Frozen 2, called Frozen II, is a 2019 American animated musical fantasy film made by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It is the second movie in the Frozen series, following the 2013 film. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee directed the film, and Jennifer Lee wrote it. The story was created by Jennifer Lee, Marc Smith, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, and Robert Lopez. The film features the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, and Jonathan Groff. Set three years after the first film, Frozen 2 follows sisters Anna and Elsa, and their friends Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf, as they journey to an enchanted forest to learn about the origin of Elsa's magical power.

Frozen 2 was approved in March 2015 after a company discussion about whether it would be seen as less successful than the original. The film used more advanced animation technology than the first movie and involved teamwork across different departments. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez returned as songwriters, and Christophe Beck composed the music again. The film was translated into 46 languages and included a documentary series called Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2.

Frozen 2 had its first showing in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on November 7, 2019, and was released in the United States on November 22. Critics gave the film mostly positive reviews, though some thought it was not as good as the first movie. It earned $1.45 billion worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 2019, the tenth-highest-grossing film in history, and the second-highest-grossing animated film ever. It also held the record for the highest-grossing worldwide opening for an animated film for three years. Frozen 2 was nominated for Best Original Song at the 92nd Academy Awards and received many other honors. A third film, Frozen 3, is planned for release in 2027.

Plot

King Agnarr of Arendelle tells his daughters, Elsa and Anna, that their grandfather, King Runeard, made a treaty with the Northuldra tribe by building a dam in their homeland, the Enchanted Forest. A fight happened. This fight caused Runeard's death and made the forest's elements—earth, fire, water, and air—angry. The elements disappeared. A wall of mist trapped everyone in the forest. Agnarr barely escaped, helped by an unknown savior.

Three years after her coronation, Elsa celebrates autumn with Anna, the snowman Olaf, the iceman Kristoff, and Kristoff's reindeer Sven. One night, Elsa hears a mysterious voice calling her. She follows it, unintentionally awakening the elemental spirits. The spirits force everyone in the kingdom to leave. The Rock Troll colony arrives. Grand Pabbie tells the sisters they must fix the past by uncovering the truth. Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven follow the voice and travel to the Enchanted Forest.

The mist parts when Elsa touches it. The air spirit appears as a tornado, trapping everyone in its vortex. Elsa stops the tornado by turning it into ice sculptures that show images from their father's past. Elsa also befriends the fire spirit, a magical salamander. They later meet the Northuldra and a group of Arendellian soldiers still fighting. Anna and Elsa arrange a truce after learning that their mother, Queen Iduna, was a Northuldran who saved Agnarr. The Northuldra tell them about a fifth spirit meant to reunite people with nature's magic.

While Kristoff and Sven stay with the Northuldra, Elsa, Anna, and Olaf continue north. They find their parents' wrecked ship and a map showing a route to Ahtohallan, a mythical river believed to explain the past. Elsa sends Anna and Olaf to safety despite Anna's protests. She meets the Nøkk, the water spirit guarding the sea to Ahtohallan. Elsa learns the voice calling her is the memory of young Iduna. She discovers her powers are a gift from nature because of Iduna's brave act of saving Agnarr. She learns the dam was built as a trick to weaken the Northuldra due to Runeard's hatred for their connection to magic. Runeard started the conflict by killing the Northuldra leader. Elsa shares this with Anna before freezing solid, causing Olaf to fade.

Anna concludes the dam must be destroyed to restore peace and free the forest. She awakens the earth spirit, Jötunn, and lures it to the dam. The giant rock beings throw boulders, destroying the dam and causing a flood toward the kingdom. Elsa thaws and rides the Nøkk to Arendelle, freezing the flood and saving the kingdom. As the mist disappears, Elsa reunites with Anna and revives Olaf. Kristoff proposes to Anna. Elsa explains she is the fifth spirit, the bridge between people and magical spirits. She gives up her throne to Anna and becomes the protector of the Enchanted Forest, visiting Arendelle regularly with peace restored.

In a post-credits scene, Olaf visits Elsa's ice palace and tells the story to Marshmallow, the snow giant created by Elsa as a guard, and the Snowgies, small snowmen accidentally made by Elsa's sneezes.

Voice cast

• Idina Menzel voices Elsa, the queen of Arendelle and Anna's older sister, who has magical ice powers. Mattea Conforti and Eva Bella voice young Elsa.
• Kristen Bell voices Anna, the princess of Arendelle and Elsa's younger sister, who becomes queen of Arendelle after Elsa steps down. Hadley Gannaway and Livvy Stubenrauch voice young Anna.
• Josh Gad voices Olaf, a snowman made by Elsa.
• Jonathan Groff voices Kristoff, an ice collector and Anna's boyfriend. Groff also voices Sven, Kristoff's reindeer, and other reindeer.

