Disney CEO Bob Iger announces that Toy Story, Frozen and Zootopia sequels are now in development. The past few years have not been good for Disney animated projects.
Turning Red and Luca was a financial loss for Disney, but this can be blamed because of the Pandemic. Pixar’s Lightyear didn’t even break even. Disney’s most recent Strange World also was also a box office bomb.
Disney animated projects, especially with starting a new franchise, are proving to be difficult for the company giant. The quality of the films is not the problem, though.
Reviews of most of Disney’s animated projects are generally positive. But no one can deny they are struggling.
Disney Announces Frozen 3, Toy Story 5 And Zootopia 2
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So, it was an exciting move to see Bob Iger announce the new animated projects. In a report from Deadline, he said:
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. We’ll have more to share about these productions soon, but this is a great example of how we’re leaning into our unrivaled brands and franchises.
While this is exciting news for moviegoers, it’s not an easy thing to swallow for the people who work for Disney. Not only is the animation division struggling, but Disney as a whole. It’s been reported that 7,000 people would be losing their jobs as they restructure. This will save the company $5.5 billion.
Seems like Disney will revert to focusing more on its most popular franchises.
Credit: Disney
Toy Story was Pixar’s first major production for Disney back in 1995. The movie was a major hit for Disney. For a $30 million budget, it got $394 million at the box office. Of course, sequels happened, and each one performed better than the last.
While the first three films focused on the main toys, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, they also focused on the growth of their owner Andy. Toy Story 3 ended with Andy passing his toys to a young child named Bonnie.
Even though a lot of people thought that this was the final film, Disney released Toy Story 4, which was a box office hit, earning $1.073 billion. While this story didn’t focus on Andy or even Bonnie, it focused on the first character we were attached to in Toy Story, Woody. It was again presumed that this was going to be the last film. Even Tom Hanks said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that it would be the final instalment.
It was a surprise to many that a new Toy Story has been officially announced. To what the story would be, we don’t know. So far, Tim Allen has already posted on social media regarding his return. Would this be focusing on Lightyear this time?
Will Lightyear and Woody meet again? To tell you the truth, I thought Toy Story 4 was a great ending to the franchise. So, I’m not so sure what to expect from the new film. But I’m sure it will get a lot of attention.
Frozen was an absolute hit for Disney back in 2013. This non-Pixar film became a favourite for many, many children. When the movie came out, I couldn’t go to a place where I won’t hear the song “Let it Go” by Idina Menzel. Frozen was everywhere. The movie earned $1.28 billion for the company.
While the first film was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, the sequel is an original story that focused on Elsa understanding her powers. The movie earned $1.45 billion.
Frozen 3 was unofficially announced by Kristen Bell back in June 2022 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. At the time, it was just for fun. Now, it seems like Kristen Bell was right all along.
Zootopia came out in 2016. And just as Frozen did, it was another hit for Disney. The movie earned $1.025 billion. A sequel was discussed immediately after the release of the film. Even though there was no progress about the sequel, Disney did release a spin-off series just recently on Disney plus titled Zootopia+.
Disney Announces Frozen 3, Toy Story 5 And Zootopia 2
Credit: Disney
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These are expected as sure hits for the conglomerate. But still, they need to be careful with the franchise to keep them running. While I know the people behind Frozen and Zootopia have been looking forward to making sequels, I’m not sure if the people behind Toy Story have the same enthusiasm.
But I do understand that Pixar needs a hit. In comparison to Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar seems to be lagging behind for some years now.
Pixar has a few other movies lined up, like Elemental for June 16, 2023, Inside Out 2 for June 14, 2024, and Elio for March 1, 2024. Meanwhile, Walt Disney Animation Studios has Wish for November 22, 2023.
What do you think of the new animation projects announced by Disney CEO Bob Iger? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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For Toy Story 5, in addition to “You ve got a friend in me”, I would really like there to be these musics: “Toy Story 2 Game Soundtrack The Evil Emperor Zurg” and “Toy Story 2 Game Soundtrack Airport Infiltration”, and maybe also Toy Story Strange Things; and also the return of Stinky Pete Prospector and Zurg. And maybe as new characters the miniatures of a Tyrannosaurus Rex similar to Jurassic Park/World and a Velociraptor similar to Blue from Jurassic World.
For Frozen 3, I really want this film to tell and show :
-the return of Queen Iduna and King Agnarr having survived the storm in the first film. Anna and Elsa finding and rescuing their parents after learning they are alive. As soon as Anna and Elsa find their parents, it will be explained and revealed:
-if the parents had explained to Anna why Esla isolated herself, no longer spoke to her and no longer played with her : like that she was sick, and if they had reassured her that she could see her sister Elsa again;
-if the parents, before their boat sank, had begun to think and even to believe that separating and isolating their daughters was a mistake;
-Queen Iduna and King Agnarr expressing their regrets to their daughters for isolating and separating them, even if it was for a good cause but realizing that it was a mistake.
If not, I hope it will be shown :
-if Iduna had told King Agnarr that she was the one who saved him;
-if the parents had explained to Anna why Esla isolated herself, no longer spoke to her and no longer played with her (even if they did not reveal her sister’s powers to her): like that she was sick, and if they had reassured her that she would be able to see her sister Elsa again;
-if the parents, before their boat sank, had begun to think and even to believe that separating and isolating their daughters was a mistake;
-the deleted scene “A Place Of Our Own”;
-and if Anna and Elsa would meet the ghosts of their parents, and discuss their decision to have them isolated and separated, to which the latter express their regret to their daughters even if it was for a good cause but noting that it was a mistake.
I also hope so much that it will be told and explained in Frozen 3 :
-that even though she is the fifth spirit, Elsa is not immortal : according to a Q&A session after the sequel, although she has become the fifth spirit, Elsa is still human and therefore still mortal. This means that the “bridge” between humanity and nature will continue after he and Anna pass away or require another person to become the fifth spirit. Otherwise, if Elsa is truly immortal, she could search for a way to be free from immortality with the help of her sister Anna and her friends: like Henry Turner looking for a way and managing to free his father Will Turner from the curse of the “Flying Dutchman” which made him immortal in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
-If following an accident of magic, or other, the magic powers of Esla were transferred to her sister Anna and that the latter declares not without humor why it did not happen to her earlier (before she was separated from her older sister) which makes them laugh, and that until Elsa gets her powers back she has to help Anna master them;
-if Anna regained all her memories of her sister’s childhood magic before the accident that Pabbie had erased (although this has already been explained in a book);
-who are Kristoff’s parents, and what happened to them so that the latter found himself alone since his childhood with Sven;
-Anna mysteriously disappearing and it will be Elsa’s turn to look for her and save her like her sister had done before;
-Anna perverted by a curse (which Elsa would have had a nightmare about before it happened) and Elsa and her friends must find a way to free Anna from this curse;
-if Anna also has magical powers;
-If there is a wedding of Anna and Kristoff, Elsa and the Northuldras will be present;
-Although Olaf does not know Samantha, this name could become that of the daughter of Anna and Kristoff.
-If the soldiers of Arendelle don’t seem to have aged much despite the 34 years spent in the enchanted forest (although Lieutenant Mattias admitted that they were a little old) it is due to the curse that preserved them.