Furries are renting theaters for Zootopia meets, and they’re getting bigger than cons.
by Patch O'Furr
Nordic Fuzzcon has a Zootopia screening at a theater for 250. That’s the size of it’s 2014 attendance. (Art: Silverfox)
The most anticipated “furry” movie in memory is coming. It’s the #1 reason to call 2016 The Year of Furry. Zootopia is Star Wars for anthro animals.
This is different from other such events. It’s a fandom pulling mainstream media to itself, despite reasons for the media to resist open ties. This isn’t Zootopia fandom taking over, it’s furries doing what they already love.
In the San Francisco Bay area, over 200 furries will stuff a theater to it’s limit. The screening is just for them. It includes not just a movie, but a whole night of fursuiting. There’s a changing room in the theater, and the neighborhood will be inundated with fluffy revelers at bars and restaurants.
It’s the size of a small con. The event was arranged by convincing a theater that it would be well handled and attended. The response exploded beyond expectations. A theater with 145 seats was maxed out within days, and had to be switched for one with 225 spots. That isn’t even enough – the wait list is double digits and rising. It went out through members-only channels and word of mouth, to serve the most dedicated fans and manage demand beyond the limits.