Frozen (2013 film)

Frozen (2013 film)
Frozen is a 2013 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, who wrote the story with Shane Morris, drawing inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen". The film was produced by John Lasseter and Peter Del Vecho, and 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, challenging traditional gender norms and Disney fairytale conventions.
Development began after 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, the team used a careful blend of visuals and lighting to create realistic and appealing snow and ice among other 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 it received two awards at the 86th Academy Awards among numerous other accolades, making it the first Disney film to win Best Animated Feature. During its theatrical run, the film was a significant commercial success, earning $1.285 billion in worldwide box office revenue, overtaking Toy Story 3 (2010) to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time, and carried its position until it was overtaken by the remake of The Lion King in 2019. It also became the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time and the highest-grossing film of 2013. The immense success 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. 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.
At the age of 21, 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 and is objected 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, 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, mortally 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 cell 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
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 young Elsa
Spencer Lacey Ganus as 12-year-old teenage 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
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, such as "The Little Mermaid", "The Little Match Girl", and "The Snow Queen". After the United States entered World War II, Disney shifted focus to wartime propaganda, halting progress on the Disney–Goldwyn project in 1942.
Between 2000 and 2002, Disney explored multiple versions, now stored in their Animation Research Library. 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. The various versions of "The Snow Queen" explored by Disney artists featured diverse and beautiful artwork. However, despite the visual appeal, no one was able to transform the minimally defined characters and episodic plot into a compelling narrative.
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 with Academy Award-winning director John Lasseter at Pixar who was intrigued by Frozen concept arts from Disney's earlier attempt, 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. Frozen 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 story and the Snow Queen character 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 due to the added intricate visual elements in the script. 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.
Writing
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 work of the previous screen and songwriters faced significant challenges. The production team essentially had to restart the process and faced a tight deadline of 17 months. This condensed timeline resulted in an extremely intense schedule, requiring swift decision-making to progress the project. During production, Lee was promoted to co-director for her extensive involvement in the project.
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 understood 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 earning 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 revolves 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.
Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez's 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 Lopezs 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 Lee to rewrite the first act, leading to a ripple effect that permeated the entire film. It marked the pivotal moment when the team discerned the essence of the film and fully grasped the depths of the characters.
Another significant breakthrough came with the introduction of the plot twist involving Hans, a character absent from the initial drafts, being revealed as the true villain near the end. According to Del Vecho, they aimed to make the audience believe that Kristoff was the answer to the story's mystery, 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. It was essential 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 articulate 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 team transformed Olaf from Elsa's obnoxious sidekick into Anna's comically innocent companion. 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. John Ripa helped resolve writing the problem of how Anna would save Elsa at the climax. 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. However, in February 2013, they realized it still was not working, leading to further rewriting from February through June 2013. That month, Disney conducted test screenings of the partially completed film in Phoenix, Arizona, with two audiences—one comprising families and the other adults.
Casting
Actress Kristen Bell was chosen to voice the character Anna on March 5, 2012. The filmmakers reviewed a collection of vocal tracks that she had recorded when she was young, where she performed several songs from The Little Mermaid (1989), including "Part of Your World". 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. 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."
Broadway veteran Idina Menzel was chosen for the role of Elsa. She had previously unsuccessfully auditioned for Tangled (2010). However, Tangled casting director, Jamie Sparer Roberts, kept a recording of her performance on her iPhone. Based on that recording, she invited Menzel and Bell to audition for Frozen. Prior to their official casting, Menzel and Bell deeply impressed the directors and producers during an early table read. During their preparation for the table read, Bell proposed the idea to Menzel when she visited her home. At the table read, the songwriters were also present, and Anderson-Lopez expressed that they were delighted to hear Menzel and Bell sing together in perfect harmony. Lee highlighted that "they sang it like sisters, capturing the emotions of what you mean to me, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house after their performance".
