Disney used the 2026 D23 Entertainment Showcase to deliver its most detailed update yet on Frozen 3, confirming a major plot point long speculated by fans and unveiling first-look footage from the upcoming sequel.
Appearing at the showcase, stars Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel — joined shortly after by Josh Gad — confirmed that Anna and Kristoff will marry within the film. Bell told the audience the characters are finally getting “hitched,” resolving a plot thread that had been building since the pair's engagement was confirmed at the close of Frozen II (2019).
The confirmation followed an earlier tease in a Disney+ Insider segment filmed at Disneyland Paris's Snowflower Festival, in which Jennifer Lee, alongside co-director Trent Correy, discussed the story's direction with cast members. In that segment, Lee told viewers, “We're all going,” a remark widely interpreted as confirmation that the wedding would appear on screen.
If depicted as planned, the ceremony would mark the first onscreen wedding in the primary Disney animated canon since The Princess and the Frog (2009), following an 18-year period in which the studio's animated features leaned into themes of sisterhood, found family, and coming-of-age storytelling rather than romance.
Alongside the wedding news, Disney revealed that Olaf will be given a romantic interest in the film, a character named Samantha.
Disney also debuted a teaser clip during the showcase. The footage opens on an icy creature flying through Arendelle before Elsa captures it. Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf are then shown departing what appears to be the wedding ceremony when a portal opens, transporting the group to an unfamiliar realm. There, the characters encounter a new antagonist who refers to Anna and Elsa as the “famous sisters of Arendelle.”
Disney has not disclosed the character's identity, whether she will serve as the film's primary antagonist, or provided casting details. The exclusive clip was made available to attendees at the Entertainment Showcase.
Frozen 3 is scheduled for a November 24, 2027, theatrical release, occupying Disney's traditional Thanksgiving release window. The date reflects a shift from an originally targeted 2026 release, as the project underwent an extended development period. Gad confirmed in late 2025 that voice recording had not yet started and that the cast had not heard any of the film's music at that stage. By February 2026, Gad confirmed recording was underway, calling the project “the grandest we've ever done” and noting that its scale may explain the decision to split the continuing story across two films — Frozen 3 and a previously teased Frozen 4.
The two-film structure was first outlined at D23 2024, when then–Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios Jennifer Lee presented concept art showing Anna and Elsa traveling through unfamiliar terrain on newly introduced creatures, and indicated that the narrative developed out of Frozen II would require two installments to complete. Iger had referenced a similar timeline in November 2023 during comments made at the World of Frozen opening at Hong Kong Disneyland.
The Frozen franchise remains one of Walt Disney Animation Studios' highest-grossing properties, with the original 2013 film earning $1.28 billion worldwide and Frozen II earning $1.45 billion in 2019. Beyond the box office, the franchise maintains an active presence through a Broadway run, ongoing merchandise and gaming output, and theme park attractions such as Frozen Ever After at Walt Disney World, Anna and Elsa's Frozen Journey at Tokyo DisneySea, and World of Frozen experiences at Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
What do you think about this direction for Anna and Elsa in Frozen 3? Let us know in the comments down below!
