''Frozen 2'' (stylized as ''Frozen II'') is a 2019 American
computer-animated musical fantasy film produced by
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fro ...
and distributed by
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It ha ...
. The
58th animated film produced by the studio, it is the sequel to ''
Frozen'' (2013). The film was directed by
Chris Buck
Christopher James Buck (born February 24, 1958) is an American film director, animator, and screenwriter known for co-directing '' Tarzan'' (1999), '' Surf's Up'' (2007) (which was nominated for the 2007 Oscar for Best Animated Feature), '' F ...
and
Jennifer Lee, produced by
Peter Del Vecho
Peter Del Vecho (born April 6, 1958) is a film producer at Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he is also senior vice president of production. He is best known for producing '' Frozen'' and ''Frozen II'' together with directors Chris Buck and J ...
, and written by Lee, Buck, Marc Smith,
Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Kristen Anderson-Lopez (born March 21, 1972) is an American songwriter and lyricist known for co-writing the songs for the 2013 computer-animated musical film '' Frozen'' and its 2019 sequel '' Frozen II'' with her husband Robert Lopez. The coup ...
, and
Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez (born February 23, 1975) is an American songwriter for musicals, best known for co-creating ''The Book of Mormon'' and ''Avenue Q'', and for co-writing the songs featured in the Disney computer-animated films '' Frozen'', its seque ...
. It stars the voices of
Kristen Bell
Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. Beginning her acting career by starring in stage productions while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, she made her Broadway stage debut as Becky That ...
,
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on the Broadway stage and having achieved mainstream success across stage, film and music, Menzel has garnered the honori ...
,
Josh Gad
Joshua Ilan Gad (born February 23, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Olaf in the '' Frozen'' franchise, playing Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical '' The Book of Mormon'', and playing Le Fou in the live-action ada ...
, and
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Drew Groff (born March 26, 1985) is an American actor and singer . He began his career on Broadway, rising to prominence for his portrayal of Melchior Gabor in the original production of '' Spring Awakening'' (2006-2008), for which h ...
. Set three years after the first film, ''Frozen II'' follows sisters
Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...
and
Elsa,
Kristoff, his reindeer
Sven
Sven (in Danish language, Danish and Norwegian language, Norwegian, also Svend and also in Norwegian most commonly Svein) is a Scandinavian first name which is also used in the Low Countries and German-speaking countries. The name itself is Old ...
, and the snowman
Olaf
Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" a ...
as they travel to an
enchanted forest
In folklore and fantasy, an enchanted forest is a forest under, or containing, enchantments. Such forests are described in the oldest folklore from regions where forests are common, and occur throughout the centuries to modern works of fantasy. ...
to unravel the origin of Elsa's
magical power.
The film was
green-lit
To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead".
Film industry
In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...
in March 2015 after a company debate about whether it would be perceived as inferior to the original. It used more-complex, enhanced animation technology than ''Frozen'', and was an interdepartmental collaboration. Anderson-Lopez and Lopez returned as the film's songwriters, and
Christophe Beck
Jean-Christophe Beck (born November 30, 1972) is a Canadian television and film score composer and conductor. He is a brother of pianist Chilly Gonzales. He is best known for his collaborations with Disney and its subsidiaries, which include co ...
again composed the score. The film was translated into 46 languages and was accompanied by ''
Into the Unknown: Making Frozen II'', a documentary series.
''Frozen II'' premiered at the
Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on November 7, 2019, and was released in the United States on November 22. The film received generally positive reviews for its craftsmanship, delivery, and themes; its narrative and focus drew some criticism, and the music had a mixed reaction. ''Frozen II'' earned $1.450billion worldwide, finishing its theatrical run as the
third highest-grossing film of 2019, the
tenth highest-grossing film of all time, and the
second highest-grossing animated film of all time. It had the
highest-grossing worldwide opening of all time for an animated film. ''Frozen II'' received a nomination for
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
at the
92nd Academy Awards
The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 2019 and took place on February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, beginning at 5:00 p ...
, among
numerous other accolades.
Plot
King Agnarr of Arendelle tells his daughters
Elsa and
Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...
that their grandfather, King Runeard, forged a
treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pe ...
with the neighboring tribe of Northuldra by building a dam in the Enchanted Forest (their homeland). A fight occurred, resulting in Runeard's death and enraging the forest's
classical elements of
earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
,
fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products.
At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames a ...
,
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...
, and
air
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
. The elements disappeared, and a wall of mist trapped everyone in the forest; Agnarr barely escaped, helped by an unknown savior.
Three years after her coronation, Elsa celebrates autumn in the kingdom with Anna, the snowman
Olaf
Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" a ...
, the
iceman Kristoff, and Kristoff's reindeer
Sven
Sven (in Danish language, Danish and Norwegian language, Norwegian, also Svend and also in Norwegian most commonly Svein) is a Scandinavian first name which is also used in the Low Countries and German-speaking countries. The name itself is Old ...
