# Night of the Zoopocalypse
**Night of the Zoopocalypse** is a 2025 animated horror-comedy film directed by Ricardo Curtis and Rodrigo Perez-Castro, in which a meteor strike unleashes a virus that turns the animals of Colepepper Zoo into zombies and a mismatched group of survivors must stop the infection from spreading.[1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmxnzyy) It is a Canada/France/Belgium coproduction based on a concept from the horror writer [Clive Barker](https://www.edgepedia.org/clive-barker), and it received financial support from Telefilm Canada from development through production and marketing.[2](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2025/telefilmcanada/CC370-2025-eng.pdf) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/07/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-review-zombified-animal-caper-horror-kids-clive-barker)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Directors | Ricardo Curtis and Rodrigo Perez-Castro[1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmxnzyy) |
| Origin | Based on *Zoombies*, an unpublished short story by Clive Barker[3](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/07/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-review-zombified-animal-caper-horror-kids-clive-barker) |
| Production | Canada/France/Belgium coproduction; producers Steven Hoban, Mark Smith, Joe Iacono and Wes Lui[2](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2025/telefilmcanada/CC370-2025-eng.pdf) |
| Release | United States theatrical release March 7, 2025 (Viva Pictures); streaming April 4, 2025[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/night_of_the_zoopocalypse) |
| Runtime and rating | About 91 minutes; rated PG[1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmxnzyy) • [5](https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/night-of-the-zoopocalypse) |
| Reception | 88% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 34 reviews; 81% Popcornmeter[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/night_of_the_zoopocalypse) |
| Box office | $9.8 million worldwide, $2.1 million domestic, $814,000 opening weekend (Box Office Mojo, through October 19, 2026)[6](https://movie.guru/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-movie-review) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and characters
The story is set at Colepepper Zoo. Gracie (voiced by Gabbi Kosmidis), a spirited young timber wolf raised by her cautious grandmother, is bored by zoo life; when a meteor containing a virus crashes into the zoo and is eaten by a bunny, the rabbit transforms into a deranged mutant zombie that bites other animals and seems intent on infecting the entire zoo.[5](https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/night-of-the-zoopocalypse) Gracie teams up with Dan ([David Harbour](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-harbour)), a gruff mountain lion recently arrived at the zoo whose survival instincts and brute strength make him a powerful ally, and together with other survivors they try to stop the virus from spreading and find a way to save the infected animals.[5](https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/night-of-the-zoopocalypse) • [7](https://nightofthezoopocalypse.com/)
The survivor group includes Felix ([Paul Sun-Hyung Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-sun-hyung-lee)), a selfish monkey; Ash (Scott Thompson), a cautious ostrich; Poot (Christina Nova), a baby pygmy hippo; and Xavier (Pierre Simpson), a lemur obsessed with horror movies who narrates the film's events through the conventions of the genre.[5](https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/night-of-the-zoopocalypse) • [8](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/night-of-the-zoopocalypse) The mutant leader is Bunny Zero (Bryn McAuley), the deranged mutant-king determined to spread the virus beyond the zoo walls.[9](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/night-of-the-zoopocalypse/umc.cmc.6i2rsuu8v53ggp8l2rfwo338t)
## Origin and production
The film derives from *Zoombies*, an unpublished short story by Clive Barker, the British horror writer known as the creator of *Hellraiser*; the Guardian called it perhaps the first animated animal adventure based on a Barker story.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/07/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-review-zombified-animal-caper-horror-kids-clive-barker) The screenplay is credited to Steven Hoban and James Kee.[10](https://entractfilms.com/en/films/night-of-the-zoopocalypse)
Production companies included Copperheart Entertainment, Charades, Umedia, IDL Films, and House of Cool Studios (a [WildBrain](https://www.edgepedia.org/wildbrain) company, produced in association).[11](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29544253/companycredits/) [Animation](https://www.edgepedia.org/animation) work was carried out at L'Atelier Animation and Mac Guff.[12](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/night-of-the-zoopocalypse/credits/) The music is by Dan Levy of the band The Dø.[13](https://www.intanibase.com/iad_entries/history?shortID=99338)
