Bob Iger Weighs A Broadway Show For ‘Frozen’: Fortune

Bob Iger spoke to the business magazine for a gushy feature posted today about how the animated musical film was, as he put it, “my proudest moment as the CEO of the Walt Disney Company.” Senior Editor Jennifer Reingold says that Frozen — which could soon outgross The Lion King, not accounting for inflation — “appears to show that Disney Animation Studios is finally, finally back in the groove.” (The Wall Street Journal ran a similar piece yesterday saying that the film “caps a renaissance for Disney Animation Studios.”) Like our film editor Anita Busch posited last week, Iger tells Fortune that that Disney is talking about developing a show for Frozen although “We’re not demanding speed…We’re demanding excellence.” The company also is considering sequels. Sales of of licensed toys from the film were strong. Iger says the “exhilaration” from the studio’s success “was profound” following years of disappointments including 2009’s The Princess And The Frog. “It’s not about the bottom line. The bottom line is for the quarter. This is for something bigger and longer.” Disney Animation’s revival largely comes from a decision to sideline the number crunchers. “It was an executive-driven studio,” chief creative officer John Lasseter tells the magazine. “Now it’s a filmmaker-driven studio.” Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph beat expectations. But Frozen‘s success stands out, Iger says: “If you think long term about what Disney is and the success and the vitality of the brand, this is a very, very important event.”

Related: ‘Frozen’ Becomes Shining Star For Disney; Is Broadway Next?