In 2013, Disney released one of its most successful movies of all time, Frozen. Frozen tells the story of Princess Elsa and her sister, Princess Anna. Anna and Elsa only have each other after their parents die at sea. Elsa is set to become queen, but she is hiding a massive secret — she has the power to harness ice and snow. During the coronation, Elsa is so overwhelmed that she unleashes her power upon the entire kingdom of Arendelle. Elsa flees into the mountains, and her sister Anna must go and find her. With Anna’s help, Elsa realizes that her powers do not define who she is, and that she can rule Arendelle the way her people deserve.
Frozen starred Idina Menzel as Princess Elsa, Kristen Bell as Princess Anna, Josh Gad as Olaf the Snowman, and Jonathan Groff as Kristoff. All four main actors returned when Disney released Frozen 2 in 2019. Frozen made an astonishing $1.2 billion worldwide, and Frozen 2 did even better — grossing a whopping $1.4 billion.
Even though it’s been a decade since the original film was released in theaters, Frozen remains as popular as ever. Disney is continuing to capitalize on the franchise and is working on Frozen 3. We have almost no details on the film or what it will be about, but we do know a couple of things.
First up, Idina Menzel confirmed that she is returning as Queen Elsa for the third film, and is excited to do so. At this time, Disney has only “teased” the project, Menzel admitted — she has not yet seen a script or heard what story the film will tell. In the second film, Elsa embraced her calling and left Arendelle. It is likely the third film may tell viewers what she has been up to.
We also know that director Jennifer Lee will NOT return for Frozen 3. Lee wrote both Frozen and Frozen 2, but, in speaking to The Wrap, admitted that the new storyline did not come from her. However, she is excited to see where the new story takes viewers.
Lee revealed she will not be helming the third installment of the popular Disney franchise during a conversation with TheWrap at this year’s Annecy Animation Festival. “I can’t say where we are [with “Frozen 3.” All our stories are driven by the artists in the studio. Where we’re going with ‘Frozen’ did not come from me. It came from an incredible person. That’s a new piece, I’ve told no one. And I’ve been blown away by it and I’m just having a blast with that team,” she said.
Lee also stated that, while she is not working on the new film in the way she worked on the first two, she will be there as an advisor and mentor. But that doesn’t mean that Lee is out of the Disney family. Lee is actually working on a number of Disney projects! She is serving as a producer on Disney’s newest animated film, Wish. She will also produce Disney’s live-action Moana and Tiana — an animated series based on the hit film The Princess and the Frog.
