LOS ANGELES — It truly felt like a “zoo” in Hollywood this week!

The iconic El Capitan Theatre area was bustling with excitement on Thursday as it hosted the world premiere of “Zootopia 2.” The event was thoughtfully prepared, ensuring protection against Southern California’s unpredictable rain.

The highly anticipated sequel brings back the beloved duo, Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin, reprising their roles as rookie cops Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps. This time around, they are tasked with unraveling a new mystery within their vibrant animal city.

Ginnifer Goodwin expressed her excitement about returning to the franchise, stating, “I mean, I’m a Disney nut, first of all. I used to go into the Disney offices and beg them to cast me in anything. I’ve had the chance to play a fairy and a princess, but Judy is my favorite. She’s mine!”

“I mean, I’m a Disney nut, first of all. I used to go into the Disney offices and beg them to cast me in anything,” she said. “I have gotten to play a fairy and have gotten to be a princess, but Judy is my favorite, I don’t know, because she’s mine!”

The new characters in the sequel include Gary De’Snake voiced by Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan.

“Even though he is a poisonous viper, but then you meet him, he’s actually really friendly,” the actor said.

There’s also an energetic beaver with the great name of Nibbles Maplestick voiced by Fortune Feimster.

“I honestly can’t believe it,” said Feimster. “I know I’ve gotten to do some cool stuff in my career, but this is at the top, for sure.”

Plus, some of the film’s original stars are back, including Colombian pop star Shakira, who drafted her two young sons to help.

“We recorded our lines together because they actually have a small part in the movie as Judy Hopp’s little brothers, bunnies, little bunnies!” she said.

Actress Bonnie Hunt, who plays Bonnie Hopps, is excited to share this sequel with her family.

“I have, I don’t know, 19 nieces and nephews now, so I get to be a part of their childhood in a way that will last, I hope, their lifetime,” she said.

Meantime, the filmmakers are thrilled for fans to see what’s taken years to complete.

“We want to be entertained. We want to laugh, we want to cry, we want that Disney magic, so we really try our very hardest to get that,” said co-director Byron Howard.

“We go through a lot of different places in ‘Zootopia’ we didn’t get to see in the first time,” added co-director Jared Bush.

As for the movie’s message, producer Yvett Merino has her take.

“We are all a little different, and we all have differences, and if we really just take the time to understand the differences, we would all be stronger together,” she said.

“Zootopia 2” hits theaters Wednesday, November 26.

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