. One night, Elsa hears a mysterious voice calling her. She follows it, unintentionally awakening the elemental spirits and forcing everyone in the kingdom to evacuate. The Rock Troll colony arrives, and Grand Pabbie tells them that Elsa and the others must set things right by uncovering the truth about the past. Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven follow the mysterious voice, and travel to the Enchanted Forest. The mist parts at Elsa's touch, while the air spirit appears as a
tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
, catching everyone in its vortex before Elsa stops it by forming ice sculptures. She and Anna discover that the sculptures are images from their father's past, and encounter the Northuldra and a troop of Arendellian soldiers who are still in conflict with one another. When the fire spirit appears, Elsa discovers that it is an agitated magical
salamander
Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...
and calms it. Elsa and Anna arrange a truce between the soldiers and the Northuldra after discovering that their mother, Queen Iduna, was a Northuldran who had saved Agnarr (an Arendellian). They later learn about a fifth spirit, who will unite the people with the magic of nature.
Elsa, Anna, and Olaf continue north, leaving Kristoff and Sven behind. They find their parents' wrecked ship and a map with a route to Ahtohallan, a mythical river said to explain the past. Elsa sends Anna and Olaf to safety and continues alone. She encounters and tames the
Nøkk, the water spirit who guards the sea to Ahtohallan. Elsa discovers that the voice calling to her is the memory of young Iduna's call; her powers are a gift from nature because of Iduna's selfless saving of Agnarr, and Elsa is the fifth spirit. She learns that the dam was built as a ruse to reduce Northuldran resources, because of Runeard's contempt for the tribe's connection with magic and his intention to eliminate them and incorporate their region into the kingdom. Elsa learns that Runeard began the conflict by murdering the unarmed Northuldran leader in cold blood. She sends this information to Anna before she becomes frozen (causing Olaf to fade away) when she ventures into the most dangerous part of Ahtohallan.
Upon discovering the truth, Anna concludes that the dam must be destroyed for peace to be restored. She awakens the earth giant ''
Jötunn
A (also jotun; in the normalised scholarly spelling of Old Norse, ; ; plural / ) or, in Old English, (plural ) is a type of supernatural being in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, they are often contrasted with gods ( Æsir and Vani ...
'', and lures them towards the dam. The giants hurl boulders, destroying the dam and sending a flood down the
fjord
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Förden and East Jutland Fjorde, Germany, ...
towards the kingdom. Elsa is released and rides the water spirit to Arendelle, where she freezes the flood and saves the kingdom. As the mist disappears, she rejoins Anna and revives Olaf. Anna accepts Kristoff's marriage proposal. Elsa explains that she and Anna are the bridge between the people and the magical spirits. Anna then becomes Queen of Arendelle; Elsa becomes the protector of the Enchanted Forest, who visits Arendelle since peace has been restored. In a
post-credits scene
A post-credits scene (commonly referred to as a stinger or credit cookie) or mid-credits scene is a short clip that appears after all or some of the closing credits have rolled and sometimes after a production logo of a film, TV series, or video g ...
, Olaf visits Elsa's ice palace and recounts the events to Marshmallow (a snow monster created by Elsa as palace guard) and the Snowgies, miniature snowmen inadvertently generated by Elsa on Anna's nineteenth birthday.
Thematic analysis
![Barren ground caribou grazing with autumn foliage in background](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Barren_ground_caribou_grazing_with_autumn_foliage_in_background.jpg)
The indigenous
Sámi people
The Sámi ( ; also spelled Sami or Saami) are a Finno-Ugric-speaking people inhabiting the region of Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland), which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Murmansk Oblast, Ru ...
were historically associated with reindeer, and identified with the animals' strength. Trude Fonneland wrote that a female divinity emphasized female contributions with themes including unity, courage, hope, friendship, and truth. Elsa attempted to send Anna away because she was concerned about her sister's safety.
In animation, female characters embody female images as a whole. The film's female characters are emotionally diverse, motivated by
social status and awakening of
feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
. The elegant, noble Elsa wants to be free and live a normal life, and Anna is dreamy, cheerful and enthusiastic; both acted to defend their kingdom from danger.
''Frozen II'' has been interpreted as a critique of
colonialism
Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colony, colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose the ...
and as advocating
reparation.
Before Elsa and Anna were born, their grandfather King Runeard built a dam for the Northuldra tribe. Ostensibly a gift, the dam weakens the tribe's magical power. Runeard's plot fails after he murders the leader of Northuldra and war breaks out. The forest spirits which preside over Northuldra shroud it in an impenetrable mist, preventing anyone from leaving or entering.
The Northuldra are modeled on the Sámi people, indigenous to Scandinavia and northwestern Russia, who experienced discrimination as pagans reputed to be skilled in magic and witchcraft. In 1609, King
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian mon ...
wrote that the Sámi were adept at magic, and no mercy should be granted in cases involving Sámi sorcery. Nordic missionaries confiscated or destroyed religious items and sites and built churches to supplant
Sámi shamanism
Traditional Sámi spiritual practices and beliefs are based on a type of animism, polytheism, and what anthropologists may consider shamanism. The religious traditions can vary considerably from region to region within Sápmi.
Traditional Sám ...
.
![Altakraftverket, Norge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Altakraftverket%2C_Norge.jpg)
The Northuldra dam reflects Sámi history. A
hydroelectric power station
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
was built on the
Altaelva
Altaelva ( en, Alta River; sme, Álttáeatnu; fkv, Alattionjoki) is the third-longest river in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The river begins in the mountains and lakes in Kautokeino Municipality, near the border with Troms og Finnmark ...
river in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
from 1979 to 1981; the
controversial
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...
