The Korean producers involved in ‘Zootopia 2’ introduced their favourite characters and expressed pride in the elevated status of Korean creators.
On the morning of the 2nd (KST), the video press conference for the movie ‘Zootopia 2’ featured animator Hyun-min Lee, animator Young-jae Choi, and set extension supervisor Sook-hee Lee, who candidly discussed the behind-the-scenes of the work and the achievements of Korean creators.
Animator Hyun-min Lee chose Judy as his ‘favourite character’, stating, “I liked her from the first film. I empathised with her as she continues to challenge herself in difficult circumstances. I also have memories of coming to America alone as a child and working hard, which makes me feel even closer to her.”
Supervisor Sook-hee Lee also revealed her affection for Judy. She said, “Judy is a minority and a marginalised character. As a Korean woman in a supervisory role at Disney, I have felt similar emotions. There is pressure, but also pride, which makes her a character I can relate to even more.”
On the other hand, animator Young-jae Choi chose Nick. He added, “Actually, my favourite is Judy, but in this second film, Nick shows a more relaxed and responsible side. I thought I would like to learn from that aspect.”
The three artists also shared changes regarding the growth and achievements of Korean creators. Supervisor Sook-hee Lee mentioned, “Initially, there were hardly any Koreans, but now there is at least one Korean in every part of the company. I am so proud.”
Animator Hyun-min Lee also noted, “When I first came to America 25 years ago, there were hardly any people who recognised me as Korean. But these days, more people ask if I am Korean, whether it’s in Uber or at my children’s school,” and added, “Interest in Korea has grown that much. We are continuously working to showcase the good aspects of Korea here as well.”
The recent global sensation ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ was also discussed. Animator Young-jae Choi said, “When it became a hot topic worldwide during production, my colleagues kept asking, ‘Did you see it?’ I watched it twice, in both English and Korean versions, and it was really well made. Nowadays, audiences look for details by watching multiple times. We worked on ‘Zootopia 2’ so that new elements could be discovered even after watching it ten times.”
The notable careers of each producer also drew attention.
Animator Hyun-min Lee was selected for the Walt Disney Animation Studio Talent Development Program in 2007 and has participated in major works such as ‘The Princess and the Frog’, ‘Zootopia’, ‘Moana 2’, and ‘Frozen’. In ‘Zootopia 2’, he was responsible for the core animation of Judy Hopps.
Animator Young-jae Choi gained recognition for his skills through major Disney works such as ‘Bolt’ (2007), ‘Tangled’, ‘Frozen’, and ‘Zootopia’, and he played a key role in animating Judy and Nick in this second film. He also worked on character animation for the new Walt Disney World attraction ‘Zootopia: Better Zoogether!’.
Supervisor Sook-hee Lee joined Disney with ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ and has overseen set extension for ‘Frozen 2’, ‘Encanto’, ‘Wish’, and now ‘Zootopia 2’.
The three Korean producers shared their love for the work and expressed their feelings about the expanding global activities of Korean creators.
