Some of Disney's most popular animated franchises will soon get sequels.
"Today I’m so pleased to announce that we have sequels in the works from our animation studios to some of our most popular franchises, Toy Story, Frozen and Zootopia," Disney chief executive Bob Iger said on Wednesday, after announcing the company's earnings from the first quarter of this year.
"We’ll have more to share about these productions soon, but this is a great example of how we’re leaning into our unrivalled brands and franchises."
He provided no further comment on the storylines, casting or release timelines.
The Toy Story franchise started with the 1995 release of the same name, the newly announced sequel will be the fifth instalment in the series. The story focuses on a group of toys, led by Sheriff Woody, a cowboy doll voiced by Tom Hanks, as well as Buzz Lightyear, a space action figure voiced by Tim Allen.
Toy Story 4 was released in 2019 and featured an A-list cast voicing the characters, including Keanu Reeves, Joan Cusack, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Tony Hale and Betty White.
Frozen has proven itself as one of the most popular franchises in recent years. The wintery original film, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 1844 fairy tale The Snow Queen, has had an autumnal sequel in Frozen II. It's possible that subsequent films detailing the lives of sisters Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) will explore summer and spring themes.
Since its 2013 release, the Frozen brand has grown to include several theme park attractions, a Broadway musical and a Disney on Ice show.
Zootopia is the only film of the three animations yet to receive the sequel treatment. The 2016 film tells the story of an unlikely collaboration between a rabbit police officer, Judy Hopps, voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, and a sly red fox con artist, Nick Wilde, voiced by Jason Bateman. The star cast of voices also includes Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Tommy Chong, J K Simmons, Octavia Spencer and Shakira.
