It seems a common belief about Disney sequels isn’t actually true, according to a leading studio executive. Over the past ten years, Walt Disney Animation has released six brand new films (with two already having sequels) and three direct sequels. Last year, audiences finally enjoyed Moana 2, and they’ll soon be able to revisit the world of Zootopia 2, both of which arrived more than eight years after their original movies. Even with these releases, many people believe Disney is prioritizing sequels over the original stories that built its reputation. This perception grew after the studio’s most recent original film, Wish, didn’t perform well at the box office in 2023.
Jared Bush, Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Walt Disney Animation Studios, recently talked to Cartoon Brew before the release of Zootopia 2 and clarified a common misconception about how Disney approaches sequels. He confirmed that Disney Animation doesn’t have a strict “rule” requiring a specific number of sequels or franchise projects. Instead, the studio focuses on creating compelling stories.
When questioned about the types of stories he’s interested in developing at Disney, Bush shared his thoughts on why “making something entirely new is particularly rewarding:”
“Zootopia” really shows how important it is to come up with fresh, original ideas. It’s getting tougher to create something completely new that captures people’s attention-but it’s absolutely essential. Ultimately, people will always crave those innovative, original concepts in the future.
He then explained that the common idea – that Disney focuses mostly on sequels and projects likely to be popular and profitable – wasn’t true. He stated it was “actually never that:”
We also enjoy crafting stories that resonate with us and dedicating more time to characters we connect with. A frequent misunderstanding is the belief that there’s a strict rule dictating, “We require this, not that,” or “Focus on this instead of that.” But that’s simply not how it works.
The creative chief at Disney Animation shared the main questions they consider when developing new films-essentially, “what truly matters.”
As a movie buff, I’ve noticed it’s *always* the same questions when developing a project. We’re constantly asking: is this story truly ready for the big screen? Is it worth the investment – not just the five years of work, but the dedication of the 1,000+ people who’d pour their lives into it? Will it still resonate with audiences years down the line? Whether we’re building on an existing world or creating something entirely new, we really pressure test everything. Is it fun enough to watch? Is the scope grand enough? Ultimately, the most important thing is whether we believe we can absolutely knock it out of the park. That’s what *really* matters to us. It’s all about delivering something special.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ full upcoming movie slate can be seen below:
- Zootopia 2 – November 26, 2025
- Hexed – November 25, 2026
- Frozen 3 – November 24, 2027
- Frozen 4 – TBD
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2025-10-04 23:05