‘Zootopia 2’ teases a new villain as Disney adds Macaulay Culkin, Andy Samberg and more to star-studded cast

'Zootopia 2' gets bigger with Macaulay Culkin playing ambitious Lynxley family member
PUBLISHED SEP 16, 2025
(L) Macaulay Culkin attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Beverly Hills, CA; (R) A still from 'Zootopia' (Cover Image Source: (L) Getty Images for Vanity Fair | Photo by Neilson Barnard; (R) Disney | Zootopia)
(L) Macaulay Culkin attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Beverly Hills, CA; (R) A still from 'Zootopia' (Cover Image Source: (L) Getty Images for Vanity Fair | Photo by Neilson Barnard; (R) Disney | Zootopia)

The cast of 'Zootopia 2' got grander than ever. Slated for a Tuesday, November 26 release, the animated comedy flick is leaving no stone unturned to make the sequel more glittering than ever. With Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman set to reprise their iconic characters, a new casting update is making headlines. As per the latest reports, Andy Samberg, Macaulay Culkin, and Brenda Song have been roped in to play significant characters in the highly anticipated movie.

Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song and their son Dakota Song Culkin attend the ceremony honoring Macaulay Culkin with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song and their son Dakota Song Culkin attend the ceremony honoring Macaulay Culkin with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Image Source: Getty Images | Amy Sussman)

The cast of 'Zootopia 2' is expanding with Samberg, Culkin, Song, and David Strathairn joining as the Lynxleys. The iconic duo of Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) will return as the leads, facing a new challenge of tracking a mysterious reptile, Gary De'Snake (Ke Huy Quan), who shakes up Zootopia. To solve the case, they go undercover and explore new locations, promising bigger adventures, as per Cinema Express. In 'Zootopia 2,' the Lynxleys are an old family responsible for building the city's weather walls. Samberg plays Pawbert Lynxley, the easy-going runt, whereas Strathairn will voice the character of Milton Lynxley, the distinguished patriarch. 

On the other hand, Culkin will essay Cattrick Lynxley, the ambitious eldest son and Brenda Song will lend her voice to Kitty Lynxley, the sharp-tongued daughter. Returning cast members include Idris Elba as Chief Bogo, Jenny Slate as Dawn Bellwether, Nate Torrence as Benjamin Clawhauser, Bonnie Hunt as Bonnie Hopps, Don Lake as Stu Hopps, Tommy Chong as Yax, Alan Tudyk as Duke Weaselton, and Shakira as Gazelle. Newcomers include Fortune Feimster as Nibbles Maplestick, Jean Reno as Bushron, Patrick Warburton as Mayor Winddancer, Yvette Nicole Brown as EMT Otter, and Wilmer Valderrama in an undisclosed role. Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, 'Zootopia 2' is written by Bush and is produced by Yvett Merino.

Notably, the 2016 original, 'Zootopia,' earned global acclaim and grossed over $1 billion at the box office. Walt Disney Animation Studios released a new teaser for 'Zootopia 2,' on Tuesday, May 20. The trailer featured Hopps and Wilde and introduced a new ally, the mysterious pit viper Gary De'Snake, as per The Walt Disney Company.  The film follows Hopps and Wilde as they tackle a twisting mystery, going undercover in unexpected parts of Zootopia and testing their partnership like never before. Disney Animation chief creative officer and director Jared Bush, who also wrote the script, teased a bigger world for fans in 'Zootopia 2.'

He said, "We are beyond excited to welcome everyone back to the outrageous, expansive animal metropolis of Zootopia and take audiences on a hilarious, wild ride into parts of the city we've never visited before." Bush added, "Whether it's the marshes of semi-aquatic mammals, the vast desert dunes, or even greater mysteries beyond, our heroes, Judy and Nick, will meet a lot of new friends and discover even more about the world, themselves, and a brand-new snake in town." Director Byron Howard highlighted the music in 'Zootopia 2', saying, "The trailer features the original song 'ZUTU' by Zootopia's finest lemming techno group, LEMEEENS. Fresh from touring with superstar Gazelle as her opening act, members Hans-Peter, Gūnther, Spielt, and their DJ, Spaß, created the song to mark the occasion and welcome the world back to the City of Zootopia!

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