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Peter Del Vecho
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Peter Del Vecho (born April 6, 1958) is an American film producer at Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he is also senior vice president of production.[1] He is best known for producing Frozen (accolades) and Frozen 2 together with directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.
Key Information
Early life
[edit]Del Vecho grew up in the city of Quincy, in the South Shore area just outside Boston, Massachusetts.[2] He graduated from Boston University College of Fine Arts, where he studied theater production, and worked in theatre for many years.[3] After working at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis for about 7 years, he was recruited by Disney Animation.[2] He started out in production management and transitioned into producing.[2]
Career
[edit]Besides Frozen and its sequel, Frozen II, Del Vecho produced the Disney animated films The Princess and the Frog (2009) and Winnie the Pooh (2011), and was an associate producer on Treasure Planet (2002) and Chicken Little (2005).[4]
In Spring 2015, Del Vecho produced Frozen Fever, a short film based on Frozen which was again co-directed by Buck and Lee.[5] Del Vecho next produced the sequel to Frozen, Frozen 2, which was released in November 2019 and again co-directed by Buck and Lee.[6] Del Vecho later co-produced Raya and the Last Dragon with Osnat Shurer and co-produced Wish, which was released in 2023, with Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones.[7][8]
Filmography
[edit]Films
[edit]As a producer
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Hercules | Production Manager |
| 2005 | Chicken Little | Associate Producer |
| 2009 | The Princess and the Frog | Producer |
| 2011 | Winnie the Pooh | Producer |
| 2013 | Frozen | Producer |
| 2015 | Frozen Fever | Short Film |
| 2017 | Olaf's Frozen Adventure | |
| 2019 | Frozen 2 | Producer |
| 2020 | Once Upon a Snowman | Short Film |
| 2021 | Raya and the Last Dragon | Producer |
| 2023 | Wish | Producer |
| 2026 | The Royal Bond: Threads of Friendship | Producer; 2D Animation |
| 2027 | Frozen 3 | Producer |
References
[edit]- ^ Pearson, Ben (September 30, 2019). "Walt Disney Animation Isn't Opposed to Hand-Drawn Features, Jennifer Lee Talks About Making Changes After John Lasseter's Exit [Interview]". /Film. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
- ^ a b c Shanahan, Mark; Meredith Goldstein (February 6, 2014). "'Frozen' producer Peter Del Vecho has South Shore roots". Boston Globe. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
- ^ Laskowski, Amy (February 28, 2014). "Frozen Producer Heads to the Oscars". BU Today. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
- ^ "Peter Del Vecho". IMDb. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
- ^ Gettell, O. (September 3, 2014). "Disney short 'Frozen Fever' coming in spring 2015, with new song". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
- ^ Graser, M. (March 12, 2015). "Disney Announces 'Frozen 2'". Variety. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- ^ Yang, Rachel (August 27, 2020). "Get a first look at Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon starring Kelly Marie Tran". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ Hall, Margaret (September 10, 2022). "Ariana DeBose to Star in New Disney Film Wish". Playbill. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
External links
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Peter Del Vecho
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life
Upbringing
Peter Del Vecho was born on April 6, 1958, in Quincy, Massachusetts.[8] He grew up on Presidents Hill in Quincy, part of the South Shore region just outside Boston, where the local community and cultural scene played a significant role in his formative years.[9] Details about his family background remain limited in public records.[10] During his childhood, Del Vecho developed an early passion for storytelling and the arts, influenced by the vibrant local theater and film scene. He frequently visited the Strand Theater in Quincy Square, where he watched affordable double features, including classics like Bambi and The Sound of Music, which left a lasting impression due to their emotional depth and range.[11] These experiences sparked his interest in film and production; as a child, he captivated his family by shooting and showing home movies around the neighborhood.[9] At Central Middle School and Quincy High School, he acted in and worked on theater productions, further nurturing his creative pursuits.[11] A key influence was his teacher David Moffit, who inspired his engagement with the arts.[9] These early experiences in Quincy's arts environment laid the foundation for Del Vecho's career, leading him to pursue formal education at Boston University.[12]Education
Del Vecho, who grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts, and developed an early interest in the performing arts through frequent attendance at local theaters such as the Strand Theater, pursued formal training in the field during his university years.[11] He enrolled at Boston University College of Fine Arts, where he studied theater production, gaining foundational knowledge in stagecraft, production logistics, and management principles essential to mounting live performances.[13][14] Del Vecho graduated from the program in 1980 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.[3][15] Immediately following his graduation, he transitioned into entry-level roles in theater production, applying his academic training to practical work in the industry.[16]Career
