Disney and Pixar continue to dominate the world of animation with original stories but also with sequels, and they are now working on a couple of sequels for some of their most successful and beloved franchises. Disney has been a powerhouse in the world of entertainment for decades, starting in the 1930s with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Pixar arrived to join the game in 1995 with Toy Story. Pixar changed the world of animation with Toy Story and since then has brought a variety of high-quality animated movies, creating its own empire.
Pixar movies have not only stood out for their quality and attention to detail but also for their heartwarming stories and relatable characters, with each movie having a moral message. Although Pixar has mostly focused on original stories, in recent years it has found more success in sequels to some of its biggest titles than in original movies, and the same has happened over at Disney and its animation branch. It’s not surprising, then, that even though Pixar was supposedly not going to work on sequels for a while, Disney and Pixar now have four sequels in the works – and here they are.
1 Frozen 3
Back in 2013, Disney brought Frozen, directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee and inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s 1844 fairy tale The Snow Queen. An adaptation of the tale had been in development for years, and just when it seemed to be on its way to finally becoming a reality, it went back to development hell in 2010. The success of Tangled pushed Disney to pick up the project again, and it turned out to be a huge success. Frozen dethroned Toy Story 3 as the highest-grossing animated film of all time for a couple of years before the spot was overtaken by the live-action remake The Lion King, and of course, it made way for a franchise that includes animated shorts, video games, board games, TV specials, and (of course) a sequel.
Frozen II arrived in 2019, and follows Anna (Kristen Bell), Elsa (Idina Menzel), Kristoff (Jonathan Grodd) and Olaf (Josh Gad) as they travel to the Enchanted Forest where they discover the origin of Elsa’s powers and other family secrets. Frozen II was a critical and commercial success, so it was surprising that a sequel wasn’t announced shortly after its release, but the wait is finally over. Disney CEO Bob Iger has confirmed that Frozen 3 is in development, though when it could be released is still unknown.
2 Inside Out 2
On Pixar’s side, one of its most praised movies is now getting a sequel: Inside Out. Directed by Pete Docter, Inside Out took the audience into the mind of a young girl named Riley to see how her emotions work as her family relocates and she deals with going to a new school, meeting new friends, and more. For this, Inside Out introduced five personified emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) – who control Riley’s thoughts and actions.
Inside Out was a critical and commercial success, and it was particularly praised for how it addressed and portrayed the complexities of emotions and thoughts, especially in young kids and teenagers. Luckily, that won’t be the end of Pixar’s exploration of emotions, as a sequel, simply titled Inside Out 2, was confirmed to be in development in September 2022, with a June 2024 release date. Inside Out 2 will follow Riley as a teenager and with a new set of emotions that come with growing up, with Poehler set to reprise her role as Joy, though Hader and Kaling won’t return as Fear and Disgust.
3 Toy Story 5
Joining the list of upcoming Pixar sequels is the long-rumored Toy Story 5. As the movie that started it all for Pixar, Toy Story has made way for a franchise that includes TV shows, short films, and even theme park attractions, as well as three sequels. Toy Story 3 seemed to be the definitive end of the saga back in 2010 as it saw teenage Andy passing his beloved toys to Bonnie, but Pixar surprised the audience nine years later with Toy Story 4. Once again believed to be the end of the saga, Toy Story 4 saw Woody (Tom Hanks) choosing a new lifestyle of adventure alongside Bo Peep (Annie Potts), while Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack), and the rest of the gang stayed with Bonnie.
In the same call with Disney investors in which Frozen 3 was confirmed, Bob Iger also confirmed Toy Story 5 is now in development. Just a couple of hours later, Tim Allen seemingly confirmed his involvement in this new adventure, and it’s to be seen if the rest of the original cast will be back. Toy Story 5 doesn’t have a projected release date and plot details are also unknown at the time, so it’s to be seen if Woody and Buzz will cross paths again and if so, what will bring them together one more time.
4 Zootopia 2
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Zootopia is Disney’s 55th animated feature film and it was directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore. Set in a world populated by anthropomorphic mammals, Zootopia follows Judy Hoops (Ginnifer Goodwin), a police offer, and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a con artist, who uncover a criminal conspiracy involving the disappearance of other mammals and feral behavior. Zootopia broke box office records in several countries and became one of the highest-grossing movies of the year, and of course, it received various nominations for different awards. Given its success and how the ending of Zootopia sets up a sequel, that same year Howard and Moore were in talks for a possible sequel, but there was no confirmation on it… until now.
Along with the announcement of Frozen 3 and Toy Story 5, Bob Iger confirmed that Zootopia 2 is also in development, though a potential release date wasn’t given. As for what Zootopia 2 could be about, it will surely continue the adventures of Judy and Nick now that they have officially become partners at the Zootopia Police Department, though the biggest question around Zootopia 2 is if it will match the first movie’s box office success, surpass it, or go lower.