Anna of Arendelle (/ˈɑːnə/) is a fictional character in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 53rd animated fantasy film, Frozen (2013), and its sequel, Frozen 2 (2019). As an adult, Anna is voiced by Kristen Bell. At the start of the film, Livvy Stubenrauch and Katie Lopez provide her speaking and singing voice as a young child, respectively. Agatha Lee Monn voices Anna as a nine-year-old (singing). In Frozen 2, Hadley Gannaway provides her voice as a young child, while Stubenrauch's earlier recordings are used as archive audio.
Anna was created by co-writers and directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck. She is inspired by Gerda, a character from the Danish fairytale "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Andersen. In the Disney version, Anna is the princess of Arendelle, a fictional Scandinavian kingdom, and the younger sister of Elsa (Idina Menzel), who is the heir to the throne and has the power to create and control ice and snow. After Elsa accidentally causes an eternal winter during her coronation, she leaves the kingdom. Anna then embarks on a dangerous journey to bring her sister back.
Adapting the original fairytale, especially the character of the Snow Queen, was difficult for filmmakers. Many attempts to create a film version failed because the story was hard to develop. Directors Buck and Lee solved this problem by making Anna and Elsa sisters, creating a strong bond between them.
Film critics praised Anna's courage and energy, as well as Kristen Bell's performance in the movies.
Development
Attempts to create an adaptation of "The Snow Queen" at the Disney studio began in 1943, when Walt Disney considered working with Samuel Goldwyn to make a film about Hans Christian Andersen. However, the story, especially the Snow Queen character, was difficult for Disney and his animators to adapt. One challenge was that the original tale did not include enough interaction between the main character, Gerda (who later inspired Anna), and the Snow Queen. In Andersen's version, Gerda visits the Snow Queen's ice castle and cries over Kay, but the Snow Queen is not present. This lack of conflict made it hard to turn the story into a full-length movie. Later, several Disney executives, including Glen Keane, Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi, Harvey Fierstein, Dick Zondag, and Dave Goetz, tried to bring the story to the screen, but none succeeded. In 2008, Chris Buck proposed his version of The Snow Queen to Disney, which was planned as a traditionally animated film titled Anna and the Snow Queen. However, by 2010, the project faced the same problem and was delayed again. Jennifer Lee, co-director of Frozen, later said that the original story was symbolic, which made it hard to translate into a concrete film.
After the success of Tangled (2010), Disney announced on December 22, 2011, that a new film titled Frozen would be released on November 27, 2013. Peter Del Vecho and John Lasseter became the film's producers. When the project was revived, one major challenge was developing the characters. John Lasseter told the production team that the storyboards did not go deep enough, saying that Chris Buck's version was fun but lacked complex characters. At this time, the script included three main characters: Anna (based on Gerda), the Snow Queen, Elsa, and Kristoff (loosely based on Kay). The characters were not well-developed, but adding the idea that Anna and Elsa were sisters changed the story. This shifted the focus from good versus evil to love versus fear. Buck explained that the script kept parts of the original story, such as Gerda's determination to find Kay, and that love, not superpowers, was the key to overcoming fear.
On March 5, 2012, Kristen Bell was cast to voice the adult version of Anna. Livvy Stubenrauch played young Anna, and Katie Lopez, daughter of songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, provided the singing voice for young Anna in the song "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" Agatha Lee Monn, daughter of director Jennifer Lee, played teenage Anna in that scene. Lee said the team wanted real-sounding children to sing, not Broadway-trained actors. Bell and Idina Menzel, who voiced Elsa, had both auditioned for Tangled but did not get the role. Bell said she had dreamed of being in a Disney film since she was 4 years old. She described Disney films as the ones she watched as a child and mentioned her favorite character was Ariel from The Little Mermaid because she showed a princess who wanted to explore the world. Bell was excited when she was cast, saying, "I was in glee." Lee said Bell's casting was influenced by her voice recordings from The Little Mermaid, which helped the team find the right voice for Anna.
Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee were impressed by how Bell and Menzel worked together. During an early read-through, they sang a ballad with so much emotion that the room was full of tears. However, Bell said working with Menzel was nerve-racking. The two rehearsed a song called "Wind Beneath My Wings" at Menzel's house, where Bell praised Menzel's powerful voice. Bell said the songs written by Kristen and Robert Lopez were funny and good. Lee said Bell was the only choice for Anna, calling her voice warm and perfect. Buck agreed, saying Bell "hit it out of the park" and became Anna. Menzel was surprised by Bell's singing ability, and songwriter Kristen Anderson-Lopez said she would work with Bell for the rest of her life if possible. Anna's animator, Becky Bresee, said Bell's voice was easy to use in the animation.
During production, Bell and Menzel had to record many lines and were required to be in the same room for key emotional scenes between Anna and Elsa. Producer Peter Del Vecho said having them together helped the song's chemistry. Buck said working with the actresses added real connection between the characters. Bell recorded her lines while pregnant and had to re-record some lines after giving birth because her voice changed. After seeing the finished film, Bell described her performance as "cool and weird."
International voices
In 2013, when Frozen was first shown in theaters, it had 43 versions worldwide. Three more versions were added in later years, along with some unofficial versions made by independent studios. In 2019, Frozen 2 was released in 47 versions worldwide, including a special dubbing in the Sami language. This version was created for the movie because it was inspired by Sami culture.
In Frozen II, Parineeti Chopra and her cousin Priyanka Chopra played the voices of Anna and Elsa in the Hindi version.
The Italian cast of Frozen was honored with an award for best foreign dubbing worldwide.
Véronique Claveau provided the voice of Anna in the Canadian French version of the movie.
Appearances
Anna is the main character in the first movie. The story follows her efforts to get along with her sister Elsa and stop the winter Elsa has caused in Arendelle.
Anna first appears when she is five years old. After an accident while playing with Elsa, Anna is locked in the castle for many years and separated from her sister. During this time, she does not remember Elsa's magic because Grand Pabbie, the leader of a group of trolls, changed her memory. Elsa avoids Anna, and Anna does not know why.
On the day Elsa becomes queen, Anna is excited to leave the castle and meet people. She quickly becomes engaged to Prince Hans. However, Elsa stops their marriage. During an argument, Anna learns about Elsa's ice power when Elsa accidentally uses it in anger. Elsa runs away to the North Mountain, freezing Arendelle in the process. Anna decides to find Elsa to bring her back and end the winter.
Along the way, Anna buys her signature outfit and meets Kristoff, who agrees to help her reach the North Mountain. She also meets Olaf, a snowman from her childhood that Elsa has brought to life. When Anna reaches Elsa's ice palace and asks her to return, Elsa refuses and tells Anna to leave. Elsa uses her power again, freezing Anna's heart. Kristoff takes Anna to the trolls, where Grand Pabbie explains that Anna will die unless someone shows her true love.
Believing a kiss from Hans will help, Kristoff takes Anna back to Arendelle. Anna is sad to learn Hans is not her true love, as he planned to take control of the kingdom. She is locked in a room and left to die, but Olaf saves her. Anna realizes she does not understand love, but Olaf helps her see that Kristoff loves her. They escape and reunite with Kristoff. On the way, Anna sees Hans about to hurt Elsa. She jumps in front of him, saving Elsa and freezing solid. Her sacrifice thaws her heart and body because it was an act of true love.
After this, Elsa warms up to Anna, and they return to Arendelle together. Anna and Kristoff admit they love each other and share a kiss. Anna is happy to have a good relationship with Elsa again.
Nearly a year later, Elsa throws a birthday party for Anna. Anna notices Elsa has a cold and tries to make the party perfect for her. Elsa's sneezes create small snowmen that try to take the cake, and Elsa almost falls off a clocktower. Anna helps her recover and tells her that caring for Elsa is the best birthday gift. Later, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf take the snowmen to Elsa's ice palace.
In Olaf's Frozen Adventure, it is the first holiday season after the castle gates reopen. Anna and Elsa plan a Christmas party for Arendelle's people but realize they do not have family traditions. Olaf searches for a tradition and finds that Anna used to make drawings of him and leave them under Elsa's door every Christmas.
