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Frozen
Directed by	Chris Buck Jennifer Lee
Screenplay by	Jennifer Lee
Story by	Chris Buck Jennifer Lee Shane Morris
Produced by	Peter Del Vecho
Starring	Kristen Bell Idina Menzel Jonathan Groff Josh Gad Santino Fontana
Cinematography	Mohit Kallianpur
Edited by	Jeff Draheim
Music by	Christophe Beck (score) Robert Lopez (songs) Kristen Anderson-Lopez (songs)
Layouts by	Scott Beattie
Production companies	Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Animation Studios
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates	November 19, 2013 (2013-11-19) (El Capitan Theatre) November 27, 2013 (2013-11-27) (United States)
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$150 million
Box office	$1.285 billion

Frozen is a 2013 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. Produced by Peter Del Vecho, the film was directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee from a screenplay by Lee. The directors co-wrote the story with Shane Morris, drawing inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen". It stars the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, and Santino Fontana. Frozen follows Princess Anna as she teams up with Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf to find her estranged sister Elsa, whose icy powers have inadvertently trapped their kingdom in eternal winter. Thematically, it explores feminism and sisterly bonds over romance, breaking traditional gender norms and Disney fairytale conventions.

Development began after the film's executive producer John Lasseter, who was intrigued by Disney's earlier unsuccessful attempts to adapt "The Snow Queen", successfully persuaded Buck to join the project. Buck wanted to explore a fresh perspective on true love rather than Disney's traditional prince and princess narrative. The story underwent extensive rewriting and testing, leading to a final version that emphasized the bond between Anna and Elsa and the themes of love and sacrifice. During animation and cinematography, emphasis was placed on creating realistic and engaging snow and elements. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez wrote the songs, and Christophe Beck composed the score.

Frozen premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on November 19, 2013, and went into its general theatrical release on November 27. It received generally positive reviews from critics and garnered many accolades, including the Best Original Song ("Let It Go") and Best Animated Feature at the 86th Academy Awards. The film grossed a total of $1.285 billion in worldwide box office revenue and became the highest-grossing animated film at the time, the highest-grossing film of 2013 and finished its theatrical run as the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time. Frozen became a popular culture phenomenon with its songs, characters, storytelling elements, and appeal to a general audience. Its popularity inspired the creation of a franchise, which included an animated short in 2015, an animated featurette in 2017, and a feature-length sequel, Frozen II, in 2019.

Plot

Princess Elsa of Arendelle possesses magical powers allowing her to control ice and snow, often using them to play with her younger sister Anna in their childhood. After Elsa accidentally injures Anna with her magic, their parents—the King and Queen—take them to a colony of stone trolls led by Grand Pabbie, who heals Anna but erases her memories of Elsa's magic. Grand Pabbie warns Elsa that she must learn to control her powers, and that fear will be her enemy. The sisters are isolated within the castle, the gates of which are now closed off to the public. Out of fear of her increasingly unpredictable powers, Elsa ceases all contact with Anna, causing them to become emotionally distant. When the sisters are teenagers, the King and Queen are lost at sea and presumed dead.

Upon reaching adulthood, Elsa is due to be crowned queen but fears that her subjects will discover her magic and fear her. The castle gates are opened for the first time in years to the public and visiting dignitaries, including the scheming Duke of Weselton and Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. Elsa's coronation proceeds without incident, but she remains distant from Anna, who develops a romantic bond with Hans during the festivities but is opposed by Elsa. Hurt and confused, Anna protests, begging Elsa to explain her fear and isolation. The emotional strain causes Elsa to accidentally unleash her powers before the court. Branded a monster by the Duke, Elsa flees to the North Mountain, where she finally acknowledges her powers, transforming herself and building an ice palace to live a hermit life. Unbeknownst to Elsa, her magic has caused Arendelle to fall under an eternal winter.

Anna ventures to find Elsa and end the winter, leaving Hans in command. After getting lost, she meets an iceman named Kristoff and his reindeer Sven, recruiting them to take her to the mountains. After an attack by wolves damages Kristoff's sleigh, they continue the journey on foot, discovering Olaf, a talking snowman unknowingly created by Elsa who offers to guide them to her. When Anna's horse reports back to Arendelle without her, Hans sets out to find her along with the Duke's minions, whom the Duke secretly orders to kill Elsa.

When Anna reaches the ice palace and reveals to Elsa what has become of Arendelle, a horrified Elsa confesses she does not know how to undo her magic. Her fear causes her powers to manifest themselves once more, and she accidentally freezes Anna's heart, seriously injuring her. In desperation to keep Anna safe, Elsa creates a giant snow monster named Marshmallow, who chases Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf away. Realizing the effects of Elsa's spell on Anna, Kristoff takes her to the trolls, his adoptive family. Grand Pabbie reveals that Anna will freeze solid unless "an act of true love" reverses the damage. Kristoff and Olaf race Anna back home so Hans can kiss her. Hans and his men reach Elsa's palace, defeating Marshmallow, who falls into a chasm, and capturing Elsa.

Anna is delivered to Hans, but rather than kissing her, Hans reveals he was actually planning to seize the throne of Arendelle by eliminating both sisters. Hans locks a heartbroken Anna in a library to die and then manipulates the dignitaries and the Duke into believing that she died due to Elsa's powers. He orders the queen's execution, only to discover she has escaped her cell. Anna is freed by Olaf and they meet Kristoff, whom Olaf revealed is in love with her. Hans confronts Elsa outside, claiming that she killed Anna, causing Elsa to break down and abruptly stop the storm. Moments before Hans can kill Elsa, Anna leaps in the way and freezes solid, stopping Hans. Devastated, Elsa hugs and mourns over her sister, who thaws out, her heroism constituting "an act of true love".

