Jennifer Lee will be leaving her position as chief creative office (CCO) at Walt Disney Animation Studios to resume her writing and directing career—specifically to direct and write Frozen 3 and serve with Mark Smith as executive producer of Frozen 4. Lee had been the chief creative officer of the studio since 2018.
Filmmaker Jared Bush will replace her as the CCO, reporting directly to Alan Bergman, the co-chair of Disney Entertainment. In 2021, Bush wrote and directed Encanto, which won an Oscar for best animated feature. He was also the co-director/co-writer for Zootopia, which won an Oscar in 2016.
Lee had joined the team at Disney in 2011 to serve as co-writer of Wreck it Ralph, which received a nomination for an Academy Award. She also worked on Zootopia and was executive producer for several features, including Encanto, Wish, Raya and the Last Dragon, and the upcoming Moana 2. She also received a Tony nomination as writer of the book for the Broadway musical version of Frozen.
In announcing the personnel changes, Disney Entertainment’s co-chair Alan Bergman said: “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. 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.”
Bush replied to Bergman’s accolades by saying : “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. Disney Animation is home to some of the greatest stories and characters of the past century, and 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.”
Jennifer Lee added: “I am so grateful to Bob and Alan for supporting my decision to return to filmmaking full time. Every day working with them is a master class in creativity, business, community, and integrity. 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. For me, getting to collaborate with this studio of artists, animators, and storytellers is such a privilege, and I look forward to all we will create together.”
Inspired by Disney’s Snow Queen, the Frozen franchise has already generated $1.75 billion in revenues. The Frozen 3 installment will debut on November 24, 2027.
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