Virdnejávr Dam flooded a Sámi village, disrupting traditional hunting and herding.
''Slate'' critic Inkoo Kang said that although ''Frozen II'' was obviously influenced by Sámi history, the Northuldra may also be interpreted as representing displaced Native Americans; Arendelle can be seen as representing the United States' colonial past, evocative of the embellished life of
Pocahontas
Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...
.
The Northuldra are presented in an appealing way,
romanticized as a people with magical power who live in harmony with the spiritual and physical worlds.
While Elsa attempts to find out who was calling her, Anna destroys the dam to make amends to the Northuldra for Arendelle's mistakes. Elsa's last-minute intervention prevents the destruction of the kingdom, but Anna destroys the dam in the belief that Elsa is dead. According to Kang, the film promotes reparations for past atrocities.
Matt Goldberg wrote that the symbolism of the film's ending is undercut by having Elsa save Arendelle, instead of rebuilding the kingdom elsewhere.
Racial issues in ''Frozen II'' are mitigated by making Elsa and Anna half Northuldran, and their mother is depicted as a heroine who saved their father (King Agnarr) from death during the battle.
Jennifer Baldwin described ''Frozen II'' as a film about trauma, transformation, and faith communities' more-active role in environmental repair. Environmental trauma is caused by the dam, which weakens the elemental spirits. Olaf describes the forest as a place of transformation, including venturing into the unknown, befriending the spirits and the indigenous Northuldra, and confronting trauma. Elsa gains the trust of the spirits, each leading her closer to the truth and her transformation into one of the elements. Anna employs the giants (symbolic of the earth) to break the dam (symbolic of trauma and mistrust) and gains her own strength, independent of her relationship with Elsa. According to Baldwin, this encourages the audience to adopt more sustainable practices, make amends, and work together to preserve the natural world. The film can introduce young children to environmental issues, such as climate change.
Sociologist Lauren Dundes describes Elsa's relationship with the mythological horse Nøkk and concludes that "her skills as a horse whisperer do not threaten men's ascendancy ... These themes show how Disney balked at modernizing Elsa, retreating to outdated conceptions of gender roles". According to Tia Aprilianti Putri, the film's female characters were uniquely heroic or villainous. Nia Kurniawati wrote that ''Frozen II'' feminist message was subtle and realistic.
Voice cast
*
Kristen Bell
Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. Beginning her acting career by starring in stage productions while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, she made her Broadway stage debut as Becky That ...
as
Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...
, princess of Arendelle and Elsa's younger sister, who becomes queen of Arendelle after Elsa's
abdication
Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of duty, in other societ ...
** Hadley Gannaway and Livvy Stubenrauch as young Anna
*
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on the Broadway stage and having achieved mainstream success across stage, film and music, Menzel has garnered the honori ...
as
Elsa, former queen of Arendelle and Anna's older sister, who has magical ice powers
**
Mattea Conforti
Mattea Marie Conforti (born May 22, 2006) is an American actress. She made her debut as a replacement for the titular character in '' Matilda the Musical'' in 2015. In the same year, Conforti made her film debut playing a minor role in '' 3 Gene ...
and
Eva Bella as young Elsa
*
Josh Gad
Joshua Ilan Gad (born February 23, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Olaf in the '' Frozen'' franchise, playing Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical '' The Book of Mormon'', and playing Le Fou in the live-action ada ...
as
Olaf
Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" a ...
, a snowman created by Elsa
*
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Drew Groff (born March 26, 1985) is an American actor and singer . He began his career on Broadway, rising to prominence for his portrayal of Melchior Gabor in the original production of '' Spring Awakening'' (2006-2008), for which h ...
as
Kristoff, an ice harvester and Anna's boyfriend.
Groff also voices
Sven
Sven (in Danish language, Danish and Norwegian language, Norwegian, also Svend and also in Norwegian most commonly Svein) is a Scandinavian first name which is also used in the Low Countries and German-speaking countries. The name itself is Old ...
, Kristoff's reindeer and several other reindeers
''Frozen II'' also features
Martha Plimpton
Martha Plimpton (born November 16, 1970) is an American actress. Her feature-film debut was in '' Rollover'' (1981); she subsequently rose to prominence in the Richard Donner film ''The Goonies'' (1985). She has also appeared in '' The Mosquito ...
as the Northuldra chief Yelena
and
Sterling K. Brown as the Arendelle lieutenant Mattias.
Jason Ritter
Jason Morgan Ritter (born February 17, 1980) is an American actor and producer. He is known for his roles as Kevin Girardi in the television series ''Joan of Arcadia'', Ethan Haas in '' The Class'', Sean Walker in the NBC series '' The Event'', ...
voices Ryder, a member of Northuldra; and
Rachel Matthews
Rachel Lynn Matthews (born October 25, 1993) is an American actress. She is known for starring in the film ''Happy Death Day'' and its sequel, ''Happy Death Day 2U''.
Early life and career
A native of Los Angeles, Matthews was born in 1993, the ...
voices Honeymaren, Ryder's sister who also resides in the Enchanted Forest.
Evan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood (born September 7, 1987) is an American actress and activist. She is the recipient of a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations for her work ...
voices Iduna (Elsa and Anna's mother), and Delaney Rose Stein voices the young Iduna.
