Disney Animation's Big Hero 6 has grossed $521 million worldwide; is currently in the running for the 2015 Best Animated Feature Oscar; and has earned more than its fair share of critical acclaim, for introducing a plucky, likable, and diverse new crew of technology-powered superheroes to the big screen. Suffice it to say that although a sequel to the film isn't a given, it's certainly something that will be discussed on some level (be it by the filmmakers and/or studio executives).

The Mouse House is already franchise-ing its other recent animated hits; that includes, working on a sequel to Wreck-It Ralph and releasing Frozen short films (as well as a Broadway stage musical adaptation of the latter). Big Hero 6 lends itself just as much, if not more, to a movie sequel that those films, as the feature very much worked as an origin story for the eponymous team - including, Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) and his healthcare-providing robot sidekick Baymax (Scott Adsit).

However, as of right now, Big Hero 6 directors Don Hall and Chris Williams are saying that they haven't begun a conversation about a potential sequel. Again, that's not to say they won't, but right now the pair are just catching their breath after making the first movie - as evidenced by Hall's response, when (during an interview with Creative Screenwriting) he was asked if a Big Hero 6 sequel - or sequels - is/are already in some stage of development:

[Laughs] We’ll see. We just finished this one, and the truth is, we’re exhausted from the ordeal of making it. It was really fun, but it was long hours, and it was pretty intense. It’s a pretty emotional time for us. These are characters that we’ve grown to know very well, now it’s time to let go of them, and they’re going into the world without us. We’re in the middle of that phase. So we haven’t talked about or thought about any sequels or anything like that. Having said that, of course, we love these characters, and the thought of working with them again some day definitely has its appeal.

Truthfully, Big Hero 6 works just fine as a self-contained story about Hiro's journey through the grieving process (following the death of his brother) and him learning to use his scientific knowledge for good, rather than for destructive or self-serving purposes. If the movie never gets a sequel or ever continues on in some other form (like as a Disney XD animated series), then it will still be able to stand up well on its own.

Pixar's The Incredibles, like Big Hero 6, is perfectly satisfying as a one-off animated superhero adventure, but its memorable characters and colorful world is one that many filmgoers have wanted to see explored in greater depth - hence the anticipation surrounding the in-development Incredibles 2 - and many people have similar feelings towards the setting and characters of Big Hero 6. Williams, during the Creative Screenwriting interview, agreed that Big Hero 6 "Certainly [leaves it] open for further adventures" with its conclusion, while reiterating what Hall said about the pair taking a break before (possibly) diving on ahead into that territory.

Hall added the following to Williams' Big Hero 6 sequel comment:

[Walt Disney Animation Studios' Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter's] very supportive of the directors, and he won’t force them to put out a sequel unless they have a story that really excited about. It has to feel like a story that really has to be told, or deserves to be told. It can’t just be cashing in on the success of a previous film.

Indeed, the reason Lasseter said he's agreed to direct Toy Story 4 for Pixar - after Toy Story 3 seemed to end the Toy Story movie franchise on a perfect note - was because the story got him excited - something that bodes well, should a Big Hero 6 sequel also get an official go-ahead at some point. That said: the aforementioned Wreck-It Ralph 2 seems to be making its way down the pipeline at a rather slow pace right now, so another Big Hero 6 film might take some time too.

Big Hero 6 will be available on DVD/Blu-ray starting February 24th, 2015.

Source: Creative Screenwriting