‘Zootopia 2’ Had a Deleted 4-Minute Scene Paying Tribute to Classic Psychological Horror Thriller
‘Zootopia 2’ directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard had the chance to sneak in nods to classic horror films like “The Shining” and “The Silence of the Lambs” in the new movie according to Variety.
Bush explained that the film’s plot inspired an idea around the Lynxley family, a group of lynxes including Milton Lynxley (David Strathairn), Cattrick (Macaulay Culkin), Kitty (Brenda Song), and Pawbert (Andy Samberg), who are trying to hide dark secrets about the city’s past.
“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,” Bush said.
The early drafts of the movie included a full homage to Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 thriller, “The Shining.” The animators were tasked with building a massive maze covered in snow, which proved challenging.
Bush shared, “Then we said, ‘Instead of Nick and Judy running through it, what’s happened is we’re going to take a giant Snowcat and smash the crap out of it.’” This sequence required careful planning by the visual effects team to make sure the destruction followed the right path.
Animator Louaye Moulayess, a fan of “The Shining,” was eager to take on the project. He showed up to work wearing a themed t-shirt and said, “You must give me this shot.” Moulayess ended up animating Pawbert limping through the maze, in a clear reference to Jack Nicholson’s character. Bush called it “just unhinged Pawbert as Jack Nicholson, and just incredible.”
The team also credited composer Michael Giacchino for enhancing the homage with music. “He took that theme which is so famous, and the second you hear it, you know exactly where you’re at,” Bush said. Giacchino mixed the iconic tune with the Lynxley villain theme, making the scene even more striking.
Bush and Howard also paid tribute to “The Silence of the Lambs” in a jail scene, where Bellwether’s cell mirrors Hannibal Lecter’s chilling interaction with Clarice. However, they decided not to include the full four-minute homage, fearing it would confuse younger viewers. Bush explained, “We did word by word the first scene when Hannibal Lecter meets Clarice… But we realized it was too much.”
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Howard added that keeping the story clear for kids was essential. “They’ll think, ‘That guy is unhinged, and he’s the bad guy, and I want our heroes to get him, and that’s all you need.’” The directors balanced the scary nods with fun and action, like the massive Snowcat smashing through the maze, to keep younger audiences engaged.
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