## Release
The film opened in France on February 28, 2025 through Apollo Films,[10](https://entractfilms.com/en/films/night-of-the-zoopocalypse) and in the United States on March 7, 2025, distributed by Viva Pictures, with streaming release on April 4, 2025.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/night_of_the_zoopocalypse) It reached UK and Irish cinemas on October 10, 2025 and Australian cinemas on October 16, 2025, distributed in the UK by Kazoo Films.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/07/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-review-zombified-animal-caper-horror-kids-clive-barker) • [5](https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/night-of-the-zoopocalypse) Telefilm Canada's 2024-2025 annual report described the film as a box-office hit and noted its support across the film's creation.[2](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2025/telefilmcanada/CC370-2025-eng.pdf) By October 2026 it had grossed $9.8 million worldwide, of which $2.1 million came from the United States and Canada.[6](https://movie.guru/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-movie-review)
## Reception and content advice
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an 88% Tomatometer from 34 reviews, with a critics consensus describing it as a child-friendly introduction to horror that delivers gentle scares with neon-hued visuals; the verified-audience Popcornmeter stands at 81%.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/night_of_the_zoopocalypse) Reviews were mixed in detail: Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com praised the well-designed chase mechanics but found the look lackluster and the characters thinly imagined,[8](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/night-of-the-zoopocalypse) while Dread Central's Terry Mesnard called it a stylishly animated B horror movie that balances horror and silliness for younger viewers.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/night_of_the_zoopocalypse)
The [British Board of Film Classification](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-board-of-film-classification) rated the film PG for mild scary scenes, threat, and violence, noting that the zombie creatures have glowing eyes, sharp teeth and jelly-like bodies, that blows occasionally detach zombies' limbs or heads with no blood or realistic injury detail, and that scary scenes are continually broken up by jokes and slapstick before a reassuring conclusion.[1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmxnzyy) The Australian Council on Children and the Media judged it not suitable under 9, with parental guidance recommended for ages 9 to 10.[5](https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/night-of-the-zoopocalypse) Common Sense Media rated it appropriate from age 8, calling it a fun "starter" horror film with positive themes, and noted that unlike live-action horror none of the main characters actually die.[14](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/night-of-the-zoopocalypse)
## References
1. [Night of the Zoopocalypse, British Board of Film Classification](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmxnzyy)
2. [Telefilm Canada 2024-2025 Annual Report](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2025/telefilmcanada/CC370-2025-eng.pdf)
3. [Night of the Zoopocalypse review, The Guardian (Catherine Bray, October 7, 2025)](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/07/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-review-zombified-animal-caper-horror-kids-clive-barker)
4. [Night of the Zoopocalypse, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/night_of_the_zoopocalypse)
5. [Night of the Zoopocalypse review, Children and Media Australia (ACCM)](https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/night-of-the-zoopocalypse)
6. [Night of the Zoopocalypse, movie.guru (box office data from Box Office Mojo)](https://movie.guru/night-of-the-zoopocalypse-movie-review)
7. [Night of the Zoopocalypse official site](https://nightofthezoopocalypse.com/)
8. [Night of the Zoopocalypse movie review, RogerEbert.com (Nell Minow, March 7, 2025)](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/night-of-the-zoopocalypse)
9. [Night of the Zoopocalypse, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/night-of-the-zoopocalypse/umc.cmc.6i2rsuu8v53ggp8l2rfwo338t)
10. [Night of the Zoopocalypse, Entract Films](https://entractfilms.com/en/films/night-of-the-zoopocalypse)
11. [Night of the Zoopocalypse company credits, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29544253/companycredits/)
12. [Night of the Zoopocalypse credits, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/night-of-the-zoopocalypse/credits/)
13. [Night of the Zoopocalypse, Internet Animation Database](https://www.intanibase.com/iad_entries/history?shortID=99338)
14. [Night of the Zoopocalypse parents' guide, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/night-of-the-zoopocalypse)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Horror films (individual works) › Comedy horror films › 2020s comedy horror films*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license