Realizing that love is the key to controlling her magic, Elsa dispels the eternal winter and gives Olaf a flurry small cloud to experience warmth. Hans is arrested and banished from Arendelle for his treason while Elsa cancels the trade agreement with Weselton to get back at the Duke. Anna gives Kristoff a new sleigh and the two kiss. The sisters are reunited, and Elsa promises never to lock the castle gates again.

Voice cast

Top row (L–R): Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel
Bottom row (L–R): Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad

• Kristen Bell as Anna, Princess of Arendelle and Elsa's younger sister
  • Livvy Stubenrauch as 5-year-old Anna
  • Katie Lopez as 4-year-old Anna (singing)
  • Agatha Lee Monn as 9-year-old Anna
• Idina Menzel as Elsa, Queen of Arendelle who possesses magical ice powers and Anna's elder sister
  • Eva Bella as 8-year-old Elsa
  • Spencer Lacey Ganus as 12-year-old Elsa
• Jonathan Groff as Kristoff, an iceman who is accompanied by a reindeer named Sven
  • Tyree Brown as 8-year-old Kristoff
• Josh Gad as Olaf, a sentient comic-relief snowman that Elsa and Anna created as children, who dreams of experiencing summer
• Santino Fontana as Hans, a prince from the Southern Isles who is secretly a gold-digging traitor
• Alan Tudyk as the Duke of Weselton
• Ciarán Hinds as Grand Pabbie, the Troll King
• Chris Williams as Oaken, the owner of Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna
• Maia Wilson as Bulda, a troll and Kristoff's adoptive mother
• Paul Briggs as Marshmallow, a giant snow monster created by Elsa
• Maurice LaMarche as the King of Arendelle, Anna and Elsa's father
• Jennifer Lee as the Queen of Arendelle, Anna and Elsa's mother

Non-speaking characters include Kristoff's reindeer companion Sven, horses, and wolves. The grunts and snorts for Sven were provided by Frank Welker who was not credited in the film.

Production

Background

Illustration of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen

In March 1940, Walt Disney suggested a co-production with film producer Samuel Goldwyn, where his studio would shoot the live-action sequences of Hans Christian Andersen's life and Disney's studio would animate Andersen's fairy tales. The animated sequences would be based on some of Andersen's best-known works including "The Snow Queen". After the United States entered World War II, Disney shifted focus to wartime propaganda, halting progress on the Disney–Goldwyn project and shelving "The Snow Queen" project in 1942.

Between 2000 and 2002, Disney Animation Studio explored multiple adaptations of "The Snow Queen". These versions removed key elements like the troll and mirror, requiring creative solutions for the character Kai's departure. Attempts included a storyline in Iceland where Kai joins a whaling ship to impress Gerda, while the Snow Queen rides an orca. Other versions experimented with adding comic side characters to the narrative. Despite the diverse attempts, the studio failed to transform the minimally defined characters and episodic plot into an engaging story.

During one of those attempts, Michael Eisner, then-chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, expressed his support for the project. He proposed a collaboration Pixar director John Lasseter who was intrigued by Disney's concept art from their earlier attempts, contingent on the anticipated renewal of Pixar's contract with Disney. Rather than renewing the contract, Disney acquired Pixar in January 2006 for $7.4 billion and Lasseter was promoted to chief creative officer of both Pixar and Disney Animation.

Development

Development began in 2008 after Lasseter successfully persuaded Chris Buck, who had previously co-directed Disney's 1999 film Tarzan and was working at Sony Pictures Animation (co-directing the 2007 film Surf's Up), to return to Disney. In September of that year, Buck pitched several ideas to Lasseter, including "The Snow Queen". Buck shared that his original concept for "The Snow Queen" was not based on the Andersen fairy tale, but rather stemmed from his desire to explore a fresh perspective on true love. He stated that since Disney had already delved into the conventional prince-kissing-the-princess narrative, he aimed to explore a novel approach. The project began under the title Anna and the Snow Queen, and the original plan was to create it using traditional animation.

According to Josh Gad, he became involved with the film during its early stages when the plot closely resembled the original Andersen fairy tale, and Megan Mullally was set to voice Elsa. In early 2010, the project entered a period of development challenges when the studio struggled to make "The Snow Queen" story work.

On December 22, 2011, Disney revealed a new title for the film, Frozen, and set a release date for November 27, 2013. A month later, it was confirmed that the film would be computer-animated instead of the initially planned traditional animation. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez joined the project and started writing songs for Frozen in January 2012. On March 5, 2012, it was announced that Buck would be directing, with Lasseter and Peter Del Vecho producing. Lasseter was later credited as executive producer.

Writing

Director Chris Buck, and director and screenwriter Jennifer Lee in 2015

In March 2012, Jennifer Lee, one of the writers of Wreck-It Ralph (2012), was hired to write the screenplay. Prior to Lee's involvement, the screen and songwriters faced significant challenges. According to Anderson-Lopez, "the whole script imploded and we got to build it together with Jennifer Lee and Chris buck." The production team essentially had to restart the process and faced a deadline of 17 month, resulting in a tight schedule. Lee was later promoted to co-director during production.

According to Lee, certain core concepts were already established, such as the film's "frozen heart" hook where an "act of true love will thaw a frozen heart". The team envisioned that the ending would revolve around true love in the context of the emotional bond between siblings, not romantic love, with Anna saving Elsa. Lee recalled that Edwin Catmull, president of Disney Animation, emphasized early on the importance of focusing on the film's ending. The final version of the film diverged significantly from the initial concepts. In the original draft, Elsa was inherently evil, kidnapping Anna from her wedding to deliberately freeze her heart and later attacking the town with an army of snowmen. Buck revealed that the original plot aimed to evoke sympathy for Anna by highlighting her frustrations as the spare rather than the heir. In the revised plot, the focus shifted to musical comedy with reduced emphasis on action and adventure.

