Zootopia Stuff: Calendar Theory

   Zootopia takes place entirely, based on the calendars in the background throughout the film, seemingly within one month, one beginning with a weekend, and one possessing 30 days so we know Assistant Mayor Bellwether's desk calendar is off (and not even flipped open to an Aries month, so I've got no idea what's up with that?)

   If it's not May like her little sheep flip calendar says (though, May, wasn't that Bellwether's first name? that could be it?) if it's not May we can at least pinpoint it thus: the film takes place sometime after Wrangled, Pig Hero 6, Wreck-It Rhino, and the first Floatzen movie have come out, but before Floatzen II, Meowna, or Giraffic have been released. The most recent film in our world, Big Hero 6, released 7 November 2014, so it definitely takes place some time after that.

   Star Trunk is in theaters, though, which problematizes things a bit, because in our world Star Trek: Into Darkness was already well on DVD by November 2014 and Star Trek Beyond gets released 22 July 2016. The next 30-day month beginning with a weekend after that is April 2017 (Zootopian calendars thus beginning on Monday under this theory,) or September 2017 with the first day being Sunday as usual, but Beyond's going to be well out on DVD by either of those points, and after that Moana's going to be out and so it has to be between that...

   Here's what I think, though. I think that Star Trunk isn't a Star Trek thing at all, rather Star Wars. And specifically, Episode 7, which, although out on DVD the first of April, is still playing in several local cinemas in real life, and I don't think it's too much a stretch to say that maybe (especially with 3D showings, one of which Paramount 5 has) it'll still be playing throughout next month. April, 2016. 30 days, first two days Friday and Saturday. Excellent.

   Indeed, looking at the original concept art-- it's not May, and I had it right. What the heck happened?

  Still just a theory, though; concept art is just concept art. I can think of one thing that would offer up a definite confirmation. There's a glimpse of a newspaper much closer up in the movie, which Judy uses to wrap up a dozen carrots, probably with a date on top which would pin down the exact timeframe of the film. (Looking very, very closely at the newsprint on the poster, it's a bunch of Lorem Ipsum, which was disappointing.) The newspaper wrapping goes by too fast to read anything on the paper without pausing-- pawsing!--, though, and we can't pause-- paws!--, because so far we can only see it in theaters... theaters! Legally, at least.

   Though how wild would it be to watch the "Duke of Bootleg" scene on a bootleg DVD? That'd be, pretty strange, right? It'd be, like, double meta, maybe even triple if, what the heck DVD is that in the upper lefthand corner?, looks like some kind of, Zootopia parody of, itself...

   I'm gonna, go get a drink of water, and lie down for a bit...