Recently, many popular movie franchises have started experimenting with new animation styles, with varying results. According to Jared Bush, Chief Creative Officer at Walt Disney Animation Studios, we might see some familiar characters look quite different in upcoming films, much like the mixed reactions to Dreamworks’ updated look for the characters in the latest Shrek movie.
People generally enjoy seeing things updated, which explains why remakes and revivals often face criticism when their visual style changes. This is especially true with animation, which has dramatically changed over the past century, moving from traditional hand-drawn techniques to the incredible computer-generated imagery we see today. During a conversation on The Town podcast with Matt Belloni, Disney’s Bush acknowledged that animation at Disney might change again soon.
Things are changing rapidly, and I’m really looking forward to it. We’re going to see a significant and exciting improvement in how movies are made and appear over the next few years, and I believe audiences will be thrilled with the results.
People likely have different opinions on this, but change in the movie industry is inevitable, and that includes how animation is made. When asked if Disney might start making films with a style similar to anime, Bush responded:
Many of our artists are heavily influenced by anime. I personally study the work of Hayao Miyazaki. When people think of anime, it can mean different things – it’s simply another animation medium, like computer-generated imagery. There are countless ways to tell stories, and while anime often involves a specific 2D style, that’s not necessarily the approach we take. However, we are interested in drawing inspiration from anime’s storytelling and visual elements over the next few years.
Disney’s Style Will Not be Changing Immediately
Many animation studios are experimenting with new and creative styles – think Sony’s Spider-Verse films or Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. However, Disney hasn’t taken as many risks with its animation in recent years.
The switch to computer-generated imagery (CGI) was the biggest shift for Walt Disney Animation in the mid-2000s, and they’ve maintained a consistent visual style ever since. Films like Tangled, Frozen, Encanto, Wish, and last year’s Zootopia 2 (directed by Bush) all share a distinctive look in character design and animation. This approach will continue with November’s Hexed and the upcoming Frozen 3.
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During promotion for Zootopia 2, Disney’s Bush mentioned that the next original animated film after Frozen 3 will be unlike anything the studio has created before – it won’t be set in a world with humans. While details are still a secret, it appears Disney is planning a major change in animation style, similar to shifts they’ve made throughout their history, and this new direction will likely debut with the film slated for release in 2028.
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2026-02-08 19:18