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British-American actor known for his work on the stage and screen. He first rose to prominence in the West End, earning a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Pla ...
voices Agnarr (Elsa and Anna's father), and Jackson Stein voices young Agnarr.
Jeremy Sisto
Jeremy Merton Sisto (born October 6, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Billy Chenowith in HBO's '' Six Feet Under'', NYPD Detective Cyrus Lupo in NBC's ''Law & Order'', George Altman in the ABC sitcom '' Suburgatory'', ...
voices Runeard
(Agnarr's father and Elsa and Anna's grandfather);
Ciarán Hinds
Ciarán Hinds (; born 9 February 1953) is an Irish actor. Born in Belfast, Hinds is known for a range of screen and stage roles. He has starred in feature films including '' The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover'' (1989), '' Persuasion'' (1 ...
voices the Rock Troll head Pabbie; and
Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
is "the voice" (a call to Elsa).
Alan Tudyk
Alan Wray Tudyk ( ;; born March 16, 1971) is an American actor. His film work includes roles in '' 28 Days'' with Sandra Bullock (2000), ''A Knight's Tale'' with Heath Ledger (2001), '' Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story'' with Vince Vaughn (2004 ...
voices a guard, a Northuldran leader, and an Arendellian soldier.
Paul Briggs reprised his role in the post-credits scene as Marshmallow, a snow monster created by Elsa.
Production
Conception
![Frozen premier](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Frozen_premier.jpg)
Producer
Peter Del Vecho
Peter Del Vecho (born April 6, 1958) is a film producer at Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he is also senior vice president of production. He is best known for producing '' Frozen'' and ''Frozen II'' together with directors Chris Buck and J ...
said on March 31, 2014, that he,
Chris Buck
Christopher James Buck (born February 24, 1958) is an American film director, animator, and screenwriter known for co-directing '' Tarzan'' (1999), '' Surf's Up'' (2007) (which was nominated for the 2007 Oscar for Best Animated Feature), '' F ...
, and
Jennifer Lee collaborated well, and he envisioned another ''Frozen''-related project.
The following month,
Walt Disney Studios chairman
Alan F. Horn said that a sequel would not be immediately forthcoming because the studio was focusing on a
Broadway musical adaptation of ''Frozen''. In a May 2014
CNBC
CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk sho ...
interview with
David Faber, Disney CEO
Bob Iger said that the company would not force the development of a sequel, because it was concerned about not living up to the first film. Iger said that the ''
Frozen'' franchise "is something that is kind of forever for the company", similar to ''
The Lion King
''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance ...
''.
On June 10, 2014, Lee confirmed that Walt Disney Studios
CCO John Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter (; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, voice actor, and the head of animation at Skydance Animation. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios ...
had authorized her and Buck to explore a possible sequel.
While working on the short film ''
Frozen Fever
''Frozen Fever'' is a 2015 American computer-animated musical fantasy short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. A follow-up to the 2013 feature film '' Frozen'', the short follows Elsa as she at ...
'' (2015), they realized that they missed the characters. Meanwhile, Del Vecho had been asked by fans about ''Frozen'' future. Lee, Buck, and Del Vecho discussed the possibility of a sequel.
Buck later said, "The one thing that we did right away was to figure out what would be satisfying for Anna and Elsa at the end of the movie."
They decided on ending the sequel with Anna becoming the queen of Arendelle, while Elsa would be "free".
Development
Iger, Lasseter, and actor
Josh Gad
Joshua Ilan Gad (born February 23, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Olaf in the '' Frozen'' franchise, playing Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical '' The Book of Mormon'', and playing Le Fou in the live-action ada ...
announced at Disney's March 12, 2015, annual shareholders' meeting in San Francisco that ''Frozen II'', a full-length sequel, was in development; Buck and Lee would return as directors, and Del Vecho as producer.
The production team traveled to Norway; Finland; and Iceland for background research;
they decided to make Elsa a "
mythic hero" with magic ice powers and Anna a "
fairytale
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cul ...
hero" who lives in a magical world but has no magic powers. They concluded that the first film successfully combined the two elements.
Allison Schroeder
Allison Schroeder is an American screenwriter. She co-wrote the film ''Hidden Figures'' with Theodore Melfi, earning a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Early and personal life
Schroeder graduated from Melbourne High ...
was hired to assist Lee with the script in August 2018 after Lee succeeded Lasseter as Disney Animation's CCO;
Lee was credited as the film's screenwriter, and Schroeder was credited with additional screenplay material.
The film's story contributions were made by Lee, Buck, Marc Smith,
Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Kristen Anderson-Lopez (born March 21, 1972) is an American songwriter and lyricist known for co-writing the songs for the 2013 computer-animated musical film '' Frozen'' and its 2019 sequel '' Frozen II'' with her husband Robert Lopez. The coup ...
, and
Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez (born February 23, 1975) is an American songwriter for musicals, best known for co-creating ''The Book of Mormon'' and ''Avenue Q'', and for co-writing the songs featured in the Disney computer-animated films '' Frozen'', its seque ...
.
Overall, the budget was approximately $150million.
Voice recording began in September 2017, although Menzel started a couple of weeks later due to a concert tour. That month, Gad announced his role in the sequel with Buck, Lee, Del Vecho, and Lasseter.