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 costume designs were shifted to the 1840s for a more classical fairy tale appearance. The designers focused keenly on fine details, intricately replicating the unique properties of various materials. Their designs featured elaborate embroidery and rosemaling depictions, balancing bold color choices with distinctly clear shapes. They adhered to the traditional Norwegian style by predominantly using wool fabric. and velvet, linen, and silk as accents. Wool, being less reflective, served as an ideal base for the vibrant colors. The designers aimed for a stylized setting 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 follows snowflake patterns but on a larger scale. Her growth of the ice is characterized by a melodic and rhythmic pattern, which gives it a unique and magical appearance. Similarly, 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. 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
The animation process involves careful management of 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 aimed to infuse the film with stylized animation designs reminiscent of Disney classics like One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), Sleeping Beauty (1959), the traditional Disney Little Golden Books, and midcentury American design. He also emphasized the importance of 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. Achieving believability is challenging 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 created realistic icicles, determined its edge hardness for correct lighting, and avoided a rubbery appearance. Elsa's outfits 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.
Animating the Norwegian-based costumes was challenging due to their intricate designs. This was amplified by the increased number of cloth rigs compared to previous Disney CGI films, resulting in sophisticated and realistic clothing for every character. The costumes used digital pattern-making techniques and real-world fabric properties, ensuring that their on-screen behavior closely resembled that of real life. 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 culturally appropriate 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 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, making him feel like he belongs in the scene.
Music and sound design
The songs for Frozen were composed the Lopezs, a husband-and-wife team known for their work with Disney Animation and Disney Parks. 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 music was a meticulous and collaborative process. The songwriters, Lopez and Anderson-Lopez, worked remotely from New York City, engaging in frequent transcontinental videoconferences with the Burbank production team. They composed 25 songs, but only eight made it into the final version, with one having a reprise and another being covered by Demi Lovato in the credits. The songs were recorded as demos in their home studio, and then discussed in videoconferences.
In addition to songs, the film featured a score by Christophe Beck, who incorporated regional instruments and vocal techniques inspired by Norwegian and Sámi cultures. The orchestral recordings that took place on the Warner Bros. lot, blend seamlessly with the songs. 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
Frozen is interpreted by scholars as a critique of traditional gender norms and societal expectations. Fariha Laili said that the film promotes feminism and challenges traditional 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. Elsa discards the gloves her parents gave her to obstruct her powers, and she replaces her old modest attire with a more alluring look of thigh-high slit dress and silver-white high heels. Slate critic Dana Stevens said Elsa's transformation in "Let it Go" signifies her liberation and confidence, with the discarding of her gloves symbolizing her surging sense of empowerment.
Eve Benhamou and Monica Topalović said that despite the emphasis on feminism, Frozen conveys a conflicted message about traditional gender binaries. Elsa's parents exert patriarchal control over her by concealing and obstructing her powers. Although she experiences a powerful moment of freedom and agency in "Let It Go", it is short-lived; she defends herself from attackers using her powers in a subdued way and is halted when she becomes too threatening. Topalović suggested that Elsa's parents' patriarchal control over her powerful abilities symbolizes society's apprehension toward strong women. He said that while the story actively promotes feminism, some part of it still suggests that women require saving. Madeline Streiff and Lauren Dundes said Frozen conveys a limited message for young girls about feminism and heterosexual romance. Elsa's powers symbolize her dominance and threat to male characters, while her lack of romantic pursuits reflects societal double standards of women's sexuality. In "Let it Go", Stevens pointed out the limited portrayal of female self-actualization, 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 into a glamorous ice queen differs in that it is not aimed at impressing a romantic interest, and she remains without a romantic prospect by the end of the film.
Several scholars said Frozen defies 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 pointed out biases in Frozen portrayal of female and male homosexuality. Elsa transforms from a constrained individual to a confident and sexualized one in a way that empathizes the erotic aspects of femininity, while 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 have subtly resonated with queer children by featuring protagonists who defy societal norms, rejecting traditional ideas of marriage. These characters often find 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 including the instant and inevitable "true love", "happily-ever-after", the prince and a princess's "true love's kiss", and fulfillment through marriage tropes. Hans reveals himself as a villain who approaches Anna for personal gains rather than true love. The empowered, independent Elsa does not need a prince to give her a so-called happily ever after life. Anna selflessly saves Elsa instead of a prince saving her with a true kiss. Unlike the traditional passive princess narrative where a princess's fulfillment comes through marriage, Frozen emphasizes the sisterly bonds over heterosexual romance. It conveys the separation and confinement between Anna and Elsa and Elsa's fear of hurting others, especially Anna. While they follow the tradition of the trapped princess narrative, their character arcs add complexity to the themes of restraint and freedom. Anna is open and eager to explore the world, while Elsa seeks security 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, while Elsa remains confined and distant. Anna's deepest desire to be close to her sister establishes a poignant emotional connection for the audience. 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. However, 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 that the song capitalized on these themes, mirroring motivations seen in previous Disney films. This intentional emphasis leads viewers to believe that the film is setting up expectations for a typical Disney narrative. However, the song subverts these expectations later in the film when Anna's desire for romantic love becomes secondary to her profound longing to be reunited with Elsa.