Frozen 2 also includes Martha Plimpton as the Northuldra chief Yelena and Sterling K. Brown as the Arendelle lieutenant Mattias. Jason Ritter voices Ryder, a member of Northuldra; and Rachel Matthews voices Honeymaren, Ryder's sister who lives in the Enchanted Forest.

Evan Rachel Wood voices Iduna (Elsa and Anna's mother), and Delaney Rose Stein voices young Iduna. Alfred Molina voices Agnarr (Elsa and Anna's father), and Jackson Stein voices young Agnarr. Jeremy Sisto voices Runeard (Agnarr's father and Elsa and Anna's grandfather); Ciarán Hinds voices the Rock Troll leader Pabbie; and Aurora is "the voice" (a call to Elsa). Alan Tudyk voices a guard, a Northuldran leader, and an Arendellian soldier. Paul Briggs returns in the post-credits scene as Marshmallow, a snow monster made by Elsa.

Production

Producer Peter Del Vecho said on March 31, 2014, that he, Chris Buck, and Jennifer Lee worked well together and thought about making another Frozen-related project. The next month, Alan F. Horn, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, said a sequel would not come soon because the studio was working on a Broadway musical version of Frozen. In May 2014, Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, told CNBC that the company would not force a sequel because it worried about not matching the success of the first film. Iger said the Frozen franchise is something the company will always use, like The Lion King.

On June 10, 2014, Jennifer Lee confirmed that John Lasseter, head of Walt Disney Studios, had allowed her and Buck to explore a possible sequel. While making the short film Frozen Fever (2015), they realized they missed the characters. At the same time, Del Vecho answered fan questions about Frozen’s future. Lee, Buck, and Del Vecho talked about making a sequel. Buck later said the team focused on what would be satisfying for Anna and Elsa at the end of the movie. They decided to end the sequel with Anna becoming queen of Arendelle and Elsa being "free."

At Walt Disney Animation Studio, like Pixar, a sequel is made only if the original filmmakers have a strong idea that is worth continuing with these characters.

In March 2015, Bob Iger, John Lasseter, and actor Josh Gad announced at Disney’s annual shareholders’ meeting that Frozen 2, a full-length sequel, was being made. Buck and Lee would return as directors, and Del Vecho as producer. The team traveled to Norway, Finland, and Iceland to research settings. They decided to make Elsa a "mythic hero" with magic ice powers and Anna a "fairytale hero" who lives in a magical world but has no magic powers. They said the first film successfully combined these ideas. In August 2018, Allison Schroeder was hired to help Lee with the script after Lee became head of Disney Animation. Lee was credited as the screenwriter, and Schroeder as an assistant. The story was written by Lee, Buck, Marc Smith, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, and Robert Lopez. The film’s budget was about $150 million.

Voice recording started in September 2017, though Idina Menzel began a few weeks later because of a concert tour. That month, Josh Gad announced his role in the sequel with Buck, Lee, Del Vecho, and Lasseter. In July 2018, Variety reported that Rachel Wood and Evan Rachel Wood were in talks to join the cast. Their roles were later revealed as Iduna and Lieutenant Destin Mattias. Wood was chosen because her voice sounded like Menzel’s and Bell’s. The voice of Agnarr was changed from Maurice LaMarche to Javier Muñoz. The Voice’s four-note call, based on the Latin phrase "Dies irae," was inspired by the Scandinavian music form called kulning.

Frozen 2’s first completed scenes were shown at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in June 2019. Becky Bresee and effects-animation head Marlon West said the film was still being made, with seven weeks of animation and 10 weeks of special effects left. The filmmakers worked with Sámi experts to accurately portray the Northuldra tribe through an advisory group formed by Disney, the Saami Council, and Sámi parliaments in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Kristen Anderson-Lopez said Elsa would not have a female love interest, even though some fans wanted one. Lee later told The New York Times that Elsa’s main audience was not ready for such a relationship. She also said Frozen 2 would not include elements from the TV show Once Upon a Time’s Frozen storyline.

Frozen 2 had major changes after its first test screening in San Diego. Disney Animation found that while adults liked the film, children had trouble following the story. The team needed to clarify who the Voice was and why Elsa changed, and add more comedy and scenes with Bruni, the fire salamander. A scene where characters explained their reason for being in the Enchanted Forest was replaced with Olaf’s funny recap of Frozen. Because of these changes, animators created 61 new scenes and redid 35 others. Some scenes were cut from the final film, and about a dozen animators and artists worked for two months on a detailed resurrection scene for Olaf before it was removed.

