FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Seanna Hore, Ginsberg/Libby
seanna.hore@ginsberglibby.com

Gladys Santos, Ginsberg/Libby
gladys.santos@ginsberglibby.com
 

LOS ANGELES, CA (February 2, 2026) — Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and Film Independent Presents, is collaborating with the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Walt Disney Animation Studios to present their first-ever animated Live Read®, featuring the highest-grossing U.S. animated film of all time, Zootopia 2. Taking place Monday, February 9, the one-night-only event will bring together select cast members from the Oscar®-nominated film reprising their roles alongside special guest stars in a lively, immersive live performance.

The audience will be transported to the animal metropolis of Zootopia as rookie cops Judy Hopps (voiced live by Ginnifer Goodwin, revisiting her iconic character) and Nick Wilde find themselves on the twisting trail of a great mystery when the reptile Gary De’Snake arrives in town.

In addition to Goodwin, the night will feature live performances by Zootopia 2 voice cast members Patrick Warburton, Alan Tudyk, Yvette Nicole Brown, Nate Torrence, Josh Dallas and Sam Richardson. Additional performers are still to be announced.

“We’re genuinely overjoyed for our film to be featured in this first-of-its-kind Film Independent Live Read® event,” said Zootopia 2 directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard. “As animation directors, we get to witness incredible voice performances first-hand, but it’s rare that others have the chance to watch what we are lucky to see in the booth. It’s amazing that we’ll have the chance to share that experience with a live audience.”

Film Independent Director of Programming and Events Rachel Bleemer said, “From the screen to the stage, Zootopia 2 is the perfect match for our first animated Live Read®. It’s a world audiences love, and this playful, immersive night brings the metropolis to life in a whole new way.”

Zootopia 2 – now the 9th highest-grossing film of all time globally – is directed by the Oscar®-winning team of Disney Animation chief creative officer Jared Bush and Byron Howard, written by Jared Bush and produced by Academy Award® winner Yvett Merino.

Past Live Read guest directors and their chosen scripts include Edward Berger (Conclave), Paul Feig (Bringing Up Baby), Laurence Fishburne (The Maltese Falcon), Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body), Zoe Lister Jones (Wayne’s World), Marlee Matlin (Sunset Boulevard), Natalie Morales (Napoleon Dynamite), Ruben Östlund (Triangle of Sadness), Patton Oswalt (Raising Arizona), Alex Russell (Single White Female), Ben Schwartz (Back to the Future), Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight), Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall), David Wain (Tootsie), and Julio Torres (Cruel Intentions), among others.

Previous Live Read cast members include Alison Brie (Together), Nicholas Braun (Succession), Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), Maya Erskine (Mr. and Mrs. Smith), Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso), Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), Riley Keough (Jay Kelly), Troy Kotsur (CODA), Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Rachel Sennott (I Love LA), Tessa Thompson (Hedda), Taika Waititi (Thor: Love and Thunder), Olivia Wilde (The Invite), Steven Yeun (Nope), and many more.

To purchase tickets: thewallis.org, or call the Wallis Ticket Services at 310-746-4000 or email or tickets@thewallis.org.

Film Independent Presents is supported year-round by Lead Sponsor The Golden Globe Foundation.

Special thanks to Walt Disney Animation Studios for making this event possible.
 

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

For over 40 years, Film Independent has helped filmmakers get their projects made and seen. The nonprofit organization’s core mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling in all its forms and foster a culture of inclusion, in support of a global community of artists and audiences who embody diversity, innovation, curiosity and uniqueness of vision.

In addition to producing the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the organization supports creative professionals with Artist Development programs, grants and labs. Signature mentorship program Project Involve fosters the careers of talented filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Weekly Education events and workshops equip filmmakers of all ages and experience levels with tools and resources. International programs provide cultural exchanges and career-building opportunities for film professionals around the world. And year-round screening series Film Independent Presents offers a robust program of unique cinematic experiences, including screenings, conversations, Live Reads and Bring the Noise musical events.

For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.
 

ABOUT WALLIS ANNENBERG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) was lauded by Culture Vulture: “If you love expecting the unexpected in the performing arts, you have to love The Wallis.” Broadway legend Patti LuPone, who was The Wallis’ 2015/2016 Season Artistic Advisor, described the venue as “one of the best in the country, allowing for an unparalleled intimacy between [the artist] and the audience.”

Since its doors opened in 2013, The Wallis, located in the heart of Beverly Hills, CA, is a dynamic cultural hub and community resource where local, national, and international performers share their artistry with ever-expanding audiences. Distinguished by eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its location in the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis has produced and presented nearly 500 theater, dance, music, film, cabaret, comedy, performance arts, and family entertainment programs, boasting nominations for 79 Ovation Awards and nine L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards, as well as six architectural awards.

The breathtaking 70,000-square-foot facility, celebrating the classic and the modern, was named after philanthropist Wallis Annenberg, who’s original $25-million-dollar donation was instrumental in transforming the beloved former 1934 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places) into an arts complex. Designed by acclaimed architect Zoltan E. Pali (SPF: architects), the restored building features one of two sets of eight towering original WPA frescos, these by Charles Kassler, remaining in the entire California Federal Building system. The Wallis’ lobby, now known as Jim and Eleanor Randall Grand Hall, serves as the theater’s dramatic yet welcoming entryway to the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater; the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater; an inviting open-air plaza for family, community and other performances; and GRoW @ The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education, where learning opportunities for all ages and backgrounds abound. Together, these elements embrace both the region’s history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for Los Angeles area visitors and residents alike.

Daphna Nazarian is Chair of The Wallis’ Board of Directors and Robert van Leer is its Executive Director and CEO.
 

ABOUT WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS

Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made. Disney Animation continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, from the first fully-animated feature film, 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to the studios’ #1 feature of all time, 2025’s Zootopia 2. Among the studio’s timeless creations are Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Frozen, Moana and Encanto.