Elsa's initial villainous character is driven by her heartbreak after being jilted at the altar. The plot revolved around a prophecy about a ruler with a frozen heart causing destruction, leading to a battle with snow monsters and an avalanche triggered by the two-faced Hans. However, the team decided to transform Elsa and Anna into sisters and explored the theme of love versus fear. This change led to a more relatable and emotional storyline, with Anna's selfless act of saving Elsa thawing her frozen heart. The challenging part was staging the ending visually, which was resolved by depicting Elsa's emotions creating a blizzard, isolating Hans and Elsa from Anna, and allowing for the emotional reveal of the characters.

The Lopezs' composition of the song "Let It Go" transformed Elsa into a more intricate, vulnerable, and sympathetic character, grappling to control and accept her gift rather than a villain. The songwriters approached this by empathizing with Elsa and delving into her experience of revealing her true self and enduring her freedom in solitude. "Let It Go" reshaped Elsa's character, depicting her as a character governed by fear, while Anna is driven by love and determination. This spurred the production team to rewrite the first act, leading to a ripple effect that permeated the entire film.

Another breakthrough came with the introduction of the plot twist involving Hans being revealed as the true villain near the end. The production team aimed to make the audience believe that Hans was the charming prince for Anna, only to subvert their expectations later. Lee portrayed Hans as "sociopathic" and "twisted" while also laying the groundwork for Anna's eventual turn to Kristoff. The production team aimed to evoke Anna's emotions without fully revealing them, ensuring that the audience felt her inner conflict for both characters. In earlier versions, Anna openly flirted with Kristoff at their first meeting. However, this was changed after Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn pointed out the potential confusion and annoyance this would cause, given Anna's prior engagement to Hans.

Lee faced the challenge of defining Anna's personality; some colleagues suggested making Anna more dysfunctional and co-dependent. Lee disagreed, and it took her nearly a year to clearly express Anna. She successfully conceived a straightforward coming-of-age story, where Anna transitions from a naive perspective on life and love due to her loneliness to a mature understanding of love, culminating in the ultimate expression of love: sacrifice. Throughout the process, she discarded many ideas she liked, including a scene depicting Anna and Elsa's relationship as teenagers to maintain the separation between the characters. To develop the bond between Anna and Elsa, she drew additional inspiration from her own relationship with her older sister.

The production team transformed Olaf from a obnoxious sidekick into a comedic one. Initially, Lee wanted to eliminate the snowman from the story. However, a staff animator conceived a three-page script treatment with Gad that convinced her otherwise. Throughout the process, the team discarded many details from earlier drafts, such as a troll with a Brooklyn accent explaining the backstory behind Elsa's powers, and a regent for whom Lee had considered casting comedian Louis C.K. These elements were removed because they added complexity to the story beyond what could fit into the film.

In November 2012, the team believed they had finally mastered the story. Disney subsequently conducted test screenings of the partially completed film in Phoenix, Arizona.

Casting

Actress Kristen Bell was chosen to voice the character Anna on March 5, 2012. Bell, who recorded her lines during her pregnancy, had to re-record some lines after giving birth due to the deepening of her voice. She was called in for additional recording sessions approximately 20 times, with the production team claiming that this was partly due to the the evolving story elements. Regarding her approach to the role of Anna, Bell expressed her excitement about fulfilling her childhood dream of being part of a Disney animated film. She explained, "I always loved Disney animation, but the female characters seemed unattainable to me. They had perfect posture and spoke too eloquently. I aimed to make Anna more relatable, weirder, scrappier, and more awkward."

Frozen is "a bit of a feminist movie for Disney. I'm really proud of that. It has everything, but it's essentially about sisterhood. I think that these two women are competitive with one another, but always trying to protect each other – sisters are just so complicated. It's such a great relationship to have in movies, especially for young kids."

– Idina Menzel, on her impression of Frozen

Broadway veteran Idina Menzel was chosen for the role of Elsa. She had previously unsuccessfully auditioned for Tangled (2010). However, one of Tangled's casting director kept a recording of her performance on her device. Based on that recording, she invited Menzel and Bell to audition for Frozen. Before their official casting, Menzel and Bell deeply impressed the production team during an early table read. At the event, the songwriters were also present, and Anderson-Lopez expressed that they were delighted to hear Menzel and Bell sing together in perfect harmony.

Between December 2012 and June 2013, the casting of additional roles was announced, including Jonathan Groff as Kristoff, Alan Tudyk as the Duke of Weselton, Santino Fontana as Hans, and Josh Gad as Olaf.

Design

Initially set in the late 1600s, Frozen's costume designs were shifted to the 1840s for a more classical fairy tale appearance. The design team focused keenly on fine details, intricately replicating the unique properties of various materials. Elaborate embroidery and rosemaling are featured in their designs, balancing bold color choices with distinctly clear shapes. For inspiration, the team traveled to Norway, where they were intrigued by the intricate patterns and textures in Norwegian folk art, decorative arts, and architecture. They adhered to the traditional Norwegian style by predominantly using wool, velvet, linen, and silk as accents. Wool, being less reflective, served as an ideal base for the vibrant colors. The team aimed for stylized elements that complemented the characters and the story rather than a realistic travelogue. Arendelle's designs feature asymmetric elements from Balestrand's architecture combining Victorian aesthetic and Norwegian rustic design, and its castle drew inspiration from twelfth-century Norwegian stave churches.

