Here's Why Disney's 'Frozen' Will Be Here Forever
On Sunday night, Frozen added two Grammys to its enormous pile of awards and honors: The smash-hit Disney film took home Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media and Best Song for Visual Media, with the latter award going to the ubiquitous power ballad “Let It Go,” which beat out The Lego Movie’s “Everything is Awesome” in an animated heavyweight battle for the ages.
Though the victories came over a year after the film was first released due to the Grammys’ autumn-to-autumn eligibility period, they still serve as a reminder that the Frozen phenomenon is still going strong: Three decades from now, all of us — moviegoers, parents, teachers, chagrined high-school musical directors — will still be subjected to Frozen and its ever-present hit single at least once a day. Here are the countless ways in which the $1.3 billion-grossing, Oscar-winning film is continuing to snowball, more than a year after its release.
The new short film, Frozen Fever: Though a feature-length sequel hasn’t been announced (yet…), Disney got directors Christopher Buck and Jennifer Lee back together to make this new short film about Anna’s birthday and Elsa’s head cold. It will debut ahead of the new live-action Cinderella, which hits theaters on March 13.
There’s a stage musical in the works: Disney has had great success with its screen-to-Broadway adaptations, headlined by the smash hit Lion King and Aladdin. Obviously, Frozen is next in line. In October, Thomas Schumacher, the head of Disney’s Theatrical Group told The Hollywood Reporter that the show is in development and he was talking with directors. But don’t line up to buy your tickets quite yet: Schumacher’s also the show “doesn’t need to be fast. It needs to be great.”
A touring ice-dancing show, Frozen on Ice: For those that don’t live near Broadway — or who just can’t wait to see Hans and Kristoff portrayed in semi-real life — there’s always the touring Frozen on Ice, which started last fall, and is current on the road through March 2016.
The Frozen cruise: Disney just added a new itinerary for its line of cruises: The 9-Night Norwegian Fjord Cruise, which will take super-fans to many of the locations that inspired the look of the movie, all along the Nordic country’s western coast. Stavanger, Norway doesn’t look like a horrible place to spend time.
The soundtrack (still!): The best-selling album of 2014 spent an absurd 39 weeks in the Billboard Top 10, and has sold almost four million copies — a remarkable feat, considering how few people buy albums anymore. And now, 65 weeks since it’s release, it’s still perched at number 35 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Disneyland’s Frozen Fun: At Disney Parks, the biggest lines for character meet-and-greets are Frozen’s Elsa and Anna, prompting Disney to create the Frozen Fun area at the California Adventure Park, which features a family dance party, a sing-along celebration, and Olaf’s Snow Fest, which defies the natural environment of Southern California. Season pass holders can pretend to live in Arendelle forever.
The massive merchandising line: At first, Disney was caught flat-footed by the remarkable demand for tie-in merchandise, and were in short supply of dolls, dresses, and all things Olaf. They were ready this holiday season, though, rolling out a product line that includes just about everything you can possible brand; the 180 items listed at DisneyStore.com is probably just the tip of the iceberg. Fans were equally ready, snapping up the stuff at a record clip, driving the company’s consumer products division’s sales up 22 percent in the most recent financial quarter.
Looks like we’ll never let it go… and Disney will make Olaf of money… and you better be ready for more Frozen, or Elsa!
Photo credit: Disney
