Disney Animation's creative chief says the early plan was to put Frozen 3 and 4 "right together." Now a gap of about three years is on the table, which would push Frozen 4 to around 2030.
Frozen fans were promised a quick double feature. That's off.
Jared Bush, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, told Collider's Steve Weintraub at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival that the early plan was to release Frozen 3 and Frozen 4 close together.
"We're going to put them right together," Bush said, describing how the studio first pictured it. "That's not what we're doing, for a lot of reasons."
When Weintraub floated a gap of about three years between the two movies, Bush generally agreed, Collider reported. Frozen 3 opens Nov. 24, 2027. Three years after that lands Frozen 4 somewhere around late 2030. Disney hasn't set a date.
ComicBook.com went a step further on X and said Frozen 4 will be the franchise's last movie. Bush didn't put it that plainly in the interview. He did talk about "building to something that feels worthy of the end of a franchise," which points that way.
Why is Disney waiting longer for Frozen 4?
Bush gave Collider a few reasons, and they all come back to not rushing it.
Frozen 3 has to stand on its own. He wants audiences to finish it and ask, "do you feel like you've watched a complete story?" Wrapping up every loose end isn't required. Feeling satisfied is.
Frozen 4 can't box in Frozen 3. "If you're so rigid on what [Frozen] 4 might look like, then it could stifle you," he said.
The songs are hard. "There's never been a trilogy musical in cinema, to my knowledge, let alone four, right?" Bush said. Every character has to have a brand-new "most important thing" worth singing about.
Time hasn't hurt Disney lately. Zootopia 2 and Toy Story 5 both passed $1 billion worldwide after waits of nearly 10 years and seven years, Collider noted. "If the future story is great, it doesn't matter how much time has passed," Bush said.
Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the duo behind "Let It Go," are back writing the music. So no pressure.
How long have Frozen fans waited between movies?
Honestly, a three-year gap would be the fastest turnaround this franchise has ever had.
Frozen opened in November 2013.
Frozen II followed six years later, in November 2019.
Frozen 3 arrives eight years after that, on Nov. 24, 2027, the day before Thanksgiving.
So "around 2030" for Frozen 4 is a long wait, sure. By Arendelle standards, it's practically express shipping.
What happens in Frozen 3?
Disney gave away more than usual at D23 in August. Anna marries Kristoff, and something supernatural crashes the wedding. Menzel teased that the gang ends up far from Arendelle.
Olaf also falls for someone named Samantha, which pays off the random "Samantha?" gag from Frozen II. Gad performed a new song about her at the Honda Center.
Bell, Menzel, Gad and Jonathan Groff are all back. Jennifer Lee and Trent Correy are directing.
Who is making Frozen 4?
Jennifer Lee is writing it with Marc Smith. Lee wrote and co-directed the first two movies, and she stepped down as Disney Animation's chief creative officer in September 2024 to go back to filmmaking full time, Laughing Place reported. Bush took over the job.
Disney confirmed Frozen 4 was in the works in 2023, the same year it lined up Frozen 3, Zootopia 2 and Toy Story 5. Plot details? None yet. Bush said he keeps only "a rough sense" of where the characters are headed on purpose, so Frozen 3 can still change.
Bush has been busy on the interview circuit, too. In another Collider interview, he said he wants Jordan Peele to make a Disney Animation movie.
Elsa built a whole song around letting go. Fans waiting on Frozen 4 might want to start practicing.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Collider (Nov. 2, 2026), Jared Bush's comments, the three-year gap and the Zootopia 2 and Toy Story 5 box office
ComicBook.com on X (Nov. 2, 2026), the tip and the final-film claim
Laughing Place (Sept. 19, 2024), Jennifer Lee stepping down as chief creative officer and her Frozen 4 writing credit
Empire and TheWrap (Aug. 2026), the Frozen 3 D23 story and music details
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