Award-winning Producer, Yvett Merino, shares the cultural landscape that shapes ‘Zootopia 2’

Disney Animation has a habit of quietly shaping the cultural landscape. Animated films arrive with humor and spectacle, then linger for years because the stories feel strangely human. That creative philosophy sits at the heart of producer Yvett Merino’s work.

Merino helped guide some of Disney’s biggest animated titles—from “Big Hero 6” and “Moana” to the Oscar-winning “Encanto.” Her latest milestone is producing “Zootopia 2,” the long-awaited sequel to the 2016 hit “Zootopia.”

When HOLA! spoke with Merino about the film, she walked through the creative process behind the sequel, the evolution of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, and the technical wizardry that brought a new reptile character to life.

The Vision Behind Expanding the World of Zootopia

For Merino, the journey toward a sequel began years before production formally started. Animated films at Disney take years to develop, and the seeds of future stories are often planted during the first project.

“Part of our process at Disney Animation is we work on these films probably about four or five years,” Merino explained. “And it all starts with the ideas of the directors.”

She pointed to the creative leadership of Byron Howard and Jared Bush, who directed the sequel and helped craft the original world. “They always imagined it’s a much bigger world than just ‘Zootopia,’” she said. “They always wanted to expand the story.”

That ambition shaped the foundation of the sequel. Instead of simply revisiting the city audiences already loved, the team explored how its central characters would grow after the first adventure. “In this one, we wanted to really talk about Judy and Nick and dive into their partnership and their relationship to see where it goes.”

Gary the Snake and the Mystery of Missing Reptiles

One of the most intriguing additions to the sequel is Gary De’Snake, a pit viper who sparks chaos in the city and becomes central to the mystery Judy and Nick must solve.

Merino revealed that reptiles were deliberately absent from the first film, though many viewers never noticed. “When we started working on this story, we realized there were no reptiles in the first film,” she said. “We always wanted to bring reptiles into the world.”

The idea evolved into Gary, a character who opened the door to an entirely new part of Zootopia’s ecosystem. “Our character design and animation teams did an amazing job making him appealing,” Merino said. “And I love how we brought in Ke Huy Quan’s voice. It all came together.”

Judy and Nick’s Relationship Evolves

While the film introduces new characters and environments, Merino stressed that the heart of the story remains the partnership between Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde.

The first film ended with the duo becoming partners, but the sequel explores what happens once the honeymoon phase ends. “In the first film they only knew each other for about 48 hours,” Merino said. “The first half of that was them fighting against each other.”

That rapid bonding left room for deeper exploration. “Now that they’re partners and getting to know each other more, they realize their world views and how they see the world is very different,” she explained. “But they work through that and start trying to understand each other. That’s what makes them stronger.”

The idea reflects something Disney Animation often explores: friendship that evolves rather than staying static.

Creating New Worlds Inside the City

One of the film’s biggest creative challenges involved designing Marsh Market, a new environment populated by semi-aquatic animals.

Merino described the world-building process as both scientific and imaginative. “We always do research throughout the entire process,” she said. “With Marsh Market we studied semi-aquatic animals and how they swim, how they walk, and how they move on land and underwater.”

Unlike other areas in “Zootopia,” the environment had no human equivalent. “We don’t have a human version of places where people live underwater and above water,” she explained. “So our artists had to imagine what animals would build.”

The result was a detailed ecosystem with subtle design choices. “For example, the docks have no railings,” Merino noted. “Humans add railings so people don’t fall. But these animals jump in and out of the water all the time, so they wouldn’t need them.”

Technology That Pushed Animation Forward

Nine years passed between the first film and the sequel, giving Disney’s animation teams time to develop new tools. One of those tools focused on Gary’s complex scales. “Our software engineers created a system that allows each individual scale to move with him,” Merino said. “So instead of one surface moving, you have thousands of tiny scales moving along with the character.”

That subtle detail gives the snake a lifelike quality rarely seen in animation.

Representation and Cultural Influence

Merino has long championed diversity in storytelling, especially after producing Encanto, which celebrated Colombian culture. She said that commitment continues in “Zootopia 2.”

“Representation and creating a diverse world is always important to me because it needs to reflect the world we live in,” she explained. The film includes voice performances from actors such as Danny Trejo, who voices Jesús the shark. “His voice is so iconic and unique,” Merino said. “There’s so much texture. He really brought that character to life.”

Music also plays a major role. Global superstar Shakira returns as Gazelle and collaborates on a new song with Ed Sheeran. “They wrote this song very early on, even before we finalized the story,” Merino revealed. “And it ended up fitting perfectly.”

A Favorite Character Is Hard to Choose

After years spent shaping the film, Merino admits picking a favorite character isn’t easy. “Judy Hopps has always been the one that I turn to,” she said. “But I also love Gary.”

That answer captures something fundamental about the world Disney Animation builds. Even after billions of dollars in global box office and decades of technological advancement, the stories still come down to characters audiences care about.

And if Merino’s instincts are correct, “Zootopia” still has plenty of territory left to explore.

“Zootopia 2” is streaming now on Disney+.