- Kojima has joined the cast of the Japanese dub of Zootopia 2.
- He is confirmed to make a cameo appearance as the Mole in the Zootopia 2 Japanese dub version.
- Jared Bush, the director of Zootopia 2 and the Chief Creative Officer of Disney Animation Studios, invited Kojima to play this role.
Disney’s brand-new sequel to the blockbuster buddy cop comedy movie, Zootopia 2, has just become the movie with the biggest worldwide opening (over $560M) in 2025. The animated sequel movie is on track to become a smash hit just like its predecessor. Zootopia 2 has already premiered worldwide and has been lauded by both critics and moviegoers alike as a worthy sequel. Now, Zootopia 2 is heading to the Japanese cinemas on December 5. Ahead of the premiere, the production team has a surprise for the fans: Hideo Kojima, the visionary video game legend, has joined the cast of the Japanese dubbed version.
According to the Famitsu magazine, Jared Bush, one of the directors of Zootopia 2 (and CCO of Disney Animation Studios), invited Kojima-san to do a cameo appearance in the second instalment of the Zootopia franchise. Kojima accepted the offer to be part of his favourite Disney animated movie and has made a cameo appearance voicing “Paul Moldebrandt aka Mole” in Zootopia 2.
This marks the first time the legend did a voice-recording for an animated movie, and he shared his excitement about getting a chance to work on one of his favourite Disney movies:
I have plenty of experience with cameo appearances in live-action films and games, but this will be my first time dubbing an animated feature film. And it’s from Disney, to my surprise! And it’s for my favorite movie, “Zootopia 2″the sequel to Zootopia! And since it came directly from director Jared Bush, I was incredibly honored and accepted without hesitation.
If you are wondering whether Kojima played a full-fledged role in the Zootopia 2 Japanese dubbed version, he added a comment about his role, “I only took part in a small scene, but even at the time of recording, the level of detail was impressive. Thanks to the illustrations, the recording went smoothly. I’m usually on the directing side, so I learned a lot from the experience of actually acting. It made me realise how much attention voice actors pay to basic things like turning the pages of the script and noise”
The auteur further added that he is excited to watch the Japanese dubbed version soon. “I went to see the Japanese version of the original film, ‘Zootopia,’ with my young child. It had social themes hidden within it, and everyone, from children to adults, could laugh and enjoy it. It was a pinnacle of Disney animation, leaving the theatre with hope. Honestly, I wondered, ‘Can they really make a sequel that surpasses that?’ But from the feeling I got during the recording, I was convinced that it would definitely be a ‘new Zootopia’ that surpasses the original! Now that my children are older, I don’t watch the Japanese version as often, but this time I’m going to see it in theatres with the Japanese version”
If you have been following Kojima-san like me, then you would know that this legend is not only a game creator but also a movie connoisseur. Now, Kojima got to be part of one of his favourite Disney animated franchises. That said, let us know your thoughts about Kojima turning into a voice actor for the first time in the comments below.
