Jennifer Lee Out at Disney Animation to Make ‘Frozen’ Sequels

Disney Animation chief creative officer and Oscar winner Jennifer Lee is reshifting her focus back to filmmaking, stepping out of her role as the studio’s CCO to focus fully on writing and directing “Frozen 3″ and “Frozen 4.” Jared Bush, who won an Academy Award for “Encanto” and is one of the writers and executive producers for “Moana 2,” has been named the studio’s CCO.

Lee is writing and directing “Frozen 3” and writing “Frozen 4” with Marc Smith — the sequels to Disney Animation’s 2013 “Snow Queen”-inspired cultural hit “Frozen,” for which she served as writer/director. The movie made $1.3 billion worldwide and earned two Oscars, for best animated feature and for earworm song “Let It Go.”

Longtime Disney creative Bush won an Oscar for 2021’s “Encanto,” for which he was a writer and director. Earlier, Bush was an executive producer of “Raya and the Last Dragon,” co-director/co-writer on Oscar-winning “Zootopia” and received an Emmy for “Zootopia+.” He was a writer of Oscar-nominated “Moana” and serves as a writer and executive producer on “Moana 2.” His schedule also includes directing and writing “Zootopia 2,” set to release next fall.

“Jared Bush is an incredible filmmaker and a talented executive who’s been a prominent creative force at Disney Animation for the past decade, and I am thrilled that he’ll be taking the reins of this storied studio,” said Disney Entertainment co-chair Alan Bergman in a statement. “I also want to thank Jennifer Lee for her passionate leadership of the studio over the past several years – she’s made an indelible mark on both Disney Animation and the industry. I know she has so many more stories to tell, and there is truly no one better suited to oversee the continuation of the beloved story of Frozen.” 

Lee was named CCO of the animation studio in 2018, following the departure of John Lasseter. At that time she was additionally writing and directing (with her “Frozen” helming collaborator Chris Buck) “Frozen II,” which opened in 2019 and made $1.45 billion worldwide, though it wasn’t as celebrated as the original.

“I am so grateful to Bob and Alan for supporting my decision to return to filmmaking full time,” said Lee. “I’ve always believed in Jared’s incredible talent and can’t wait to see, with his passion and dedication to animation, what he brings to the CCO role.” 

Said Bush: “I am so deeply grateful to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman for their faith in me, and thankful to Jennifer for her leadership and for her generous support as she embarks on the next chapters of Frozen,” said Bush. “I’m so excited to work with all of our filmmakers, artists, and Disney Animation team members as we shape the future of this legendary studio together.”