While Zootopia 2 is set to dominate the box office this Thanksgiving weekend, channeling recent memories of the box office success of Moana 2, there's definitely growing concern among animation and Disney fans that the House of Mouse is growing too reliant on sequels and existing IP.
While 2021's Encanto was a worldwide phenomenon, the ongoing pandemic meant the film was released on Disney+ instead of in theaters.
With that in mind, you have to go all the way back to 2016's Moana for a breakout, box office hit for an original Disney Animation pic, as 2022's Strange World and 2023's Wish were colossal misfires.
As such, Jared Bush was selected to replace Jennifer Lee as Disney Animation's Chief Creative Officer, and he's ushering in a new philosophy and approach to crafting feature animated films.
In a previous interview, Bush stated, "Our job is to make movies that will stand the test of time. I want everyone here to be thinking about that constantly.”
In looking towards the future, Bush confirmed in a recent NY Times interview that Walt Disney Animation has an original feature slated for 2028, with the site reporting, "In 2028, the studio plans to release another original. Mr. Bush wouldn’t divulge the title or plot, saying only: “It’s not a human world. It’s a very different style than we usually do.”
When pressed if the animation style would change, Bush neither confirmed or denied, but did amit that he's always thinking about the "evolution” of Disney's current art style, "a lot — a lot.”
Could Disney Animation be looking to shift away from CGI/3D animation and return to traditional 2D hand drawing? Are they going to move towards a more bombastic style similar to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem?
Time will tell, but it seems certain that Bush is going to push the envelope and is aiming to make a definitive change.
Upcoming animated films from Walt Disney Animation and Pixar:
- Hoppers: 03/06/2026
- Toy Story 5: 06/19/2026
- Hexed: 11/25/2026
- Gatto: 06/18/2027
- Frozen III: 11/24/2027
- Pixar Original: 03/10/2028
- Incredibles 3 (possibly): 06/16/2028
- WDAS Original: 11/22/2028
Based on Bush's hint above about an original animated film in a different animation style and looking at the current, confirmed upcoming release calendar for Disney, it looks as if November 22, 2028, is the current date that pic could hit theaters?
What would you like to see Disney Animation produce? Let us know in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to Toonaod for all your Disney Animation and Pixar coverage needs.