To create Elsa's magical winter conditions including frozen fjords and extreme ice formations, they drew inspiration from Great Lakes lighthouses where continuous spraying results in unique and bizarre ice sculptures forming on top of ice. Elsa's magic ice followed snowflake patterns but on a larger scale. Her growth of the ice is characterized by a melodic and rhythmic pattern, and her palace incorporated various types of ice, ranging from clear and reflective to frosted and opaque. Clear ice areas allowed for distorted images and reflections, while frosted parts concealed views. The choice between them is influenced desired atmosphere and temperature, reflecting the narrative and intended emotional tone of the scene. According to the design team, Elsa's palace is intricately linked to her emotional journey. As her character evolves from anger to contentment, the palace transforms in response. Initially aggressive, it gradually becomes more sculptural and refined, reflecting Elsa's dynamic mood and her journey toward self-discovery and acceptance.

Animation and cinematography

Emphasis was placed on carefully managing the overall lighting, shadow, and color hues to prevent the setting from overpowering the character. Adjustments including lighting, object decorations, textures, and patterns ensured elements blended harmoniously with the scene. Buck wanted to infuse the film with strong, shape-oriented visuals. To achieve this, he recruited Michael Giaimo, who popularized this style. Buck was intrigued by Giaimo's sense of shape and design and innovative approach to push the boundaries of color and shape for realistic depiction in computer-generated imagery (CGI).

Translating drawn actions in CGI required careful rigging to ensure realistic movement. Believability is challenging to achieve because the characters engage in activities like singing and dancing, which demand a high level of believability despite the fantastical elements. The animation and effects team studied intricate costume designs and rosemaling patterns, aiming to incorporate them into the film's animation and lighting style. When applying effects, they followed a narrative structure with a clear beginning, middle, and end. These elements were integrated into the storytelling process, aligning with the vision outlined by the directors and contributing to the overall narrative arc of the film.

Rigging Anna and Elsa required subtle refinements to highlight their individual traits due to their roles as heroines and sisters, with both characters needing to exhibit high performance and appeal while retaining their unique personalities. For the snow monster Marshmallow, they strive to create realistic icicles, determined its edge hardness for correct lighting, and avoided a rubbery appearance. Elsa's costumes and physical appearances require strong, purposeful shapes that accentuate and support the characters' physical and emotional performance. Her costume resembles ice crystals with intricate refractive and reflective properties.

The Norwegian-based costumes were challenging to animate because of their intricate designs. This was amplified by the increased number of cloth rigs compared to previous Disney CGI films. The costumes used digital pattern-making techniques and real-world fabric properties, ensuring that their on-screen behavior closely resembled that of real life. Creating the braids and the diverse styles of the characters' Norwegian-based hairstyles were also very complex. A celebrity hairstylist helped create Elsa's hairstyle, which surpassed the complexity of previous Disney characters at 420,000 strands. The program Tonic was developed to enable artists to more effectively group and style the characters' hair. It also helped create traditional Norwegian styles, including intricate braids, and extended to animals like wolves and horses.

Snow and ice

Creating a realistic snowy landscape involved intricate lighting techniques. The team emphasized the challenge of making the snow appear realistic without resembling concrete. They developed various subsurface techniques to convey the effect of light penetrating the snow and altering its color as it travels through. Maintaining the brightness was crucial to prevent the scenes from looking overly blinding, and also making the snow visually appealing and pristine without making it appear gray or dirty. They aimed to depict realistic and diverse snow textures, including wet and fluffy ones, and how they interacted with the characters. Because Frozen's entire stage is predominantly white, careful lighting techniques were used to maintain audience engagement with the characters while preventing them from feeling overwhelmed by the snowy backgrounds. They used a "Frost Modifier" tool to cover the entire world in frost and encase everything in ice and the negative and positive space of snow flurries to produce intricate snowflake patterns. Matterhorn was used to simulate snow's intricate behaviors, including sintering into snowballs, and Snow Batcher was used to create imprints in the snow and the debris created when trudging through them. In addition, specialized shaders were used to apply textures such as frost onto ice.

Rendering refractive objects like ice takes extensive time in CGI, and the scene where Elsa built her palace took 30 hours to render. Lighting the clear ice required careful consideration of how it would reflect light realistically. The team faced challenges creating realistic visuals for snow, ice, and their correct combination in Frozen, aiming for a visually stunning and intricate ice environment without strictly adhering to physical accuracy. To achieve this, they use various elements including geometric and painted snow, different snow shapes, and snow sparkles to create a stable, renderable, and art-directable appearance. After receiving insights from physicist Dr. Kenneth G. Libbrecht who explained the formation of snow crystals at a molecular level, they approached this by focusing on the natural growth and shapes of these elements and avoiding morphing or artificial movements. The transparent ice frameworks and refractive ice pillars of Elsa's Ice Palace required intricate optical properties. Unlike snow, ice is optically active and its colors can shift based on the surroundings. It also refracts light into rainbow highlights, varies from transparent to opaque, features a smooth or patterned surface, and reflects and distorts the surrounding environments.

Character rigging supervisor Carlos Cabrol explained that since they had never animated a snowman before, there was extensive back-and-forth collaboration with Olaf's animation. Buck was involved in the process, suggesting ideas such as rigging Olaf coming apart or having his head fall off. They aimed to enable Olaf to move and behave in ways that are unique to snowmen and beyond the abilities of humans and animals. However, animating Olaf was challenging due to his vague anatomy and the need to make him stand out in a snowy environment. To address the issue of blending in with the snow, subtle differences in Olaf's texture were introduced. Collaboration with the lighting team ensured that Olaf stood out distinctly amidst the snowy backdrop. Lighting supervisor Josh Staub acknowledged the difficulty of making Olaf stand out in a snowy environment, mentioning the use of traditional techniques like rim and bounce lighting. However, these applications were necessary to ensure Olaf does not appear like a cut-out and seamlessly integrates into the snowy surroundings.