Marketing and release
Frozen anticipation built with previews of the songs "Let It Go" and "In Summer" at the 2013 D23 Expo, where Idina Menzel performed "Let It Go" live. Disney parks, including Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Epcot, and Disneyland Paris, 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, available in Disney Stores and other retailers. A teaser trailer was released on June 18, 2013, followed by the official trailer on September 26, 2013. In Variety, Peter Debruge wrote that the teaser failed to charm and achieve its intended impact of presenting an engaging, self-contained scene that introduced the characters and tone without delving into the plot.
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's premiere was 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 between August 4 to 17, 2023 in selected Cinemark theaters across the US, as well as the United Kingdom between 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. A 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version was released in 2019.
Frozen home media release became a massive success. It sold 3.2 million units on its first day, setting records as 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 1.45 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, setting records for fastest-selling home video and highest number of units sold in the first day and week. By the end of 2014, it earned $308,026,545 in total US home media sales and had sold over 18 million units by March 2015. As of July 2018, Frozen remained the biggest-selling Blu-ray in the US, with over 7.5 million units sold, narrowly surpassing Avatar (2009).
Lawsuit against Phase 4 Films
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 release. 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 Canada and $883.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.285 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, the highest-grossing 2013 film, the third highest-grossing Walt Disney Pictures release, and the eighth-highest-grossing film distributed by Disney. The film earned $110.6 million worldwide in its opening weekend. On March 2, 2014, its one hundred and first day of release, it surpassed the $1 billion mark, becoming the eighteenth film in cinematic history, the seventh Disney-distributed film, the fifth non-sequel film, the second Disney-distributed film in 2013 (after Iron Man 3), and the first animated film since Toy Story 3 (2010) to do so.
Bloomberg Business reported in March 2014 that analysts had projected the film's total cost at somewhere around $323 million to $350 million for production, marketing, and distribution, and had also projected that the film would generate $1.3 billion in revenue from box office ticket sales, digital downloads, discs, and television rights.
North America
Upon its release, Frozen quickly became a major success. It broke records as Fandango's top advance ticket seller among original animated films and later became the top-selling animated film in the company's history. The sing-along version of the film also dominated ticket sales. After its limited release at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, it earned substantial amounts, setting records for pre-Thanksgiving Wednesday openings. When it opened wide, the film made $67.4 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 records for three-day and five-day Thanksgiving grosses among films released during the holiday season.
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 the 1999's Toy Story 2 ($27.8 million). Frozen became the first film since Avatar to reach first place in its sixth weekend of wide release. It remained in the top ten at the box office 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. On April 25, 2014, Frozen became the nineteenth film to gross $400 million in North America and the fifteenth to do so without a major re-release.
In North America, Frozen is the twenty-sixth-highest-grossing film, the third-highest-grossing 2013 film, the fifth-highest-grossing animated film, the highest-grossing 2013 animated film, the twelfth-highest-grossing 3-D film, and the second-highest-grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios 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 North America.
Outside North America
Frozen is the fifth-highest-grossing film, the highest-grossing animated film, and the highest-grossing 2013 film. It is the highest-grossing animated film in South Korea, Denmark, and Venezuela. It is also the highest-grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios film in more than 45 territories, including the Latin America region (specifically in Mexico and Brazil), the UK, Ireland, and Malta, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Ukraine, Norway, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and China.
