Frozen 3 is finally in the works, as it comes four years after the record-breaking sequel Frozen 2. Frozen 2 was released in theaters in late 2019 and experienced unprecedented levels of success, becoming the highest-grossing animated film in theatrical history. The record was then held by the original Frozen film. Frozen 2 welcomed back returning stars Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gadd among its star-studded voice-acting cast. The sequel received an Academy Award nomination for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures in 2020. The first Frozen film also won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2014.
In a quarterly earnings call with Disney investors, Frozen 3 was confirmed to be in development by CEO Bob Iger. The announcement comes four years after Frozen 2's record-breaking box-office run. The announcement was made as Disney confirmed that Toy Story 5 and Zootopia 2 were also in development. No further updates have been provided on the status of the projects, though they are presumably quite early in their development.
What To Expect From Frozen 3
Frozen and Frozen 2 have established themselves as tent pole animated projects for Disney, combing to gross nearly $3 billion during their theatrical releases, and Frozen 3 is bound to experience similar levels of worldwide success. The first two movies beautifully told the story of Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven through great animation, heart, and music. Frozen 2 concluded with Anna and Kristoff getting married and taking on shared roles in the Kingdom of Arendelle.
Kristoff became the Official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer in the first film, with Anna crowned Queen of Arendelle in the sequel. Frozen 3 will likely pick up on Anna and Kristoff's relationship and shared duties for Arendelle. As for Elsa, there are countless directions that her story could go in. Each of the first two Frozen films saw her missteps with her powers and led to huge problems for her and those around her, which makes sense considering she was initially planned to be an antagonist in Frozen. The next film could change things up, introducing more outward threats to their lives that Elsa can help solve now that she is more confident and capable with her powers.
Frozen 3 could also feature a time jump to help further the story. A jump forward in the timeline could be a resonant decision, given the amount of time between the two films. Regardless of the stories they plan to tell, a return to Arendelle with Frozen 3 felt inevitable. The sequel announcement is welcoming, but it could still be many years until the project reaches theaters. It took four years for Frozen 2 to reach theaters after its announced green light, though it won't be a surprise if Frozen 3 gets fast-tracked, given the franchise's previous success.
Source: Disney