Jared Bush Says ‘Frozen 3’ Will Surprise People and Talks About What’s in Store for ‘Encanto’s Future

In 2016, Jared Bush was part of the production team for two major releases from Walt Disney Animation: Zootopia and Moana.

With the first, Bush was co-director and co-writer of the animated film set in a city of animals, following a sly fox and a rookie bunny cop who must work together to uncover a conspiracy.

With the second, one of the biggest successes of the Modern Era of the century-old studio, he was the screenwriter for this musical story that continues to break streaming records to this day, following a young girl on a mission to save her people.

In Moana: A Sea of Adventures, we follow Moana’s journey as she meets the powerful demigod Maui, who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the ocean on an incredible and deeply musical adventure.

Years later, Bush took on the direction and screenplay for Encanto, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2022, following a Colombian girl who may be her family’s last hope when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Madrigal House, a place that blesses children with unique gifts, is in danger.

Now, in September 2024, Bush has taken on the role of Chief Creative Officer at Walt Disney Animation Studios, and of course, is involved in the script for Moana 2 (which arrives in national theaters on November 28) and also directed and wrote the screenplay for Zootopia 2 (coming to national theaters in November 2025).

During his visit to Brazil for D23 Brazil, Bush shares what fans can expect from the releases of Moana 2, Zootopia 2, and also talks a bit about what we can expect from future releases from Disney Animation, and of course, Frozen 3!

Moana is a big deal for Disney. Years after its release, it has already accumulated billions of hours on streaming and consistently appears in Nielsen’s audience data, week after week.

When did you realize that what you had for the Moana sequel was a story meant to be told in a movie, with a major theatrical release, rather than a TV series on Disney+? What has changed since then, and most importantly, when did that shift happen?

Jared Bush: Yes, yes. Originally, we started [working on the sequel] as a series for Disney+. But about a year ago, when we started to see how this story could unfold, we realized: Wait a minute, this is huge, huge. It’s a new epic adventure that Moana embarks on, so we realized it would be better to present it on the biggest screen possible.

And as you can imagine, the best part is that it’s the same story. It will just be in a different format. So, we didn’t actually change the story much. This is Moana’s journey, it’s the call she receives from her ancestors to reconnect with the people of the Ocean—it’s the same journey she’s been on so far. And for us [at Disney Animation], more than anything, it was an incredible opportunity to go all in again and really deliver a new kind of spectacle for this new chapter in the story.

You worked as co-director and co-writer on the first Zootopia, and next year, we’ll have Zootopia 2 in theaters. So, in three words, how would you describe what we can expect from this new adventure? And do you have a new favorite character?

Jared Bush: Okay, I’ll answer your last question first. My new favorite character has to be Gary, the snake! [voiced by Oscar-winning actor Ke Huy Quan, who was announced at the U.S. D23 event in August, see below]. Gary is an unexpected addition to the world of Zootopia, as there were no reptiles in the first film. This time, there is, and it’s with him that we spend more time. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I’ll just say that Gary is absolutely charming, and I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people.

Disney Animation has been home to great stories over the past few years. As CCO, how have you been working and balancing upcoming projects between original films and sequels? And what can you tell me about the Disney Animation film for 2026? Will it be a sequel or an original film?

Jared Bush: Moana 2 and Zootopia 2 are the first sequels I’ve worked on. And it’s so exciting to spend time with characters you love. I’ve been spending time with Moana and Maui for 12 years now, and Nick and Judy have been around for 13 years. They’re my friends. I love spending time with them. So, the opportunity to return to these worlds I love to continue their stories and, hopefully, take the audience on an adventure they didn’t expect is incredibly rewarding.

Also, you know, I think for now I’d say it’s a big secret, what comes next, you know? But I truly believe in telling stories that continue films people love, as well as bringing fresh, original ideas to the big screen. So, I think it will be a mix of all those things.

Coming from D23 in August, we learned that Frozen 3 will hit theaters in November 2027. What can you tell us about this new film? And especially about the concept art that was revealed on stage at the time?

Jared Bush: Yes, yes, Frozen 3 is coming. And from what I’ve seen so far [of the film], I think people are going to be surprised. I can’t reveal many spoilers, except to say that Jennifer Lee is leading the work, and the story and direction she’s giving to these characters, what they’re facing, what they will go through, I think it will surprise a lot of people, but it will also deliver everything that people love about Frozen.

I love Encanto. Thank you for Encanto. What would the future of Encanto look like? A sequel movie? A Disney+ series? When will we see these characters again?

Jared Bush: Encanto is a film that is kept in my heart. And all the characters of the Madrigal family that I love. I’ll say, without revealing too much, that I would love to spend more time in the Madrigal House and return to Encanto. I hope that one day it will be possible.

Maybe, you could make the Madrigal family come spend some time in Brazil, just like you just did.

Jared Bush: Perfect! That’s it, I love [the idea]!

Source in Portuguese

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