In July 2018, ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' reported that Wood and Brown were in talks to join the cast. Their roles were later disclosed as Iduna
and Lieutenant Destin Mattias. Wood was cast because her voice resembled Menzel and Bell's.
The voice of Agnarr was changed from
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
to Molina.
The Voice's four-note call, derived from the Latin
sequence
In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is calle ...
"
Dies irae", is delivered in a manner resembling the Scandinavian music form
kulning
Kulning or herding calls is a domestic Scandinavian music form, often used to call livestock (cows, goats, etc.) down from high mountain pastures where they have been grazing during the day. It is possible that the sound also serves to scare away ...
.
''Frozen II'' first completed scenes were
shown at the
Annecy International Animated Film Festival
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (french: Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of J ...
in June 2019, where
Becky Bresee and effects-animation head Marlon West said that the film was "still in production, with seven weeks of animation to be completed and 10 weeks of special effects". The filmmakers collaborated with Sámi experts on the depiction of the Northuldra tribe with Verdett, an advisory group which was the result of an agreement between the Walt Disney Company, the transnational
Saami Council
The Saami Council ( se, Sámiráđđi; smj, Sámeráde; sma, Saemienraerie; smn, Sämirääđi; sms, Sääʹmsuåvtõs; sjd, Са̄мь Соббар; sje, Sámerárre) is a voluntary, non-governmental organization of the Sámi people made u ...
, and the
Sámi parliaments of Finland,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
, and
Sweden. Anderson-Lopez confirmed that Elsa would have no female love interest in the film, despite some fans' desire for one. Lee later explained to ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' reporter
Maureen Dowd
Maureen Brigid Dowd (; born January 14, 1952) is an American columnist for ''The New York Times'' and an author.
During the 1970s and early 1980s, Dowd worked for ''The Washington Star'' and ''Time'', writing news, sports and feature articles. ...
that Elsa's main audience did not seem ready for such a relationship.
Lee said in a press conference that ''Frozen II'' would not acquire elements from the television series ''
Once Upon a Time
"Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in t ...
''s non-canonical ''Frozen'' storyline:
''Frozen II'' underwent significant revisions after its first test screening in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...
; Disney Animation discovered that although adults liked the film, children found it hard to follow. The production team realized they needed to clarify the identity of the Voice and the point of Elsa's transformation, and add more comedy and shots of Bruni (the fire salamander). A scene of
expository dialogue in which the lead characters explained to the people trapped in the Enchanted Forest why they had come there was replaced with Olaf's humorous recap of ''Frozen''. Due to the changes, the animators needed to create 61 new shots and redo another 35. An undisclosed number of shots were cut from the finished film; about a dozen animators and artists worked for two months on an elaborate resurrection scene for Olaf before it was cut.
The last major animation scene completed before the production team
locked the picture was "
Show Yourself", the musical number in which Elsa enters Ahtohallan and learns all the secrets she has been seeking. According to Del Vecho, the scene "required all of the resources at the studio" to get the film done on time.
Lopez said that the first draft of "Show Yourself" was very different from its final version.
Megan Harding directed an official documentary series on the production of ''Frozen II'', which depicted the process of Del Vecho and Lopez determining The Voice's identity. Once the production team settled on Queen Iduna, the lyrics of "Show Yourself" finally began to come together, but then the studio's artists, designers, and animators needed to quickly figure out how to stage the dramatic culmination of Elsa's journey towards becoming the Snow Queen.
The film was edited by
Jeff Draheim.
Animation
About 800 people, 80 of them animators, were involved in the production of ''Frozen II''.
Tony Smeed and Becky Bresee were the film's heads of animation;
Hyun-Min Lee replaced Bresee as supervising animator for Anna, while Wayne Unten again served as supervising animator for Elsa as he had done on ''Frozen''. Steve Golberg was the
supervising animator for visual effects.
Scott Beattie was the director of cinematography layout, while Mohit Kallianpur was the director of cinematography lighting.
''Frozen II'' made use of advancements in technology, artistic performance, and
skeletal animation
Skeletal animation or rigging is a technique in computer animation in which a character (or other articulated object) is represented in two parts: a surface representation used to draw the character (called the ''mesh'' or ''skin'') and a hierarc ...
.
Before the animation began, Unten showed scenes of superheroes like
Frozone
The following is a list of fictional characters from the 2004 Disney/Pixar computer-animated superhero film ''The Incredibles'' and its 2018 sequel ''Incredibles 2''.
The Parr Family (The Incredibles) Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible)
Robert "Bob" Pa ...
to Elsa's animators as examples of what to avoid.
Creating the personal flurry effect was so difficult for the animators that the directors had Elsa put a permafrost coating on Olaf in ''Frozen II'' instead. Elsa's graceful movements were modeled on ''Frozen'' and
modern dance
Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance which included dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th ...
, particularly
Martha Graham's work.
In accordance with Disney's preference for a different style for each film and the directors' and production designer's artistic vision, the multi-departmental animation team
was instructed to reconstruct the characters so they were slightly different in tone and style from ''Frozen''. They differed in "very subtle ways", with a "through line from the first movie to the second".
As well as making the Enchanted Forest vegetation autumnal, the effects team applied two internally developed applications (Vegetation Asset and Fire Tree) to enhance the film's vegetation and fire animation. Lighting and special effects were applied to glacial ice, spirit magic, and memory.
