LOS ANGELES — Jennifer Lee and Irene Mecchi are part of an extremely rarefied club. They were integral to the success of Walt Disney Animation Studios' three top-grossing films of all time: "Frozen," "Frozen II" and "The Lion King," which have cumulatively earned more than $3.8 billion globally.
Lee wrote and co-directed the first two, and Mecchi co-wrote the latter. Both women wrote the librettos for the stage adaptations of their respective films too. All of which is remarkable not just for the stunning success of the franchises they helped cultivate, but also because they are women in industries (both theater and film) that have notorious histories of being unwelcoming to women. The two remain committed to giving other women in the field advice and helping them get a foot in the door.
On a recent weekday afternoon, Lee and Mecchi sat together in the Disney lot's Animation building in Burbank to celebrate a unique moment: the fact that their stage shows are running simultaneously in Southern California — "The Lion King" at the Pantages, through March 26, and "Frozen" at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, which runs through Feb. 19.
