Background Judy Hopps
“I remember Zootopia as a place where everyone could be anyone. It turns out that real life is a lot more complicated than the bumper stickers. Real life can be messy. All of us have our limitations. All of us make mistakes. This means that we all have much in common. The more we can understand each other, the more unique each one of us will become. We have to make an effort. No matter what animal you are, whether you’re the largest elephant or our first fox, I urge you to try. Make the world a better place. Take a look at yourself and realize that you are the change. It all starts with me. It begins with me Judy Hopps.
Official Description
Judy Hopps was the first bunny to join Zootopia’s police department. Judy Hopps is determined to prove herself. She will even team up with a con artist Fox to crack a case.
Development
Judy Hopps in its early days. Judy Hopps wasn’t the main character for the majority of the film’s production. The film was instead centered on Nick and Judy Hopps served as his sidekick. Her role was initially to apprehend Wilde, but she was already a member of Zootopia Police Department. The story progressed and they would form a relationship. Their goal was to help Wilde clear his name and get him out of jail.
In even earlier iterations of the story, Judy’s character was portrayed as a somewhat aggressive figure; a seasoned officer, Judy’s was much more of a cynic, being well-experienced and no-nonsense. Furthermore, she was more of an outcast in earlier drafts; bunnies were typically an impersonal race that worked as phone operators. To further Judy Hopp’s loss of identity within her own group, the number of rabbits was also highlighted (dramatically) to emphasize her father’s inability to identify her.
The Pixar Animation Studio filmmakers were screened the film just over a year prior to its release date. Andrew Stanton (one of the studio’s lead directors) suggested that the story’s leads trade places in importance. This was in response to negative reactions from the screening. The story was too dark and unsettling, and the characters and world were too unpleasant. Byron Howard and his team of producers changed the story to make Judy the focus of the film. Nick felt that the story was too dark and unpleasant from the start and that the audience should not view it through the eyes of a cynic. The story and themes became more logical when Judy Hopps was optimistic and starry-eyed.
Voice
Ginnifer Goodwin is a long-time Disney fan. She recalls receiving notification about Zootopia’s role during filming of ABC’s Once Upon a Time at Vancouver. Goodwin was a huge Disney fan and answered the request with a “yes” to the role. She wanted to keep the rest of the information safe for when she was legally bound. Kira Lehtomaki claims that Judy was transformed from a cynical officer to a positive and optimistic heroine by Goodwin.
Judy Hopps Personality
Judy is independent and fiercely optimistic. She has always had a dream to be a police officer. This was solely to help others and make the world better. She is deeply concerned about the well-being others, including her family, friends and Mrs. Otterton’s grief over Nick’s disappearance. Judy Hopps was able to stop any danger from Little Rodentia residents, even though the theft of Duke Weaselton was in the balance. Although she has a big heart and tends to keep her emotions under control, she can still express her true feelings in a real, powerful way. She is most often seen with Nick Wilde, whose companionship and feelings she treasures, which motivates her to stop her ambitions from harming other people.
Judy Hopps was a rabbit, which is not a common species for such high-stakes occupations. She faced constant doubts and underestimation by her family, as well as local bullies. She used her naysayers to her advantage and became more determined to achieve her goals. She hoped to become a Zootopia resident and officer. This city is where predators and prey live in harmony and peace, not like the burrows. She believes she will quickly be accepted by her neighbors and peers, regardless of her species. This was a very idealistic view of her, with a set goal and not taking into account potential negative outcomes. Unfortunately, she was too optimistic for her own good and found herself unprepared to confront the negative aspects of the city on her first residential day. She also fell prey to manipulation and bigotry.