'Zootopia' Releases on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital HD on June 7th

After 3 months in theaters and about to reach $1 billion at the box office, Zootopia has been given a Blu-Ray release date of June 7th.
First thing I need to mention is that cover art.... It's pretty horrendous. It's an absolutely cluttered Photoshopped mess. I would have liked to see them make the Blu-Ray cover a bit more in line with thematic elements from the movie or at least slap on the theatrical poster. Or maybe do something a bit more simple. That would be so much better than just cramming in as many characters as possible, some of which were only given mere seconds of screen time! Unfortunately, the 3D Blu-Ray cover art doesn't look much better.

I mean, it is slightly better than the regular Blu-Ray case, but it is still very cluttered. The only thing keeping it from being the ugly mess that is the regular Blu-Ray cover is the gorgeous Zootopia background. The version of the film that I really want to get is the Target exclusive 3D Blu-Ray that has some intriguing extra bonus features (including interviews with the voice cast and even first cuts of the film!), but since Target isn't in Canada and does not make it possible for Blu-Rays to ship to Canada from their website (it's like Target is run by Canadian-hating jerks!), I will either need to ask some American relatives of mine to help me get a hold of it, or settle for the regular 3D Blu-Ray. But even the Target exclusive Blu-Ray cover artwork doesn't look that great! It's better than the two regular versions, but still very unappealing. What is going on with you, Disney?!

I like that gold border (this is the 3D version), but the cover art is hindered by the intrusive shot of Nick and Judy!

Here is the regular Target exclusive Blu-Ray.

Okay, cover art rant over. Now, one thing that had me pleasantly surprised about this Blu-Ray release is the amount of bonus features it will have. Disney doesn't really put bonus features in their Blu-Rays for some strange reason, but for this film, we have a decent amount of extras! Here is a list of all of the bonus features on the Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital Copy of the film:

BLU-RAY 3D, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL HD:

• Zoology: The Roundtables – Ginnifer Goodwin hosts an in-depth look at the movie’s characters, animation, environments and more. The artists at Disney Animation give a rare and in-depth look at the complexities of bringing an all-animal world to life from the ground-breaking technology behind the characters’ fur and clothing to the varied and vast environments of Tundratown, Sahara Square and the Rainforest District as well as the deep thought and research given to bringing 64 unique animal species to life through animation.
• The Origin of an Animal Tale – Follow the story’s development from its origins to a big story shift that turned the film upside down. In this feature-length documentary, filmmakers give a candid look into the difficulties of creating the story of Zootopia and the bold decision to switch the main character late in the production process, putting one resolute rabbit center stage.
• Research: A True-Life Adventure – The filmmakers traveled the globe to find inspiration for the diverse characters and amazing city of Zootopia. They reflect on the importance of research and how a deep dive into animal behavior at Disney Animal Kingdom theme park and a deep immersion into animal society on the African savanna shaped and inspired the characters of Zootopia and changed the filmmakers’ lives forever.
• Z.P.D. Forensic Files – Find the movie’s hidden Easter Eggs. Every city has its hidden gems, especially when it has been created by the filmmakers of Disney Animation who love nothing more than sprinkling hidden references to some of Disney’s greatest animated features throughout the story.
• Scoretopia – Academy Award®-winning composer, Michael Giacchino spotlights five of cinema’s greatest percussionists and how they brought an organic, animalistic sound to his powerful and emotional music score.
• Deleted Characters – Directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore introduce citizens of Zootopia who did not make the final cut.
• Deleted Scenes:
  • Alternate Opening – Young Judy Hopps rescues a fellow classmate and realizes she can reach beyond a life in carrot farming to a future in law enforcement.
  • Wild Times! Pitch – Nick desperately pitches the bankers of Zootopia on funding Wild Times!, an amusement park made exclusively for the predators of Zootopia and a sure-fire, money-making scheme for Nick and his friends.
  • Alternate Homesick Hopps – After a frustrating first day on the force, Judy has a conversation with her parents.  See how this scene changed from a heartfelt conversation with her parents to tough love when her parents discover their daughter is only a meter maid and not a “real cop.”
  • Detective Work – Judy borrows a fellow police officer’s computer to conduct research, which turns out to be no small task.
  • Alternate Jumbo Pop – In this early version of the story where Nick was the main character, the filmmakers and Jason Bateman were able to take hustling to a new level.
  • Hopps’ Apartment – When Judy’s entire family pays her a surprise visit they are shocked to discover the company she’s keeping.
  • The Taming Party – In this emotional clip from an early version of “Zootopia,” Judy attends her first “taming party” and gains a deeper understanding of the plight of the predator.

• “Try Everything” Music Video by Shakira

DVD:

• Scoretopia
• “Try Everything” Music Video by Shakira

DIGITAL HD EXCLUSIVE:

• International Character Reel – See the variances in news reporters in Zootopia around the world!

Actual bonus features in a Disney Animation release?! I mean, it's nowhere near the amount of bonus features Pixar puts into their Blu-Ray releases but still I'm impressed, Disney! Now all we need is some disc artwork!

However, I can't help but notice two bonus features are missing. There is no Audio Commentary which is very disappointing and the incredible Imagining Zootopia documentary is noticeably missing. Curious about its exemption, I took to Twitter to contact one of Zootopia's directors, Byron Howard, asking him why it is not on there. The response I got was quite interesting and a bit worrying in my eyes. He seemed to have no idea why it wasn't on there and agreed with me that it was a missed opportunity. So, if one of the directors of the film wanted the documentary on the Blu-Ray, why didn't he just get it on there? Does this show a lack of creative control at Disney Animation when it comes to Blu-Ray releases? That could explain why so many newer Disney Animation home media releases have little to no bonus features and why the cover art on this one is so abysmal. Meanwhile, a studio like Pixar has full control on their Blu-Ray releases, which explains the incredible amount of bonus features, disc artwork, great cover art and overall immense effort that is being put into each and every release!

If you've read my review of Zootopia, then you will know that I absolutely love this film and consider it one of Disney's best films. So, despite the gripes I have with this latest home media release, I am definitely looking forward to picking this masterpiece up on Blu-Ray when it hits store shelves on June 7th.

Also, I might as well announce this here. I will be reviewing this Blu-Ray release, making it my first Blu-Ray review! This is something I have wanted to start doing for a long time and after many attempts that didn't see the light of day, I will officially start doing Blu-Ray reviews on here, starting with Zootopia. I really look forward to doing this and making this one of many ways I plan to expand the blog.