Jennifer Lee Returning to FROZEN 3 and 4

Following previous reports that Frozen director Jennifer Lee would not be working directly on the upcoming sequels, the Disney filmmaker has changed course.

According to Deadline, Lee has stepped down as Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative to focus her attention to the franchise that she helped create. Lee will write and direct Frozen 3 as well as write Frozen 4 with Marc Smith. Animation veteran Jared Bush will take her place as CCO. She served in the role since 2018. 

Lee wrote and directed the first two Frozen films with Chris Buck. She also wrote the book for the Broadway adaptation. Upon its release in 2019, Frozen 2 became the highest-grossing animated film of all time. It brought in $1.325 million globally, topping its predecessor which made $1.281 million.

From the Academy Award®-winning team-directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, producer Peter Del Vecho and songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, the first two Frozen movies feature the voices of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad.

The first Frozen film won Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for 2 was nominated at the Oscars for Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez's anthem "Let It Go." "Into the Unknown" from Frozen 2 was also nominated at the 2020 Oscars. "Let It Go" went 8x platinum with 8M units sold stateside. The Broadway adaptation of Frozen opened in 2018, running until 2020.