In 2013, Frozen captivated audiences worldwide with a modern take on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. The original film tells the story of Anna as she teams up with iceman Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and summer-obsessed snowman Olaf to find her sister Elsa, who inadvertently plunged the kingdom of Arendelle into eternal winter. The popularity of the films lies in the theme of sisterhood, its Academy Award-winning anthem “Let It Go,” an adorable snowman, and chilled Disney’s archaic princess standards of needing a prince – or a king, for that matter.
Frozen’s popularity snowstorm has raged on for 10 years, spawning a sequel, Disney Park rides, and getting featured in Kingdom Hearts 3, complete with the obligatory “Let It Go” scene. On February 8, 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that Frozen 3 is in the works, along with Toy Story 5 and Zootopia 2. While news of a third Frozen film was a welcome one, we have yet to hear more details about the movie or see a trailer. Here’s everything we know about Frozen 3.
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Frozen 3 Potential Release Date
Frozen and Frozen 2 were released within six years of each other, with the latter film releasing in theaters in 2019. Assuming Frozen 3 is following the same development pattern, we might not see the sequel until 2025.
Disney has a tendency to release its animated movies right around Thanksgiving so that families can see them together during the holiday season. It has a slot for November 2024 and November 2025 for “untitled Disney animation”, according to Business Insider. Again, assuming that Frozen 3 is following the same release pattern as its predecessors, it’s safe to bet that it will be released November 26, 2025.
Frozen 3 Cast
Josh Gad confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will reprise his role of Olaf in Frozen 3 two days after Iger announced the sequel was being developed, saying “Excited to head back… into the Unknown.”
Idina Menzel confirmed her return to the film as Elsa in an interview with Billboard, stopping short of giving story and script details. “I don't know a lot. To be completely honest, they teased it to us, and I have no idea,” she said at the time. “They don't show you a script. They don't show you anything. All I know is, yeah we are gonna make one, and that's it. So, I'm like cool I will be able to pay my bills.”
Kristen Bell announced last year on The Jimmy Fallon Show that Frozen 3 was in the works “with no authority,” but has yet to confirm whether she’ll reprise her role as Anna.
Frozen 3 Potential Story
Story details about Frozen 3 have been scarce since its announcement. However, the events of Frozen 2 could clue us in on the plot of the upcoming sequel.
In Frozen 2, three years after becoming Queen of Arendelle and fully embracing her cryogenic powers, Elsa sets out to discover the origin of her powers after hearing a siren’s voice calling out to her. When she, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf journey to the Enchanted Forest and encounter the Northuldra tribe and Arendellian troops, Elsa learns that she is the embodiment of the fifth spirit because she’s able to tame the spirits of the other four elements — water, earth, fire, and air — and that her powers were a gift from nature as a result of her and Anna’s mother, Queen Iduna saving the young King Agnarr’s life during a conflict between the Northuldrans, which the former was a member of, and the Arendellians. Being the fifth spirit meant Elsa will serve as a bridge between people and the magic spirits.
Since Frozen and its spin-offs explored much of Arendelle, Frozen 3 may dive deeper into the lore of the Enchanted Forest and the Northuldra tribe. It may also explore Elsa’s life in the Enchanted Forest after peace was restored between Northuldra and Arendelle.
Where Frozen 2 Left Off
Since learning she’s the fifth spirit bridging the gap between people and magic, Elsa has abdicated the throne in Arendelle to become the protector of the Enchanted Forest. Meanwhile, Anna has been crowned Queen of Arendelle and got engaged to Kristoff after accepting his marriage proposal. Elsa makes it a point to visit her sister in Arendelle as often as possible since peace was restored between the two kingdoms.
The Frozen Podcast
Outside of the movies and specials, Disney has also launched a Frozen podcast that takes place after the events of Frozen 2. Titled 'Forces of Nature', the podcast introduces 4 new characters: Queen Disa, Lord Wolfgang, and two magpies called Astrid and Magnus. The series will only be 12 episodes long, but could potentially give away hints about what to expect from Frozen 3.
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. She has contributed her work to various publications, including Digital Trends, TheGamer, Twinfinite, Mega Visions, and The Escapist. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.
