This Is Why The Zootopia Movies Are Called Zootropolis In The UK And Other Countries

The second Zootropolis movie is finally in cinemas – and if the initial reviews are anything to go by, the film marks something of a return to form for Disney, after a lukewarm response to some of its most recent big-screen offerings.

However, what you might also have picked up on is a bit of confusion over the project’s name.

Ever since the first movie hit cinemas almost a decade ago, it’s been noted that the franchise is called something completely different depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re watching in, with US viewers (and, let’s be honest, most of us in the UK) referring to the films as Zootopia and Zootopia 2.

So… what’s all that about, then?

Why are the Zootopia films called Zootropolis in the UK?

A spokesperson for Disney said back in 2015 that the studio had “decided to change the US title to Zootropolis” here in the UK “to merely allow the film to have a unique title that works for UK audiences”.

However, it’s been pointed out by the BBC that a Danish zoo registered the term “Zootopia” as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, which may have contributed to the film being renamed in territories like the UK, Ireland, Italy and, of course, Denmark.

Confusing matters even further is the fact that despite the name change, the UK cuts of Zootropolis and Zootropolis 2 continue to refer to the films’ central location as Zootopia, meaning most of us just refer to it by that title despite what it’s actually named.

Meanwhile, in Germany, the film has a different title altogether, going by Zoomania, which might be due to the fact that a children’s book with a title similar to Zootropolis already exists in that territory.

What you might not realise, though, is that Zootopia/Zootropolis isn’t the only Disney movie with a totally different name depending on where in the world you are…

What’s all this about Moana having a totally different name in Europe too?

In Italy, the popular Disney character Moana is referred to as Vaiana in the film, which is known there as Oceana (in other territories, including France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, The Netherlands and across Scandinavia, the film itself was released under the title Vaiana).

While Disney has never confirmed this to be the case, it’s been widely speculated that this is due to the popularity of the porn star and media personality Moana Pozzi in Italy, with whom it’s thought the studio wanted to avoid inviting any comparisons.

According to Variety, Disney Italy’s head of theatrical marketing previously claimed that Moana Pozzi “issue” was something the company had been “thinking about” while considering the film’s release in Italy.

As for Moana’s name change in countries outside Italy, it’s suspected this is more down to copyrighting than anything else.

Zootropolis 2 is in cinemas now.