Winter is coming … back.
Walt Disney Animation Studios is returning to the world of Frozen by featuring Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and the warmth-craving snowman Olaf in a new short film.
Frozen Fever, due in Spring 2015, will take place on Anna’s birthday as Kristoff the reindeer-preferring ice-gatherer and the mystical, chill-inducing Elsa try to stage a royal celebration. Although Elsa’s icy powers are no longer a secret in the kingdom, her control of them is still a bit iffy. (Let’s just hope they decided to go with an ice cream cake.)
The short will reunite the key forces from the original film: directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, as well as producer Peter Del Vecho, and Oscar-winning “Let It Go” songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
The film, which also won the Academy Award for animated feature last year, has been a staggering success — earning $1.27 billion worldwide to rank as the most successful animated film of all time. (And that doesn’t count the oodles of money made off the merchandizing.)
The characters are so popular that Disney-owned ABC is adding a live-action character based on Elsa to its fairy-tale themed drama Once Upon a Time when the new season begins Sept. 28. In further synergy news, the short was announced Tuesday evening as part of a behind-the-scenes documentary about Frozen that aired on the network.
The studio didn’t specify which feature film in 2015 Frozen Fever may accompany, but a likely candidate is the live-action Cinderella film, slated for March 13, starring Cate Blanchett as the wicked stepmother and Lily James as the glass-slipper wearing heroine.
Olaf, however, must be sorely disappointed to not get a release date in summer.
