Fortune magazine spoke with the Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger on the success of Frozen, quoting Iger as saying that the film’s critical and box-office success indicates that “Disney Animation is where it rightfully belongs.” The article traces this moment from Iger’s first big act as CEO to buy Pixar Animation Studios in 2006, noting how Iger and Pixar’s John Lasseter and Ed Catmull worked to migrate some elements of Pixar’s creative culture into the Walt Disney Animation Studios while keeping each studio’s personality intact. The article also quotes Lasseter and Frozen co-directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee on the making of the film, noting that Buck returned to Disney to direct the film and that Lee is the first female director of a Disney animated feature in the history of the studio.
The article notes that Frozen has “franchise” potential for Disney, meaning it is expected to have life beyond film and home video to merchandising, theme park rides, and interactive media. The article notes that the lead characters Anna and Elsa have already become top-selling toys alongside Olaf the snowman, and Iger told Fortune that Disney is “in discussions” to translate the movie to a Broadway show. Iger added that there is no timetable for a Frozen Broadway musical, saying “We’re not demanding speed. We’re demanding excellence.”