The last major scene completed before the film was finished was "Show Yourself," the musical number where Elsa enters Ahtohallan and learns the secrets she sought. Del Vecho said the scene used all the studio’s resources to meet the deadline. Robert Lopez said the first version of "Show Yourself" was very different from the final one. Megan Harding directed an official documentary about Frozen 2’s production, showing how Del Vecho and Lopez decided who the Voice was. Once the team chose Queen Iduna, the lyrics for "Show Yourself" began to take shape. Then, artists, designers, and animators had to quickly figure out how to show Elsa’s journey to becoming the Snow Queen. The film was edited by Jeff Draheim.

Costume and character designs were revised many times before being finalized. Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay, the designer, said the process was the most complex for any animated film. Technology helped create more detailed outfits with extra beads and sequins. The team used Marvelous Designer, a computer program, to design each character’s clothing.

Anna’s outfit was inspired by the Norwegian folk bunad from the 1840s and 1850s. Usually made of wool, it had decorative embroidery. Anna no longer had the pigtail braid she wore in Frozen because she is three years older in Frozen 2, and it was replaced by a braid at the back of her head. Elsa’s aging was inspired by designers Alexander McQueen and Elie Saab. Instead of long trains and heavy hemlines, the team created a tailored coat with a double-panel cape and epaulettes to highlight her strength.

The animation team used a curve-based method for intricate embroidery. A program turned two-dimensional designs into line strokes, making them into curves. This allowed quick changes and reduced manual work during design updates. It also supported free-form stitching with different thread widths, colors, and densities, which was important for creating various embroidery styles.

About 800 people, 80 of them animators, worked on Frozen 2. Tony Smeed and Becky Bresee were the film’s heads of animation. Hyun-Min Lee replaced Bresee as Anna’s supervising animator, while Wayne Unten returned as Elsa’s supervising animator, as he had done on Frozen. Steve Golberg was the supervising animator for visual effects. Scott Beattie was the director of cinematography layout, and Mohit Kallianpur was the

Thematic analysis

The Sámi people, who are indigenous to Scandinavia and northwestern Russia, have a long history of living with and relying on reindeer. Trude Fonneland wrote that a female divinity in Sámi culture highlights the importance of women through themes like unity, courage, and truth. In the story, Elsa tried to send Anna away to protect her from danger.

In the animated film, female characters represent different aspects of womanhood. The characters in the movie show a range of emotions and are driven by factors like social position and the growth of feminist ideas. Elsa is elegant and noble, wanting freedom and a normal life, while Anna is cheerful and enthusiastic. Both work to protect their kingdom from threats.

Frozen 2 has been seen as a criticism of colonialism and a call for making amends for past wrongs. Before Elsa and Anna were born, their grandfather, King Runeard, built a dam for the Northuldra tribe. This dam, presented as a gift, weakened the tribe’s magical power. Runeard’s plan failed after he killed the leader of Northuldra, leading to war. The forest spirits of Northuldra then created a thick, impenetrable mist around their land, blocking all movement. The Northuldra people are based on the Sámi, who faced discrimination as pagans believed to have magical abilities. In 1609, King Christian IV of Denmark wrote that the Sámi were skilled in magic and should not be shown mercy in cases involving their practices. Missionaries from Nordic countries destroyed Sámi religious items and built churches to replace their shamanism.

The dam in the film reflects real events in Sámi history. A hydroelectric power station was built on the Altaelva River in Norway from 1979 to 1981. The Virdnejávr Dam flooded a Sámi village, disrupting their traditional way of life. Critic Inkoo Kang noted that while Frozen 2 draws from Sámi history, the Northuldra may also symbolize displaced Native Americans. The kingdom of Arendelle could represent the United States’ colonial past, similar to the story of Pocahontas. The Northuldra are shown in a positive light, portrayed as a people with magical powers who live in harmony with nature and the spirit world.

In the story, Elsa tries to find out who is calling her, while Anna destroys the dam to apologize for Arendelle’s past mistakes. Elsa stops Anna from destroying the kingdom at the last moment, but Anna breaks the dam after believing Elsa is dead. Inkoo Kang said the film promotes the idea of making amends for past wrongs. Matt Goldberg noted that the film’s ending, where Elsa saves Arendelle instead of rebuilding elsewhere, weakens its message about change.