Music and sound design

Main article: Frozen (soundtrack)

Songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez in 2019, and composer Christophe Beck in 2012

The songs for Frozen were composed by the Lopezs, a husband-and-wife team. They were approached for the project by producer Peter Del Vecho, who had worked with them on previous Disney films. Despite being busy with other projects, including The Book of Mormon, Lopez and Anderson-Lopez were eager to collaborate with Disney on a fairy tale musical, and they were convinced to join the team after a personal pitch in New York City. Disney valued Anderson-Lopez's strong storytelling abilities, making the decision to work on the film an easy one for the couple.

The creation of Frozen's music was a meticulous and collaborative process. The Lopezs worked remotely from New York City, engaging in frequent videoconferences with the production team. The songs were recorded as demos in their home studio, and then discussed in videoconferences. They composed 25 songs, but only one-thirds of which made it into the final version, with one recorded by Demi Lovato in the end credits.

In addition to songs, the film featured a score by Christophe Beck, who incorporated regional instruments and vocal techniques inspired by Norwegian cultures. Lee highlighted the importance of sound on the film's emotional impact, especially during pivotal moments, such as the complete silence after Anna freezes. Foley work was done to capture snow and ice sounds, and various attempts were made to perfect the sound of Elsa's footsteps in the ice palace.

Localization

Frozen was localized into 41 languages through the Disney Character Voices International. Finding sopranos with vocal tones and ranges similar to Idina Menzel's was a challenge in this process. The translation of the film involved a focus on the lyrical intent, rhythm, and lip sync. Disney instructed the songwriters to simplify wordplay and puns to ensure global appeal. Casting for dubbed versions prioritized native speakers, and voices were matched as closely as possible to the original characters. For Elsa alone, about 200 singers auditioned for the 41 language versions. The international cast involved over 900 individuals in approximately 1,300 recording sessions.

Thematic analysis

External videos
"Let it Go"
"Do You Want to Build a Snowman?"
"For the First Time in Forever"

Frozen is interpreted by scholars and critics including Fariha Laili, Dana Stevens, and Christy Lemire as a critique of traditional gender norms and societal expectations. Laili said that the film promotes feminism and challenges traditional gender stereotypes including rational thought, meritocracy, and various aspects of socio-political life. Elsa assumes her responsibility as queen and stresses understanding her powers and determining the future. She denies Anna's marriage request to Hans because Anna had only just met him. Anna assumes her responsibility to save Arendelle from Elsa's powers and denies male companionship. They work together to defeat the antagonist, Hans. In the song "Let It Go", Elsa undergoes a powerful transformative experience, shedding her societal constraints and embracing her power. She discards the gloves that her parents gave her to obstruct her powers, and she replaces her modest attire with a thigh-high slit dress and silver-white high heels. Both Stevens and Lemire said Elsa's transformation signifies her liberation and confidence. Stevens said the discarding of her gloves symbolizes her surging sense of empowerment, and Lemire connects her transformation to the film's overarching theme of embracing one's true identity.

Eve Benhamou and Maja Rudloff said that, despite the emphasis on feminism, Frozen conveys a conflicted message about traditional gender binaries. According to Benhamou, Elsa endured many instances of female suppression throughout her childhood and adulthood. Her parents exert patriarchal control over her by concealing and obstructing her powers before her transformation in "Let it Go". Nevertheless, her powerful moments of freedom and agency in "Let it Go" are short-lived. She defends herself from attackers by using her powers in subdued ways and is halted when she becomes too threatening. Rudloff said that although the film promotes feminist ideals of equality and female agency, it reduces them to postfeminist notions centered on looks, self-discipline, and gendered stereotypes. She explained that Anna is portrayed as naive and excessively concerned with romance, and Elsa's empowerment and self-realization contradict her physical appearance and sexualization. Madeline Streiff and Lauren Dundes said Frozen conveys a limited message for young girls about feminism and heterosexual romance. Elsa's powers evoke dominance and threat toward male characters, and her lack of romantic pursuits reflects societal double standards of women's sexuality. Similarly, Stevens said that it has a limited female self-actualization message, and she compared it to films like Grease (1978) and The Breakfast Club (1985) where the female character achieves empowerment through makeovers. Elsa's transformation differs in that it is not aimed at impressing a romantic interest, and Elsa remains without a romantic prospect by the end of the film.

Others said Frozen misrepresents traditional social identities. Su Holmes said it portrays a socially constructed nature of female identity and promotes thinness as beauty, raising concerns related to issues such as eating disorders. Robert Geal said that Frozen contains bias in its portrayal of female and male homosexuality. He said that Elsa transforms from a constrained individual to a confident and sexualized one in a way that empathizes the erotic aspects of femininity, whereas Oaken's male same-sex relationship and family are depicted as non-aesthetic, disavowed, alterable, and of masochistic sexuality, reflecting heteronormativity and the repression and marginalization of male homosexuality. In The Atlantic, Akash Nikolas said that Disney films like Frozen subtly resonated with queer children by featuring protagonists who similarly defy societal norms and challenges traditional ideas of marriage. He said that these characters often present themselves as social outcasts due to their unconventional desires. Geal argued that while the film may present a facade of progressiveness regarding homosexuality, it also reinforces conservative views on sexuality and gender.

According to Geal, Stephani Linando, and Ryan Bunch, Frozen departs from traditional Disney fairytale conventions by featuring characters that challenge the instant and inevitable "true love", "happily-ever-after", the prince saving the princess through a "true love's kiss", and fulfillment through marriage tropes. Geal said Hans reveals himself as a villain who approaches Anna for personal gains rather than true love. Linando said Elsa lacks a prince to give her "happily ever after" life. She said that Anna fulfills the prince's true-kiss savior role by selflessly saving Elsa herself. Bunch said that, unlike the traditional passive princess narrative where a princess's fulfillment ends at marriage, Frozen emphasizes sisterly bonds over heterosexual romance. He said that it conveys the separation and confinement between Anna and Elsa and Elsa's fear of hurting others, especially Anna, as well as the themes of restraint and freedom. Anna is open and eager to explore the world, whereas Elsa seeks sanctuary in confinement and isolation.

