Disney announces release dates for 'Frozen 3,' 'Toy Story 5'
Disney announced the release dates for Frozen 3 and Toy Story 5 during their Q1 2024 earnings conference call on Thursday (IST). CEO Bob Iger shared, "And we're already looking forward to 2026 and beyond with Frozen 3, the first Toy Story movie since 2019, and a new Star Wars movie that brings the Mandalorian and Grogu to the big screen for the very first time." The news comes as Disney plans to create more sequels after a slow 2023.
Why does this story matter?
In 2023, Disney had about a dozen films that were released, including Peter Pan & Wendy, The Little Mermaid, Elemental, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Haunted Mansion, and others. Though the list included some big releases, their box office collection wasn't as the makers may have expected. As a result, the studio's focus remains on providing better films to the audience, with Frozen 3 and Toy Story 5 anticipated to be its bankable projects.
Pixar and Disney Animation projects slated for 2026
The current release schedule shows a Pixar film set for June 19, 2026, and an untitled Disney Animation project on November 25, 2026. Iger is confident in these sequels as part of Disney's strategy to focus on well-established properties. Both Frozen 3 and Toy Story 5 will be released in 2026, though the exact date of release has not yet been released.
'Frozen 3' will not be helmed by Jennifer Lee
Disney's Frozen 3 will not have series regular Jennifer Lee as the director. However, she is advising and working on the project during its production. She recently mentioned, "I can't say where we are [with Frozen 3]. All our stories are driven by the artists in the studio. Where we're going with Frozen did not come from me. It came from an incredible person... And I've been blown away by it and I'm just having a blast with that team."
'Zootopia 2' eyeing November 2025 release
Disney also confirmed Zootopia 2's release date as November 26, 2025. Addressing the studio's recent performance, Iger stated, "The performance of some of our recent films has definitely been disappointing, and we don't take that lightly. As you'd expect, we're very focused on improving the quality and the performance of the films that we've got coming up." "It's something that I'm working closely with the studio on. I'm personally committed to spending more time and attention on that as well."
