Walt Disney Animation Studios, in a significant leadership shift, on Thursday named Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jared Bush as its new chief creative officer, effective immediately.

Frozen II was the last big hit that Disney Animation had. The pandemic would follow shortly after its release. Raya and the Last Dragon was released while many theaters were still closed. Encanto, Strange World, and Wish were all disappointments at the box office, though Encanto would find new life on Disney+.

Encanto' and 'Zootopia' director Jared Bush has been named chief creative officer at Walt Disney Animation as Jennifer Lee steps back and returns to filmmaking for 'Frozen 3' and 'Frozen 4.'

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.”

Bush is currently writing and directing “Zootopia 2” The post Disney Animation Shake-Up: Jennifer Lee Out, Jared Bush in as Chief Creative Officer appeared first on TheWrap.

As Disney readies the sequels to its uber-grossing $1.75 billion Frozen franchise, Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee is segueing from her position to direct and write Frozen 3 and pen Frozen 4 with Marc Smith.