The song "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" illustrates Anna and Elsa's relationship during their period of separation, blending their coming-of-age story with grief for their parents. An enthusiastic Anna repeatedly tries to persuade Elsa to come out and play, but Elsa remains confined and distant. Bunch said that the song incorporates traditional 'I Want' tropes from traditional Disney films, reflecting Anna's desire to escape confinement with her longing for love and companionship. He said that unlike traditional Disney heroines whose longing for adventure typically evolves into heteronormative romance, the film collapses both desires into one. In the song "For the First Time in Forever", Anna expresses extroverted excitement about open doors and windows, and being around people, but her fantasies later shift toward meeting her true love. Bunch said these themes mirrored past Disney film motivations; it intentionally lead the viewers to believe that the film is setting up expectations for another typical Disney romance narrative, but only to subvert these expectations later in the film when Anna reveals her desire for romantic love to be secondary for her profound longing to be reunited with Elsa.

Marketing and release

Producer Peter Del Vecho, Lee, and Buck at the film's premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles

An advertisement for the film on a WestJet Boeing 737-8CT at John F. Kennedy International Airport

Frozen's anticipation built with previews of the songs at the 2013 D23 Expo, where Idina Menzel performed "Let It Go" live. Disney parks, including Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and Epcot featured extensive promotions for the film. Theme parks offered meet-and-greet sessions with Anna and Elsa cosplayers. In addition, Disney Consumer Products launched a merchandise line ranging from toys to home décor on November 6, 2013. A teaser trailer was released on June 18, 2013, followed by the official trailer on September 26, 2013.

Frozen was released theatrically in the US on November 27, 2013, and it was accompanied by a Mickey Mouse animated short film, Get a Horse!. The film premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on November 19, 2013, and had a five-day limited release there, starting from November 22, before going into wide release. Various sing-along versions of Frozen were released internationally.

As part of Disney's 100th anniversary, Frozen was re-released from August 4 to 17, 2023 in selected theaters across the US, as well as the UK from October 13 to 19, and Helios theaters in Poland on October 29.

Home media

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Frozen for digital download on February 25, 2014, and on Blu-ray and DVD on March 18. Physical copies contain behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, the film's teaser trailer, a "Let It Go" music video, and Get A Horse!. Following an announcement on August 12, 2014, a sing-along reissue of Frozen was released via DVD and digital download on November 18, 2014.

Frozen's home media release was very successful. It sold 3.2 million units on its first day, becoming one of the biggest home video sellers and Amazon's best-selling children's disc ever. The digital release also became the fastest-selling digital release of all time. In its first week, it outsold 19 other titles combined, with 3,969,270 Blu-ray units sold, totaling $79,266,322. It dominated the US home video sales charts for six out of seven weeks. In the UK, it debuted at No. 1 and sold over 1.2 million units in three weeks, becoming the country's top-selling video title in 2014. In Japan, it sold 2,025,000 Blu-ray/DVD combo sets in four weeks, becoming the fastest-selling home video and highest number of units sold in the first day and week. By the end of 2014, it earned $185,483,063 in total US home media sales and had sold over 18 million units by March 2015. Last instance of 2014 data: Dec 28 says is $185,483,063 and ref 97 indeed shows units over 18 million units

Lawsuit against Phase 4 Films

Main article: Phase 4 Films § Trademark infringement lawsuit

In late December 2013, The Walt Disney Company filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in California federal court against Phase 4 Films, seeking an injunction against the continued distribution of the Canadian film The Legend of Sarila, which had been retitled Frozen Land in the US and had a logo similar to the Disney film. By late January 2014, the two companies had settled the case; the settlement stated that the distribution and promotion of The Legend of Sarila and related merchandise must use its original title and Phase 4 must not use trademarks, logos or other designs confusingly similar to Disney's animated film. Phase 4 was also required to pay Disney $100,000 before January 27, 2014, and make "all practicable efforts" to remove copies of Frozen Land from stores and online distributors before March 3, 2014.

Reception

Box office

Frozen earned $401 million in the US and $933.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.334 billion. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as over $400 million, placing it second on their list of 2013's "Most Valuable Blockbusters". It became the fifth-highest-grossing film, the highest-grossing animated film, and the highest-grossing 2013 film. The film grossed $110.6 million worldwide in its opening weekend. On March 2, 2014, it surpassed the $1 billion mark.

Bloomberg Business reported in March 2014 that analysts had estimated the film's total cost at somewhere around $323 million to $350 million for production, marketing, and distribution, and had also estimated that the film would generate $1.3 billion in revenue from box office ticket sales, digital downloads, discs, and television rights.

Domestic

Upon release, Frozen became very successful in the US. It broke record as Fandango's top advance ticket seller among animated films and later became the top-selling animated film in the company's history. Its sing-along version was also the top seller on Fandango. After its limited release at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, it earned $243,390. It grossed $15.2 million and topped pre-Thanksgiving Wednesday openings. When it opened wide, the film made approximately $66.7 million in its first three days, setting an opening weekend record for Walt Disney Animation Studios films and becoming the second-largest opening weekend for films that did not debut at first place. It primarily drew a female audience, and approximately 81% of the viewers were families. Frozen also set record for three-day Thanksgiving grosses.

During its second weekend of wide release, Frozen declined 53% to $31.6 million, but jumped to first place, setting a record for the largest post-Thanksgiving weekend, ahead of Toy Story 2 ($27.8 million) released in 1999. Frozen topped box office in its sixth weekend of wide release and remained there for sixteen consecutive weekends (the longest run by any film since 2002) and achieved large weekend grosses from its fifth to its twelfth weekend (of wide release), compared to other films in their respective weekends.