The first step for the animation team was to study the screenplay and understand the characters.
Blocking (creating key poses) was next, followed by
effects
Effect may refer to:
* A result or change of something
** List of effects
** Cause and effect, an idiom describing causality
Pharmacy and pharmacology
* Drug effect, a change resulting from the administration of a drug
** Therapeutic effect, a ...
and
layout
Layout may refer to:
* Page layout, the arrangement of visual elements on a page
** Comprehensive layout (comp), a proposed page layout presented by a designer to their client
* Layout (computing), the process of calculating the position of obj ...
.
Effects were proposed for layout before animation process to choreograph the dam-collapse scene. Although ''Frozen'' greatest difficulty for ''Frozen'' was the winter snow, ''Frozen II'' is set in fall; its main challenge was how to consistently depict the wind and "pass that downstream".
''Frozen II'' animation software was influenced by the software in several other Disney films. Anna's hair was animated with Quicksilver, developed for ''
Moana'' (2016) to deal with wind; for Elsa's hair, the lighting software
Beast was used. A vocal coach instructed the animators on how a singer would breathe. The animators then spent about eight months creating Nøkk, which has a liquid appearance, with effects supervised by Erin Ramos. ''Jötunns'' had ''a'' long rigging process to avoid making rocks distracting.
The water simulation was intended to be more realistic than in ''Moana''. To create Gale, the wind spirit, a tool called Swoop was developed. They later received real-time feedback from the supervisors, directors, and producer.
Design
Costume and character designs underwent several revisions before they were finalized. According to designer Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay, the process was the most intricate of any animated film. Technological advancements allowed the designer to create more-detailed outfits, with extra beads and sequins. The team used Marvelous Designer, a computer-generated imagery program, to drape each character's clothing.
Anna's outfit was inspired by the Norwegian folk
bunad
''Bunad'' (, plural: ''bunader''/''bunadar'') is a Norwegian umbrella term encompassing, in its broadest sense, a range of both traditional rural clothes (mostly dating to the 18th and 19th centuries) as well as modern 20th-century folk costume ...
, worn during the 1840s and 1850s. Typically made of wool, it had decorative embroidery. Anna lost the
pigtail
A woman with long pigtails and braids.
In the context of hairstyles, the usage of the term pigtail (or twin tail or twintail) shows considerable variation. The term may refer to a single braid, but is more frequently used in the plural ("pi ...
braid she had in ''Frozen'' because she is three years older in ''Frozen II'', and it was replaced by a
braid across the back of her head. Aging Elsa three years was inspired by artists
Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992, and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashio ...
and
Elie Saab
Elie Saab ( ar, إيلي صعب; born 4 July 1964) is a Lebanese fashion designer.
His main workshop is in Lebanon, with additional workshops in Milan and Paris. He started his business in the early 1980s and specialized in bridal couture (ex ...
. Saab's designs had long trains and cumbersome floor-length hemlines; the designers instead created a tailored coat with a double-panel cape and
epaulette
Epaulette (; also spelled epaulet) is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations. Flexible metal epaulettes (usually made from brass) are referred to as ''shoulder scales' ...
s, highlighting Elsa's strength.
The animation team used a curve-based method for the intricate
embroidery
Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen ...
. A program interpreted
two-dimensional
In mathematics, a plane is a Euclidean ( flat), two-dimensional surface that extends indefinitely. A plane is the two-dimensional analogue of a point (zero dimensions), a line (one dimension) and three-dimensional space. Planes can arise as ...
visual designs as line strokes,
rendering them as curves. This allowed quick changes, minimizing manual work during design modifications. It also supported free-form stitching with threads of various widths, colors, and densities, crucial to the production of a variety of embroidery styles.
Music
Lopez and Anderson-Lopez returned from ''Frozen'' to write songs for the sequel, and
Christophe Beck
Jean-Christophe Beck (born November 30, 1972) is a Canadian television and film score composer and conductor. He is a brother of pianist Chilly Gonzales. He is best known for his collaborations with Disney and its subsidiaries, which include co ...
returned as composer.
The soundtrack album was released on November 15, 2019, after the release of
Panic! at the Disco's version of one of the film's songs, "
Into the Unknown". The seven-song album also contains a remix of "
Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People" from ''Frozen''.
Beck said that the score conveys Elsa and Anna's emotional growth, "matured and introduc
ngmore sophisticated musical concepts and thematic elements". He wanted it to reflect the film's complex, intense imagery.
Anderson-Lopez described the album's theme as a "meta-story". Although Harding sent a camera crew to the Lopez home in Brooklyn to document their songwriting and composing,
the composers found the crew intrusive and did most of their work off-camera.
Marketing and release
Disney released the first trailer for ''Frozen II'' on February 13, 2019. Viewed 116.4million times in its first 24 hours, it was the second-
most-viewed animated film trailer in that time period. At the release of the preview poster, American astrophysicist
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson ( or ; born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University. From 1991 to 1994, he was a p ...
commented that "water crystals have hexagonal 'six-fold' symmetry" (shown correctly in ''Frozen'') but the poster had a four-sided snowflake. Lee replied that it was not really a snowflake; the four sides represented the four elemental spirits and its center represented Elsa, the fifth spirit. Disney partnered with 140 other brands worldwide to promote ''Frozen II'', the highest number of brands for a Disney animated film. They marketed ''Frozen II'' in the U.S. through internal and external partners, including
Enterprise Rent-A-Car,
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
, and
Lego.
