Jared Bush Steps Into Disney's Chief Creative Officer Role As Jennifer Lee Returns To Film Making

TV & Film

Sep 23

Writer-Director Jared Bush has stepped into the role of chief creative officer at Walt Disney Animation Studios, replacing an outgoing Jennifer Lee, who is returning to the position of director within the company.

Both Bush and Lee helped create billion-dollar films for Disney, in Zootopia and the ongoing Frozen franchise, respectively. Both have also helped create a movie apiece with the unique accolade of receiving an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and the BAFTA for best-animated feature, Lee with the first Frozen, and Bush through Encanto.

This change, while it appears to be a natural switch to allow Jennifer Lee to write and direct the continuing Frozen franchise and to reward Bush as he finalizes Zootopia 2 (set to release in Fall 2025), might have also been prompted by some recent box-office difficulties for Walt Disney Animation. Strange World, released in 2022, and Wish in 2023, were both released under Lee’s tenure and did not perform well commercially. There were successes, though, such as Encanto and the hotly anticipated Moana 2, set to release this November, which was developed under Lee’s leadership these past six years.

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In an email sent across the company on Thursday, September 19th, Lee excitedly described the next chapters of her career, making Frozen 3 and the eventual Frozen 4. She also thanked many people, including Bob Iger, and praised the choice of Jared Bush as the new CCO

Despite this shakeup, longtime Walt Disney Animation Studios President Clark Spencer will remain in his role.

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