In the US, Frozen is the sixth-highest-grossing 2013 film and the highest-grossing 2013 animated film. Excluding re-releases, it has the highest-grossing initial run among non-sequel animated films (a record previously held by Finding Nemo (2003)) and among Walt Disney Animation Studios films (a record previously held by The Lion King (1994)). Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold over 49 million tickets in the US.

International

Outside the US, Frozen is the fifth-highest-grossing film, the highest-grossing animated film, and the sixth highest-grossing 2013 film. It is the highest-grossing animated film in South Korea, Denmark, and Venezuela.

The film made its debut outside the US on the same weekend as its wide US release and earned $16.7 million from sixteen markets. It topped the box office outside the US for two weekends in 2014; January 10–12 ($27.8 million) and February 7–9 ($24 million). Overall, its largest opening weekends occurred in China (five-day opening of $14.3 million); Russia ($11.1 million, including previews from previous weekend), where the film set an opening weekend record among Disney animated films (ahead of Tangled); and Japan (three-day opening of $9.6 million). It set an opening weekend record among animated films in Sweden with $2.2 million debut. In total earnings, the film's top market after the US is Japan ($250 million), followed by South Korea ($56.5 million) and the UK ($58 million). Frozen is the second-largest foreign film both in terms of attendance and gross in South Korea, the largest Disney release in 27 territories including Russia, China, and Brazil, and the first animated film to earn more than ten million admissions. In Japan, it is the third-highest-grossing film of all time, the second-highest-grossing foreign film (behind Titanic (1997)) and the highest-grossing Disney film. It topped the country's box office for sixteen consecutive weekends until being surpassed by another Disney release, Maleficent (2014).

Critical response

Frozen has an approval rating of based on professional reviews on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of . Its critical consensus reads: "Beautifully animated, smartly written, and stocked with singalong songs, Frozen adds another worthy entry to the Disney canon." Metacritic (which uses a weighted average) assigned Frozen a score of 74 out of 100 scores based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare "A+" grade on an A+ to F scale.

Frozen's emotional depth and innovative storytelling were praised. Critics said that the film's animation resonated deeply with the story's poignant emotions including loneliness, fear, and struggle for self-control, and that it expertly captured Elsa's pain of isolation and Anna's endearing free spirit. They said that it delightfully combined The Snow Queen fairytale with heartwarming moments, engaging songs, and compelling storytelling. The Telegraph and The Guardian said its nostalgic and forward-thinking storytelling embraced classic Disney elements while emphasizing the strong bond between the sisters. Others described Frozen's narrative and animation as Disney's resurgence to the modern animated musical genre, which is marked by the departure from traditional princess film conventions, emphasizing sisterly loyalty and love over romance.

Todd McCarthy, among others, praised the film for its clever combination of traditional fairy tale elements from The Snow Queen while addressing modern attitudes and female empowerment themes. Alonso Duralde said that the film subtly addresses these themes without being overly didactic, and through its characters, humor, and songs, convey a strong message about embracing one's abilities and inner strength. In The New York Times, Stephen Holden said it challenges the traditional Disney princess formula with unconventional characters and a more complex, empowering storyline. He praised the coherent storytelling and beautiful animation, which he described as a dreamlike world of snow and ice.

Other publications including The Seattle Times and Variety said that Frozen falls short in delivering a deep and engaging experience. Joe Williams said that the story lack a coherent story and sense and its emphasis on the theme of true love feels forced and repetitive. Similarly, Lemire said that it conveys a somewhat conflicted message, and that its attempt to subvert traditional Disney princess conventions and promotes sisterly bonds seem somewhat cynical. Empire criticized the sidelining of strong female characters for a male supporting cast where the primary comedy source comes from the interactions between male characters. Reviewers for The Austin Chronicle and The Globe and Mail cited the lack of character depth, and warmth and catchiness, respectively.

Controversies

Frozen has been subjected to several controversies concerning sexism, LGBT portrayals, and the "Let it Go" song. Allegations of sexism arose after Lino DiSalvo, the film's head of animation, made a statement about animating female characters being difficult due to the need to maintain their beauty. Lee and a Disney spokesperson clarified that DiSalvo was referring to the technical aspects of CGI animation, and not comparing animating male and female characters. DiSalvo later confirmed such, and he emphasized the difficulty of translating emotional range onto any character, regardless of gender.

Some conservative Christian commentators decried the film as promoting homosexuality. They stated that the themes of Elsa's being different from others, her ostracism from society, and her independence and rejection of male suitors, are metaphors for lesbianism. Elsa's song "Let it Go" has been compared to the coming out of the closet expression. Other viewers argued that Elsa represents a role model for LGBT youth. These claims were met with mixed reactions from both audiences and the LGBT community. When questioned about the indirect homosexual portrayals in the film, Lee refrained from giving a direct response, stating, "I don't want to comment... let the fans discuss. I believe it's their interpretation," but she emphasized the film's perspective should align with the attitudes of 2013, distinguishing it from films of the past.

On November 24, 2017, musical artist Jaime Ciero sued Demi Lovato, Idina Menzel, Walt Disney Animation Studios and others involved with the song "Let it Go", accusing them of ripping off his 2008 single "Volar". In May 2018, it was ruled in court that the original songwriters, Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, would be released from the lawsuit due to the three-year statute of limitations for copyright claims. Because each replay or new performance of the song restarts the statute of limitations clock, Ciero was told he could amend his original complaint to address only those infringements within the three-year timeframe. Ciero dropped the suit in May 2019.

Accolades

Main article: List of accolades received by Frozen (2013 film)

Frozen garnered awards and nominations in various categories. It won Best Original Song ("Let It Go") and Best Animated Feature at the 86th Academy Awards. It became the first Disney film to win Best Animated Feature. The film won five of ten nominations at the 41st Annie Awards. At the 66th British Academy Film Awards, Frozen won Best Animated Film. It won Best Animated Feature and Best Song ("Let It Go") at the 19th Critics' Choice Awards. The film won Best Animated Feature Film and received a nomination for Best Original Song – Motion Picture ("Let It Go") at the 71st Golden Globe Awards.

