Nine years after their first adventure, Zootopia’s “dream team” are back. This time, perky optimistic rabbit cop Judy Hopps and charming fox Nick Wilde must to solve a reptilian mystery.

Zootopia 2 has won the hearts of millions since its release in late November – including in China, one of the world’s most lucrative film markets. The animated comedy has topped the Chinese box office to become its highest-grossing foreign animated film of all time.

This success signals more than entertainment; it reveals how Disney reshapes cultural symbols to appeal to different audiences. Because at the centre of the story is an unexpected hero: a blue-scaled pit viper named Gary De’Snake, who is determined to clear his family’s name and see reptiles living in harmony with other animals.

According to Disney’s chief creative officer and the film’s co-director, Jared Bush, Gary’s inclusion in the film is a deliberate nod to the Chinese zodiac year, in which the snake symbolises wisdom, intuition, elegance and renewal.

From the serpent in the Bible tempting Eve, to Medusa’s venomous hair in Greek mythology, the image of the snake has long been tied to deceit, temptation and chaos. These stereotypes are even embedded in language, such as with “snake in the grass” and........

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