Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman Join Disney’s ‘Zootopia’ in Lead Roles

According to an official press release from the studio, Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman have been officially cast in Disney’s upcoming comedy-adventure Zootopia. Both actors will lend their respective voices to the lead roles of police officer Judy Hopps and scam-artist Nick Wilde.

“We knew that ‘Zootopia’ would only succeed if we found the perfect actors to play our main characters,” said director Byron Howard (“Tangled,” “Bolt”). “This rabbit- and fox-duo are in practically every scene in the film together. After meeting Ginnifer, we knew she embodied Hopps, the ultimate pure-of-heart, idealist bunny. You fall in love with her character instantly. And for Nick Wilde, our cynical con-artist fox, we only ever had one actor in mind, the incomparable Jason Bateman. Jason has a way of saying the most hilarious sarcastic things while always staying completely charming. We feel so fortunate to be working with both of them.”

Ginnifer Goodwin has very much established herself as a mainstay at Disney. Asides from her most well-known role as Snow White on ABC’s Once Upon a Time, she also voiced the character of Fawn (in place of Angela Bartys) in DisneyToon Studios’ Legend of the NeverBeast. Jason Bateman has only done one other animated film before Zootopia. He was the voice of Darkos in Arthur and the Invisibles.

Directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore from a screenplay by Jason Bush (who also serves as co-director), the film’s official synopsis reads as follows:

The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when optimistic Officer Judy Hopps arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde, to solve the mystery.

Zootopia will land in theaters on March 4, 2016.