Legacy

Cultural impact

Elsa and Anna cosplayers doing a Meet and Greet at Disneyland in 2013

In early 2014, the film garnered widespread attention from children in the US and the UK. Described as "Frozen-mania" by The Guardian, it included repeated viewings, song memorization and persistent singing, causing some distress to parents, teachers, and classmates. This phenomenon was noted by various journalists and notable individuals, including then-UK prime minister David Cameron and actors Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, and Vince Vaughn, who found themselves dealing with their children's keen interest in the film. Frozen's immense popularity and its status as a popular culture phenomenon was attributed to its ability to capture the spirit of classic Disney animations, offering strong female characters, catchy songs, and a unique subversion of the traditional villain role. The absence of a typical villain, relatable sibling relationships, and themes of self-acceptance and sacrifice also resonated with audiences globally. The film's popularity in Japan, where it also became a phenomenon, was attributed to its appeal to teenage girls, the strong reputation of Disney's brand, and the careful selection of voice actors for the Japanese version.

When Lopez and Anderson-Lopez were asked about the film's success in an NPR interview, they expressed surprise, emphasizing that they had no way of anticipating the immense popularity their work would achieve, stating they were simply focusing on telling a compelling story. Time columnist Joel Stein shared his son Laszlo's frustration with the ubiquitous presence of Frozen in his life, prompting a Skype call with Bell after Laszlo questioned him why the film was made. When Laszlo asked if Bell knew the impact the film would have, she humorously replied that she did not anticipate people not "letting it go." Lee also acknowledged the enduring popularity of Frozen, transitioning from gratitude to apologies as people expressed continued obsession with the film and its songs. She used the film's female characters to inspire her daughter, who faced bullying, drawing parallels to the resilience of Frozen's characters Anna and Elsa, as Lee herself had experienced bullying in her childhood.

In a 2014 mid-year report of the 100 most-used baby names in the UK by BabyCenter, 'Elsa' ranked 88th, making its first appearance on the site's chart. Sarah Barrett, managing director of BabyCenter, noted that while the film's popular heroine is called Anna, 'Elsa' offers a more unique and strong female role model name. Parents revealed that their naming choices were influenced by the film's characters, particularly Anna and Elsa's sibling relationship. Disney UK's Vice President, Anna Hill, expressed delight that Elsa became a popular baby name, attributing it to the character's resilience and the powerful family bond depicted in Frozen. The film was the top entertainment Google Search of 2013. In 2014, on the Google Play Store, Frozen and its soundtrack album were named 'Movie of the Year' and 'Album of the Year', respectively, signifying their best-selling status in their respective categories.

Franchise

Main article: Frozen (franchise)

In January 2014, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced plans to adapt Frozen into a Broadway stage musical. Within a single business quarter, Iger shifted his perspective on Frozen, initially acknowledging its "franchise potential" in February 2014, to later stating in May 2014 that it was "probably one of Disney's top five franchises". The film's immense popularity led to a severe merchandise shortage in the US and other countries in April 2014, with limited-edition Frozen dolls and costumes reselling for over $1,000 on eBay. Disney sold over three million Frozen costumes in North America alone by November 2014. Meet-and-greet wait times at Disney Parks exceeded four hours, leading to the extension of the film promotion and the introduction of a temporary event called Frozen Summer Fun at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Disney later announced the closure of Epcot's Maelstrom ride and its replacement with a Frozen-based attraction, which opened in early 2016. In May 2016, a live Frozen musical stage show premiered at Disney California Adventure. Random House sold over 8 million Frozen-related books by August 2014, and tour operators like Adventures by Disney added more Norway tours due to rising demand in 2014.

The directors, composers, producers, and several of the film's stars at the "Frozen FANdemonium: A Musical Celebration" presentation at the 2015 D23 Expo to celebrate the film's songs

Meanwhile, the producers of Once Upon a Time (made by Disney-owned ABC Studios) independently conceived of and obtained authorization from both ABC and Disney for a Frozen-inspired crossover story arc in the show's fourth season, which was first revealed at the end of the show's third season in May 2014, and premiered in September 2014. On September 2, 2014, ABC broadcast The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic, a one-hour making of television special. At the end of the special, Lasseter announced that the production team would be reuniting to make Frozen Fever, a short film which debuted in theaters with Disney's Cinderella on March 13, 2015. On September 4, 2014, Feld Entertainment's Disney on Ice presented the world premiere of a touring ice skating show based on the film at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

During the broadcast of The Making of Frozen: Return to Arendelle on ABC, it was announced that a holiday special titled Olaf's Frozen Adventure was in production and set for release in winter 2017. Lasseter revealed that the 21-minute special would have a limited theatrical release. It premiered in theaters with Pixar's Coco on November 22, 2017, and made its television debut on ABC on December 14, 2017. In addition, Arendelle was featured as a world in the 2019 video game Kingdom Hearts III, which adapts the plot of the film. The film's voice cast reprise their roles for the game.

Frozen was followed by Frozen II, released on November 22, 2019. It surpassed the box-office take of Frozen, and received a similarly positive critical and audience response. A third film is in development as of 2023.

See also

• List of Disney animated films based on fairy tales
• List of Disney theatrical animated feature films

References

Works cited

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• Bunch, Ryan (2017), Carroll, Beth; Donnelly, K. J. (eds.), "'Love Is an Open Door': Revising and Repeating Disney's Musical Tropes in Frozen", Contemporary Musical Film, Music and the Moving Image, Edinburgh University Press, pp. 89–104, ISBN 978-1-4744-1313-8, archived from the original on October 27, 2023
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