything with wonder and curiosity,” she explains.
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After becoming the first bunny to achieve the impossible within the metropolis police, Judy now faces her own insecurities.
“There is like a cloud of doubt over her. They saved the city in the first installment and now she is wondering if it was really based on her talent and merit. And that, curiously, makes her feel worse about herself. She feels that now she has to prove that she deserved this victory and that she even has to surpass it,” says Ginnifer Goodwin, the voice of Judy in the English version of the film.
Even so, her instinct becomes Judy’s best asset, who sacrifices her running mate’s advice to try to solve the mystery that surrounds her new friend. “She opens up completely to Gary and doesn’t let anything dominate her, she knows how to separate her emotions very well,” she adds.
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The bunny uses the experience of her successful first case to go one step further and know “how to see beyond the things that the other creatures in her society are only beginning to be aware of,” explains Goodwin.
“What I love about his character, and Zootopia reminds us of it so well, is that he is able to see beyond the preconceived idea that we have of Gary: a poisonous viper. All the stereotypes and the label that comes with being that animal,” says Ke Huy Quan.
Animation, the antidote for humanity
Giving life to a character as fascinating as Gary was “a dream come true” for the performer with Vietnamese roots. “I loved the first movie, so I was very happy to be involved in this one,” he says.
“Many times they give us roles of cartoonish characters, and this is due to our voice and personality. In fact, I think they take into account how we behave in the recording booth and how to incorporate that into the character,” says the actor who won the Oscar for best supporting actor for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (“Everything at once everywhere”, 2023).
It is precisely this ability to deal with such human issues that makes Disney animated films timeless, universal and have space to tell new stories from different perspectives.
“There’s always room to explore different ways of doing that, of being better people or better animals. So we’ll continue with that theme, but there are still other ways to explore it,” concludes Goodwin.
With information from EFE
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