Disney's 2013 animated feature "Frozen" was a smash-hit, earning well over $1.3 billion worldwide and generating a profitable merchandise stream. It also won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It is thus no surprise that Disney has finally announced that "Frozen 2" is in the works.
However, there has been no confirmation on its release date. When asked about the film's expected release in theaters, Disney representatives noted that release dates and plot information were still "on ice" —with all pun intended.
The announcement was made on March 12 during Disney's annual shareholders meeting held in San Francisco. This was the same meeting where big "Star Wars" information — such as the announcement of "Star Wars: Rogue One" — was dropped for the public.
Bob Iger, Walt Disney chief executive, stated during the meeting that the directing duo from the first film, Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, would be returning to helm the sequel. John Lasseter, the creative force behind a majority of Disney Animation and Pixar films, will continue to be the team's creative advisor.
During the meeting, Lasseter mentioned that the idea for the sequel came about while they were making the "Frozen Fever" short film.
"We enjoyed making Frozen Fever so much and being back in that world with those characters," he said. "Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck have come up with a great idea for a sequel and you will be hearing a lot more about it and we're taking you back to Arendelle. We are so excited about that."
No confirmation on the cast has been announced but it is almost guaranteed that Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel will be returning as Anna and Elsa, respectively.
For people already itching to see the characters in a new adventure, the "Frozen Fever" short is being shown in theaters alongside Disney's new live-action film, "Cinderella."
