‘Zootopia 2’ Almost Featured a 4-Minute Psychological Horror Scene Inspired by This Iconic Classic
‘Zootopia 2’ included a bold creative idea that didn’t make it to the final cut. In an interview with Variety, co-directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard revealed that an early draft featured a four-minute sequence inspired by classic psychological horror films, including Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” and Jonathan Demme’s “The Silence of the Lambs.”
In the planned scene, the villains were the wealthy Lynxley family, led by Milton Lynxley (voiced by David Strathairn) and his children Cattrick (Macaulay Culkin), Kitty (Brenda Song), and Pawbert (Andy Samberg).
The sequence was set in a grand manor with a huge maze, giving animators the chance to pay tribute to “The Shining.” Bush explained, “We had this idea of these lynxes that were obviously the villains, and it made sense to have this grand manor, and then this giant maze in the back of it.”
The scene would have included Pawbert limping through the snowy maze, echoing Jack Nicholson’s character from Kubrick’s film. Animators faced major challenges in creating a destructible environment, including rigging a Snowcat vehicle to crash through the maze. Bush said, “They have to rig [the animation] to be destroyed. It’s not like you can destroy anything you like. All of the destruction also has to be built into the design and figure out the exact path of that Snowcat.”
Disney animator Louaye Moulayess, a devoted fan of “The Shining,” personally requested to animate Pawbert’s scene and succeeded, bringing a playful yet terrifying energy to the character. Bush noted, “He disappeared and came back a week later, which is just unhinged Pawbert as Jack Nicholson, and just incredible.”
The final scene included Michael Giacchino’s score, which incorporated motifs from the horror classic, further emphasizing the homage.
Bush and Howard also included a nod to “The Silence of the Lambs” when Nick is briefly in jail. Bellwether appears in a cell, referencing Anthony Hopkins’ iconic performance as Hannibal Lecter. Bush revealed that the sequence was originally four minutes long, closely mirroring the original film, but they ultimately trimmed it to keep it suitable for younger audiences, saying, “That’s where we go, and now we have lost our younger audience members.”
While kids might miss the subtle horror references, adults are likely to appreciate the clever nods and detailed animation. The directors balanced paying homage to these classics while keeping the story engaging for their main audience.
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