Theater and early production roles
Following his graduation from Boston University with a BFA in theater production in 1980, Peter Del Vecho launched his professional career in live theater on the East Coast, serving as a stage manager across numerous regional venues in New York and surrounding areas.[17] This early work provided foundational experience in the fast-paced demands of live performances, where he managed technical cues, actor coordination, and on-site logistics for various productions.[18] In the early 1980s, Del Vecho relocated to Minneapolis to join the Guthrie Theater, embarking on a tenure that lasted approximately nine to ten years.[15] [11] There, he advanced into roles such as assistant stage manager and production coordinator, contributing to acclaimed stagings including the 1988 production of Frankenstein.[19] These positions involved overseeing rehearsals, set transitions, and crew operations, building his expertise in high-stakes collaborative environments.[15] Del Vecho's theater experience sharpened essential production skills, particularly in budgeting resources for limited-run shows, scheduling complex timelines under tight deadlines, and fostering team coordination among directors, designers, and performers.[18] He later reflected that these behind-the-scenes responsibilities aligned with his strengths in story development and talent assembly over on-stage performance.[11] By 1995, after over a decade in live theater, Del Vecho decided to pivot to film animation, drawn by opportunities to apply his organizational acumen to longer-form narrative projects.[15]Disney Animation Studios tenure
Peter Del Vecho joined Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1995 as a production manager on the feature film Hercules, marking his transition from a background in theater production to animated filmmaking.[11][15] His prior experience managing stage productions at institutions like the Guthrie Theater provided foundational skills in coordinating creative teams, which he applied to streamline early involvement in Disney's animation pipeline.[4] Throughout the early 2000s, Del Vecho advanced in non-producing capacities, serving as production manager on Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and associate producer on Treasure Planet (2002) and Chicken Little (2005), where he contributed to development and oversight of production elements.[11][15] In 2002, he was promoted to vice president of production, and by 2008, he ascended to senior vice president, roles in which he oversaw multiple projects and managed the studio's production processes to ensure efficient workflows across animated features.[15][4] As senior vice president, Del Vecho played a pivotal role in studio operations, including assembling artist teams and guiding the realization of creative visions through structured production pipelines that balanced artistic and technical demands.[11][15] His administrative leadership helped maintain operational stability during periods of transition in Disney's animation division, fostering collaboration among directors, animators, and support staff on various initiatives.[4]Key production achievements
Del Vecho served as producer on The Princess and the Frog (2009), which marked Disney Animation Studios' return to traditional hand-drawn animation after a period dominated by computer-generated imagery, reviving a technique not used for a full-length feature since The Emperor's New Groove in 2000.[20] The production faced challenges in rekindling interest in hand-drawn methods amid industry shifts toward CGI, including early concerns over the film's title change from The Frog Princess to avoid potential racial connotations associated with the original fairy tale, though the team expressed confidence in audience reception once the story's focus on Tiana's empowerment was revealed.[21] This project helped reestablish Del Vecho's reputation for shepherding artist-driven narratives within the studio. As producer of Winnie the Pooh (2011), Del Vecho led the adaptation of A.A. Milne's classic stories into a feature that emphasized the charm of the original short films, employing hand-drawn animation to capture subtle life lessons on friendship and simplicity.[22] The film contributed to the studio's diversification by blending nostalgic character-driven tales with the evolving post-Princess and the Frog slate, allowing Disney to explore whimsical, non-princess narratives amid a portfolio increasingly focused on innovative musicals and adventures.[23] Del Vecho's most prominent achievement came with the development of the Frozen franchise, where he produced both Frozen (2013) and its sequel Frozen II (2019), transforming Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen into a modern saga centered on sisterhood rather than traditional romance.[24] Key creative decisions included pivoting Elsa from an initial villainous archetype in early drafts to a complex hero, a shift that prioritized emotional depth and family bonds, while inviting screenwriter Jennifer Lee to co-direct the first film, marking a director-driven approach at the studio.[25] For Frozen II, the team adopted a darker tone to explore character growth, building on the original's success through integrated songwriting that advanced the plot, resulting in a sequel that addressed fan expectations while expanding the lore of Arendelle.[26] Del Vecho co-produced Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) with Osnat Shurer, drawing cultural inspiration from Southeast Asian folklore, architecture, and traditions to create the fractured world of Kumandra, which emphasized themes of trust and unity across diverse tribes.