In a flashback, young Anna and Elsa hear a bedtime story from their father, King Agnarr. He explains that their grandfather, King Runeard, made a treaty with the Northuldra tribe by building a dam in the Enchanted Forest. A fight breaks out, and Runeard and a Northuldran warrior fall off a cliff. The elemental spirits of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water become angry and disappear, trapping the forest in mist. Agnarr escapes with help from an unknown person and becomes king.
Three years after the first movie, Anna celebrates autumn with Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven. One night, Elsa hears a mysterious voice and accidentally awakens the elemental spirits, causing chaos. Grand Pabbie tells Anna and Elsa the spirits are angry about a past event. They travel to the Enchanted Forest, where they learn their mother, Iduna, was a Northuldran who saved their father. They meet the Northuldra tribe and soldiers, and a truce is formed. They also discover a fifth spirit that unites people with nature's magic.
Anna and Elsa travel to Ahtohallan, a mythical river, after finding their parents' shipwreck and a map. Elsa decides to go alone to fix the balance between worlds, sending Anna and Olaf away. In Ahtohallan, Elsa freezes, causing Olaf to fade. Anna resolves to destroy her grandfather's dam. With help from Kristoff, Sven, and soldiers, she lures Earth spirits to destroy the dam, narrowly escaping the damage.
Reception
Collider.com writer Matt Goldberg described Anna as a character who "can change from being sweet to sad to strange to brave without missing a beat." Emma Koonse of the Christian Post said Anna and Elsa were "the most lovable and charismatic characters yet," while Tony Hicks of the San Jose Mercury News noted that both Anna and Elsa were shown as devoted from the beginning. He also wrote that Anna's confusion and Elsa's sadness as she isolates herself from the world and her sister are "understandable." Deepanjana Pal from First Post said Anna "is a child who needs to grow up and does so during the film." The Wall Street Journal mentioned that Anna becomes more endearing because she is "exactly the free spirit she seems to be." Noah Lee of The Coast News said he remained interested in Anna's actions and Elsa's challenges. Travis Bean of the Community Newspaper Group highlighted lessons children can learn from the film, such as "Anna's effort to reach Elsa and show that love can overcome fear." Linda Barnard of the Toronto Star called the sisters "engaging female characters" and praised Anna for being funny and determined. Sabina Ibarra of Geek Exchange said the directors created "two very real girls who grow and support each other in the story."
Kristen Bell was praised for her role as Anna. Michelle Im of the Eye of the Tiger called Anna "bubbly and spirited" and said Bell "delivered her singing parts with energy and emotion." The Coast News review said Bell "earned high praise" for making Anna lively and kind-hearted. Cinenerd of Blogcritics noted Bell and Idina Menzel "sang with passion" in songs like "Let It Go" and "For the First Time in Forever." Colin Covert of The Gazette called Bell's performance "perfectly executed." Matt Goldberg wrote that the relationship between Anna and Elsa is "one of the best parts of the film," explaining that Anna loves her sister more than anyone else, while Elsa feels scared and guilty. He added that Elsa is "very sympathetic" and that the film shows a new way to portray sibling separation. Magdalena Lachowicz of The Heights said the bond between the sisters "makes the film special" and that the story leads viewers to think the solution is a "true love's kiss," but Anna learns about love and sacrifice instead. Debbie Lynn Elias of the Culver City Observer said Elsa and Anna are "like two sides of a coin," both strong but in different ways. Stephen Holden of The New York Times noted that the story focuses on sisterly love instead of romance, which is different from most Disney movies. Noah Lee said the relationship between Anna and Elsa is "real" and that the themes of family and love "touched my heart."
However, some critics had concerns. Michelle Im of the Eye of the Tiger said Anna's quick love for a prince was her only character growth and found it "disappointing" compared to Elsa's emotional development. Anna Smith of The Guardian noted that both Anna and Elsa were drawn with thin figures and large eyes, which is common for Disney princesses.
Both Anna and Elsa were nominated for Best Animated Female by the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and Anna won the award. Frozen also won the Women Film Critics Circle award in the same category.