May 7, 2024

Disney and Pixar will "lean toward sequels" in the near future, says CEO Bob Iger.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said today during the company's quarterly earnings call that the animated feature film division will prioritize sequels over original films.

When asked by a financial analyst how the studio intends to balance its "commitment to established franchises and investment in new IP," Iger replied:

"We intend to balance sequels and original films, particularly in animation.

We intend to strike a balance between sequels and originals, especially in animation. There was a time when both Disney and Pixar were predominantly original animated films. Now we are a little more inclined toward sequels. As you know, we've talked about "Toy Story" and this summer's "Inside Out," and we're going to try to balance that out with the sequels. Now, given the competition in the overall movie market, I think there is a lot of value in sequels.

Iger explained that the renewed focus on sequels is part of the company's decision to "reduce output and focus more on quality." He added, "The IP we are mining is second to none, including all the sequels we are doing."

Both Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios will release sequels in 2024: "Moana 2" and "Inside Out 2," respectively; in 2025, Disney will release a sequel to "Zootopia" and Pixar now, original "Elio" to be released next year.

Before "Moana 2," Walt Disney Animation Studios released four original films in succession: "Raya and the Last Dragon," "Encanto," "Strange World," and "Wish. Its last sequel was "Frozen II" in 2019.

Similarly, five of Pixar's last six films were originals: "Onward," "Soul," "Luka," "Turning Red," and "Elemental," and the only title based on an existing IP was the "Toy Story" spin-off "Lightyear."