[27] The film achieved a global box office of approximately $130 million despite pandemic-era releases, highlighting its role in broadening Disney's representation of non-Western narratives.[28] Similarly, as co-producer of Wish (2023) alongside Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones, Del Vecho oversaw a centennial tribute to Disney animation, incorporating stylistic nods to classic films like Snow White while setting the story in the Mediterranean-inspired kingdom of Rosas to explore wishes and creativity.[7] It grossed $254 million worldwide on a $200 million budget, underscoring the studio's commitment to meta-narratives amid evolving audience tastes.[29] Looking ahead, Del Vecho will reprise his role on Frozen III (2027), with story development and animation production underway as of 2025, continuing the franchise's exploration of familial ties.[30]Awards and honors
Academy Awards
As producer on The Princess and the Frog (2009), Del Vecho contributed to the film, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010.[31] In 2014, at the 86th Academy Awards, Del Vecho won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature for Frozen (2013), shared with directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.[32] This marked the first win in the category for Walt Disney Animation Studios since its establishment in 2001.[33] During the acceptance speech, Del Vecho, alongside Buck and Lee, thanked the Walt Disney Animation Studios team, executive producer Sean Bailey, and John Lasseter for their leadership, emphasizing the collaborative spirit behind the film.[32] They also dedicated the award to Ryder Buck, the 23-year-old son of co-director Chris Buck, who had passed away in a car accident shortly before the film's release, referring to him as their "guardian angel."[34] Del Vecho produced Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), which received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022.[6]Other recognitions
In addition to his Academy Award recognition, Peter Del Vecho received the Producers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures for his work on Frozen in 2014. This honor, presented at the 25th Annual PGA Awards, acknowledged his leadership in overseeing the film's production, which became a landmark in Disney animation.[35] Frozen won the Christopher Award for Feature Films in 2014, shared with directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, for its positive portrayal of family and self-acceptance, aligning with the award's mission to celebrate media that affirms human spirit. The film further secured a win at the 2014 BAFTA Children's Awards in the BAFTA Kids Vote category for Feature Film, reflecting its popularity among young audiences, though it was nominated in the Best Feature Film category without a win.[36][37] In 2025, Del Vecho was honored with the Best of BU Alumni Award from Boston University, recognizing his distinguished contributions to animation and the arts as a College of Fine Arts alumnus, particularly through his production of blockbuster Disney features like Frozen. While Wish (2023), which he co-produced, received nominations at various industry events, including the Annie Awards for technical achievements, it did not yield additional personal honors for Del Vecho as of November 2025.[3]Personal life
Family
Peter Del Vecho was married to Jane Del Vecho until their divorce was finalized in 2022.[38] The couple has two daughters. Del Vecho has kept details about his children's names and current lives private, respecting their privacy amid his public career. His family has provided emotional support during demanding productions like Frozen (2013) and its sequel.Philanthropy and affiliations
Peter Del Vecho maintains strong ties to his alma mater, Boston University, where he earned a degree from the College of Fine Arts in 1980. He actively engages with BU alumni groups, participating in events that foster connections between industry professionals and students. In September 2025, Del Vecho joined a fireside chat with Dean Harvey Young as part of Alumni Weekend, sharing insights from his career in theater and animation to inspire current students.[39] In recognition of his leadership and contributions to the arts, he received the 2025 Best of BU Alumni Award from the Boston University Alumni Association.[3] As a longtime member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA), Del Vecho has been designated with the p.g.a. credential, signifying his professional standing in the industry.[40] His involvement includes producing films that have earned PGA nominations and awards, such as the Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures for Frozen in 2014.[35]Filmography
Feature films
Peter Del Vecho began his career at Walt Disney Animation Studios in production management roles before advancing to associate producer and full producer positions on feature films.[11] His early contributions included serving as production manager on Hercules (1997), marking his first major credit on a theatrical animated feature.[11]| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Hercules | Production manager |
| 2002 | Treasure Planet | Associate producer |
| 2005 | Chicken Little | Associate producer |
| 2009 | The Princess and the Frog | Producer |
| 2011 | Winnie the Pooh | Producer |
| 2013 | Frozen | Producer |
| 2019 | Frozen II | Producer |
| 2021 | Raya and the Last Dragon | Producer |
| 2023 | Wish | Producer |
| 2027 | Frozen III | Producer (upcoming)[41][42] |