To support the film's marketing campaign, the lead voice cast made several public and televised appearances; these included a "
Friendsgiving
Friendsgiving is a Thanksgiving-themed feast meal typically eaten prior to or instead of a family Thanksgiving dinner in the United States. Those gathering are typically a group of close friends, often millennials, although participations has broa ...
" stunt night on
ABC, introductions on ''
The Masked Singer
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', and a ''Women of Impact'' program on
Nat Geo Wild
National Geographic Wild (shortened as Nat Geo Wild and abbreviated NGW) is a global pay television network owned by National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (73%) and the National Geographic Society (27%). T ...
.
In November 2019, the lead voice cast's schedules were so full that Bell said: "Time
asnot there".
The 103-minute ''Frozen II'' premiered on November 7, 2019, at the
Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The film was originally scheduled for general release on November 27,
but it was moved up five days.
On January 17, 2020, a sing-along version of the film was released. It was
localized by
Disney Character Voices International
Disney Character Voices International, Inc. is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company with primary responsibility for the provision of translation and dubbing services for all Disney productions including those by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pi ...
into 45 languages by its original theatrical release date; ''Frozen'' had been translated into 41 languages. The success of ''Frozen'' localized versions led to the release of an album with all versions of "
Let It Go
"Let It Go" is a song from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney's 2013 computer-animated feature film ''Frozen (2013 film), Frozen'', whose music and lyrics were composed by husband-and-wife songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert L ...
", and ''Jikŋon 2'' (a
Northern Sami
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a ...
version) was released to honor the people's contributions.
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films, television series, an ...
released ''Frozen II'' for
digital download on February 11, 2020, and on
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
and
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
on February 25. At the same time, a
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD, UHD-BD, or 4K Blu-ray) is a digital optical disc data storage format that is an enhanced variant of Blu-ray. Ultra HD Blu-ray discs are incompatible with existing standard Blu-ray players, though a traditional Blu- ...
,
Ultimate Collector's Edition, and 4KUHD Blu-ray
steelbook
Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage.
Jewel case
...
edition was released. Special features include a
sing-along
Sing-along, also called community singing or group singing, is an event of singing together at gatherings or parties, less formally than choir singing. One can use a songbook. Common genres are folk songs, patriotic songs, kids' songs, spiritual ...
audio recording of the film, an
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
-based short film hosted by Olaf, and a presentation of the Nordic mythology on which the Enchanted Forest is based. It also contains a behind-the-scenes feature, child-friendly activities and contests, musical clips, 29 translated versions of "Into the Unknown", as well as deleted music and
scenes. The film, initially scheduled to premiere on
Disney+
Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
on June 26, 2020, was moved up to March 15 in the United States and March 17 in Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Documentary series
Megan Harding (who had directed a 2014 making-of ABC television special about ''Frozen'') reached out to Disney Animation about documenting the production of ''Frozen II''; with the company's cooperation, Harding, working with
Lincoln Square Productions
Walt Disney Television, formerly American Broadcasting Companies, Capital Cities/ABC and Disney-ABC Television Group has formed a number of production companies over the years. ABC Film Syndication, or ABC Films, was ABC's syndication distributi ...
, commuted from New York City to
Burbank, California and shot 1,300 hours of footage in 115 days between December 2018 and the November 2019 world premiere.
She edited the footage down to six episodes, about 35 to 45 minutes long.
Disney Animation knew that Harding intended to take a "fearless" and "honest look" at the filmmaking process; her crew was asked to leave only once,
when the production team wanted to decide the mysterious voice's identity.
The documentary series, ''
Into the Unknown: Making Frozen II'', was released on June 26, 2020.
Reception
Box office
''Frozen II'' earned $477.4million in the United States and Canada and $972.7million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.450billion.
It was the
third-highest-grossing film of 2019, the
tenth-highest-grossing film of all time, and the
second-highest-grossing animated film of all time. On December 15, 2019, ''Frozen II'' passed the $1billion mark at the global box office. ''
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, wit ...
'' calculated the film's net profit as $599million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it second on their list of 2019's "Most Valuable Blockbusters".
According to Disney (who did not consіder the
2019 ''Lion King'' remake an anіmated fіlm but a live-action reboot), ''Frozen II'' is the hіghest-grossing anіmated fіlm (surpassing ''Frozen''). ''Frozen II'' box-office success was attributed to its release date near
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...
. According to
Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian, the film was "perfectly positioned to play well into 2020."
The film was released with ''
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
''A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood'' is a 2019 American biographical drama film directed by Marielle Heller and written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, inspired by the 1998 article "Can You Say... Hero?" by Tom Junod, published in ...
'' and ''
21 Bridges'' on November 22, 2019, in 4,440 theaters:
2,500 in
3D, 800 in the premium large format (including 400 in
IMAX), and 235 in
D-Box/
4D.
''Frozen II'' earned $41.8million on its first day, including $8.5million from Thursday night previews.
