The downside of the digital age is having to re-watch the Disneys a gazillion times. The upshot is - sometimes - bonus features. Not so with Zootopia, though.
A deleted scene from the animated movie has parents counting their lucky chickens it stayed on the cutting room floor because the alternative would have been a much darker tale.
Initially, Zootopia was told from Nick's perspective. Then came the shift to Judy (and with it, the notion that you can defy the odds to become whatever you want to be - in her case, a bunny cop). In the final version, predator and prey were able to live in harmony because they had naturally overcome their biological instincts.
Zootopia - Deleted scene - The Taming Party from Animation Source FR on Vimeo.
Not so in the special feature, Imagining Zootopia, in which Judy and Nick stumble into a "taming party." Imagine a "Bear" Mitzvah-type ceremony. A polar bear cub comes of age, thereby being fitted with a shock collar to control his predatory nature.
Admittedly, the deleted scene is kind of sinister and way too dark for the Disney masses. This is one scene you can be happy you don't have to explain to your kiddos afterwards.
The alternative Zootopia could quite easily gone the way of a dystopia. So glad it didn't.
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