Yahoo Movies Disney is making new sequels to Frozen , Toy Story , and Zootopia
We haven't seen the last of Elsa, Buzz Lightyear, or Judy Hopps.
During a quarterly earnings call Wednesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that the studio is developing new sequels for the Frozen, Toy Story and Zootopia franchises.
"We'll have more to share about these productions soon," Iger told investors, "but this is a great example of how we're leaning into our unrivaled brands and franchises."
It's not exactly a surprise that Disney is revisiting some of its biggest animated juggernauts: Frozen, Toy Story, and Zootopia were all massive hits at the box office and beyond. Frozen, for one, has become one of Disney's biggest success stories, and the 2013 film has since spawned a billion-dollar sequel, a Broadway stage musical, theme park attractions, and more. Meanwhile, Toy Story has been a Disney/Pixar staple through the decades, stretching from the original 1995 film to last year's spin-off Lightyear. (Sequels like Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4 each earned more than a billion dollars in theaters.)
As for Zootopia, the animated film has yet to receive a sequel. But the first film was a huge hit, raking in $1.025 billion at the global box office and sparking a Disney+ spin-off series.
Disney; Disney/Pixar; Disney 'Frozen,' 'Toy Story,' and 'Zootopia'
By contrast, some of Disney's recent animated originals haven't performed as well. The studio's most recent release, Strange World, hit theaters in November and earned a measly $74 million at the global box office. Other originals have performed okay in theaters, only to find greater success on streaming. (Encanto is a perfect example, earning $257 million at the box office before becoming a hit on Disney+.)
During the investor call, Iger also announced 7,000 job cuts at Disney as part of a push to find $5.5 billion in savings across the company. Iger recently returned to the Mouse House after stepping down as CEO several years ago and handing the reins to Bob Chapek.
On the theme park side, Iger also told investors of plans to bring James Cameron's Avatar to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. Details have yet to be revealed, but the new attraction will probably be similar to the Pandora attraction in Walt Disney World in Orlando.
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