The film made its debut outside North America on the same weekend as its wide North American release and earned $16.7 million from sixteen markets. It topped the box office outside North America 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 and the CIS ($11.9 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 $9.73 million). It set an opening weekend record among animated films in Sweden. In total earnings, the film's top market after North America is Japan ($247.6 million), followed by South Korea ($76.6 million) and the UK, Ireland and Malta ($65.7 million). In South Korea, Frozen is the second-largest foreign film both in terms of attendance and gross, the largest Disney release 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 imported 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. Since its release, several publications have named Frozen as one of the best animated films ever made.
Frozen emotional depth and innovative storytelling were praised. Critics said that the film's visually stunning 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, captivating songs, and compelling storytelling. The Telegraph said its nostalgic and forward-thinking storytelling embraced classic Disney elements while emphasizing the strong bond between the sisters, and The Guardian called it a testament to Disney's enduring magic. Others described Frozen's compelling narrative and animation as Disney's resurgence to the modern animated music genre, which is marked by the departure from traditional princess film conventions, emphasizing sisterly loyalty and love over romantic attachment.
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, which through its engaging characters, humor, and catchy songs, convey a strong message about embracing one's abilities and inner strength. In The New York Times, Stephen Holden said that it challenges the traditional Disney princess formula with unconventional characters and a more complex, empowering storyline. He praised the coherent storytelling and visually captivating scenes and described it as a dreamlike world of snow and ice.
Despite the emphasis on its compelling story, publications including The Seattle Times and Variety argued 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, Christy Lemire said that it conveys a somewhat conflicted message, and its attempt to subvert traditional Disney princess conventions and promote feminism seem somewhat cynical. Empire criticized the sidelining of strong female characters for a male supporting cast with the primary comedy source comes from the interactions between male characters. Reviewers for The Austin Chronicle and The Globe and Mail cited the perceived 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. However, a Lee and a Disney spokesperson clarified that DiSalvo's comment was misunderstood, explaining it was about technical aspects of CGI animation, not comparing animating male and female characters. Lee stated that DiSalvo was discussing technical challenges in CGI animation, and she emphasized that gender was not the issue. DiSalvo later confirmed such, expressing frustration over the misinformation online; 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 phenomenon of coming out of the closet. 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 themes 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
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. This made 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
In early 2014, many children in the US and the UK became captivated by Frozen to an extraordinary extent. They watched the film repeatedly, memorizing all the songs and singing them incessantly, causing some distress to parents, teachers, and classmates. This phenomenon was noted by various journalists and even prominent figures like former UK prime minister David Cameron and actors Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, and Vince Vaughn, who found themselves dealing with their children's Frozen obsession. Frozen immense success 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 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 this 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 strong female characters to inspire her daughter, who faced bullying, drawing parallels to the resilience of Frozen 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 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 siblings. 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. It 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. Frozen was the second-most illegally downloaded film title of 2014 via BitTorrent, with approximately 30 million downloads.
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.
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
External links
2010s American animated films
2010s English-language films
2010s musical fantasy films
2013 3D films
2013 computer-animated films
2013 directorial debut films
2013 fantasy films
3D animated films
American 3D films
American animated fantasy films
American animated feature films
American children's animated drama films
American computer-animated films
American musical fantasy films
Animated films about princesses
Animated films about sisters
Animated films about trolls
Animated films based on The Snow Queen
Animated films set in castles
Animated films set in palaces
Animated films set in Scandinavia
Animated films set in the 1840s
Animated musical films
Best Animated Feature Academy Award winners
Best Animated Feature Annie Award winners
Best Animated Feature BAFTA winners
Best Animated Feature Broadcast Film Critics Association Award winners
Best Animated Feature Film Golden Globe winners
Disney and LGBT
Disney controversies
Film controversies in the United States
Films about curses
Films directed by Chris Buck
Films directed by Jennifer Lee (filmmaker)
Films produced by Peter Del Vecho
Films scored by Christophe Beck
Films that won the Best Original Song Academy Award
Films with screenplays by Jennifer Lee (filmmaker)
Frozen (franchise) mass media
LGBT-related controversies in animation
LGBT-related controversies in film
Walt Disney Animation Studios films
Walt Disney Pictures animated films