The film debuted earning $130million, the highest opening for an animated film that month. Its second weekend earnings dropped by 34 percent to $85.6million (with a record $125million over the five-day
Thanksgiving weekend) and followed by another $34.7million the third weekend. By December 29, the film's domestic earnings topped $400million. ''Frozen II'' completed its theatrical run in the United States and Canada on March 19, 2020, as
the film industry became significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Worldwide, ''Frozen II'' earned $228.2million in its opening weekend in 37 markets, for a global debut total of $358.5million: the
highest for an animated title, surpassing the 2019 remake of ''The Lion King''.
It had the best all-time opening of an animated film in the United Kingdom ($17.8million) and France ($13.4million); the biggest start for a Pixar or Disney Animation title in China ($53million), Japan ($18.2million), Germany ($14.9million) and Spain ($5.8million), and the third-biggest opening of any film in South Korea ($31.5million).
The film earned $11.4million in its second week in the United Kingdom, bringing its total gross there to $35.3million. By January 5, 2020, the film's offshore gross had exceeded $875.3million. , its top international markets were Japan ($122.6million), China ($122.3million), South Korea ($95.5million), the United Kingdom ($69.7million), Germany ($60.6million), and France ($53.9million).
Critical response
''Frozen II'' has an approval rating of based on professional reviews on the
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, with an average rating of , lower than ''Frozen'' rating out of reviews. The former's critical consensus reads, "''Frozen II'' can't quite recapture the showstopping feel of its predecessor, but it remains a dazzling adventure into the unknown."
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
(which uses a weighted average) assigned ''Frozen II'' a score of 64 out of 100 score based on 47 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews", whereas ''Frozen'' received a higher 75 score out of 48 critics. Audiences polled by
CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of A− (lower than ''Frozen'' A+) on an A+ to F scale, and
PostTrak
PostTrak is a U.S.-based service that surveys film audiences for film studios.
History
The service conducts surveys in the top 20 markets in the U.S. and Canada with the use of polling cards and electronic kiosks. A PostTrak report for a film ...
rated it 4.5 out of five stars on the film's opening day.
Reviews were moderately positive, critics praising the film's craftsmanship, delivery, and themes. ''The New York Times'' critic Manohla Dargis called the narrative a "pink world of adventure and aspirational uplift", and
Nell Minow
Nell Minow is an American film reviewer and writer who writes and speaks frequently on film, media, and corporate governance and investing. Ms. Minow was named one of the 20 most influential people in corporate governance by Directorship magazine ...
of ''
RogerEbert.com'' noted its frank, compelling depiction of issues which were understandable by audiences of all ages. Dargis cited ''Frozen II'' engaging visual imagery, balanced by romance and history, and Minow noted the film's autumnal palette.
Peter Travers
Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
(''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''), Simran Hans (''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''), and
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy (born February 16, 1950) is an American film critic and author. He wrote for '' Variety'' for 31 years as its chief film critic until 2010. In October of that year, he joined ''The Hollywood Reporter'', where he subsequently served ...
(''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'') praised the film. Travers, who enjoyed reconnecting with the characters, called the animation stunning and referred to the music as "tantalizing earworms". Hans compared the film's narrative to real-world efforts to mitigate climate change. McCarthy praised its "catchy songs", "easy-to-like characters", and "astonishing backdrops", with humor and a plot driven by "female empowerment galore".
''Frozen II'' narrative, music, and focus were criticized. In ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', John Anderson noted that the sequel was not innovative and criticized the film's flawed narrative and low-quality music in comparison with ''Frozen''.
In an ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' review, Ben Travis said that the narrative relied too much on mythology and hazy backstories.
Minow criticized the film's excessively detailed narrative,
and ''
Observer
An observer is one who engages in observation or in watching an experiment.
Observer may also refer to:
Computer science and information theory
* In information theory, any system which receives information from an object
* State observer in co ...
'' writer Oliver Jones said that the film's energy and originality were overly focused on the sisters.
Reviewers for the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' and ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' cited ''Frozen II'' complicated story and dark tone.
[Multiple sources:
*
*
*
*
*
*
* ]
Accolades
At the
92nd Academy Awards
The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 2019 and took place on February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, beginning at 5:00 p ...
, ''Frozen II'' received a nomination for
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
. The film's other nominations include eight
Annie Awards
The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in Film, cinema and television. Originally ...
(winning two), a
British Academy Film Award
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...
, two
Critics' Choice Movie Awards
The Critics' Choice Movie Awards (formerly known as the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award) is an awards show presented annually by the American-Canadian Critics Choice Association (CCA) to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Writ ...
, and two
Golden Globe Awards.
Notes
References
Citations
Works cited
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
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{{Authority control
2010s American animated films
2010s English-language films
2019 3D films
2019 computer-animated films
3D animated films
American 3D films
American computer-animated films
Animated films about sisters
American sequel films
American animated feature films
American musical fantasy films
Animated musical films
American animated fantasy films
Animated drama films
Films about royalty
Films directed by Chris Buck
Films directed by Jennifer Lee (filmmaker)
Films produced by Peter Del Vecho
Films scored by Christophe Beck
Films set in forests
Films set in Scandinavia
Films with screenplays by Jennifer Lee (filmmaker)
Frozen (franchise) mass media
IMAX films
Walt Disney Animation Studios films
Walt Disney Pictures animated films