The film addresses racial issues by making Elsa and Anna half Northuldran. Their mother is shown as a hero who saved their father, King Agnarr, during a battle. Jennifer Baldwin described Frozen 2 as a story about trauma, change, and the role of communities in environmental healing. The dam causes harm to the elemental spirits, leading to environmental trauma. Olaf describes the forest as a place of change, where characters face challenges, connect with spirits, and learn to heal. Elsa earns the trust of the spirits, who guide her toward truth and transformation. Anna uses the giants, who symbolize the earth, to break the dam, which represents trauma and distrust, and gains strength on her own. Baldwin said the film encourages viewers to care for the environment, make amends, and work together to protect nature. The movie introduces young children to issues like climate change.

Sociologist Lauren Dundes wrote that Elsa’s relationship with the mythical horse Nøkk shows that Disney avoided modernizing her character and stuck to old ideas about gender roles. Nia Kurniawati noted that the film’s feminist message is subtle and realistic.

Marketing and release

Before the first trailer for Frozen 2 was released, a Frozen 2 DVD appeared in the 2016 movie Zootopia, along with Moana and the unproduced film Gigantic. Disney released the first trailer for Frozen 2 on February 13, 2019. It was viewed 116.4 million times in its first 24 hours, making it the most-watched animated film trailer until the Inside Out 2 (2024) teaser surpassed that record in November 2023. When the preview poster was released, American scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson noted that "water crystals have hexagonal 'six-fold' symmetry" (shown correctly in Frozen), but the poster showed a four-sided snowflake. The film’s creators explained that the four sides represented the four elemental spirits, and the center represented Elsa, the fifth spirit. Disney partnered with 140 brands worldwide to promote Frozen 2, the highest number of brands for a Disney animated film. In the U.S., the film was marketed through partners such as Enterprise Rent-A-Car, McDonald’s, and Lego. To support the campaign, the lead voice cast made public and televised appearances, including a Friendsgiving stunt night on ABC, introductions on The Masked Singer, and a Women of Impact program on Nat Geo Wild. In November 2019, the lead voice cast’s schedules were so full that Bell said: "Time [was] not there."

The 103-minute film Frozen 2 premiered on November 7, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. It was originally scheduled for release on November 27, but was moved forward five days to November 22, 2019. On January 17, 2020, a sing-along version of Frozen 2 was released. By its original theatrical release date, Disney localized the film into 45 languages; Frozen had been translated into 41 languages. The success of Frozen’s localized versions led to the release of an album with all versions of "Let It Go," and Jikŋon 2 (a Northern Sami version) was released to honor the people’s contributions.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Frozen 2 for digital download on February 11, 2020, and on Blu-ray and DVD on February 25. At the same time, a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Ultimate Collector’s Edition, and 4KUHD Blu-ray SteelBook edition were released. Special features included a sing-along audio recording of the film, a presentation of the Nordic mythology on which the Enchanted Forest is based, musical clips, and 29 translated versions of "Into the Unknown," as well as deleted music and scenes. The film was initially scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on June 26, 2020, but was moved up to March 15 in the United States and March 17 in Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Megan Harding (who had directed a 2014 making-of ABC television special about Frozen) contacted Disney Animation about documenting the production of Frozen 2. With the company’s cooperation, Harding, working with Lincoln Square Productions, traveled from New York City to Burbank, California, and recorded 1,300 hours of footage in 115 days between December 2018 and the November 2019 world premiere. She edited the footage into six episodes, each about 35 to 45 minutes long. Disney Animation knew Harding intended to take a "fearless" and "honest look" at the filmmaking process; her crew was asked to leave only once, when the production team wanted to decide the mysterious voice’s identity. The documentary series, Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2, was released on June 26, 2020.

Reception

Frozen 2 earned $477.4 million in the United States and Canada and $976.3 million in other countries, totaling $1.453 billion worldwide. It was the third-highest-grossing film in 2019, the tenth-highest-grossing film ever, and the second-highest-grossing animated film ever. On December 15, 2019, Frozen 2 reached the $1 billion mark at the global box office. Deadline Hollywood calculated its net profit as $599 million after accounting for production costs, marketing, talent fees, and other expenses. Box office sales and home media revenue placed it second on their list of 2019’s "Most Valuable Blockbusters." Disney stated that Frozen 2 was the highest-grossing animated film at the time, surpassing the original Frozen. The film’s success was partly due to its release date near Thanksgiving. Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian said the film was "perfectly positioned to play well into 2020."

Frozen 2 was released on November 22, 2019, with A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and 21 Bridges in 4,440 theaters: 2,500 in 3D, 800 in premium large formats (including 400 in IMAX), and 235 in D-Box/4DX. It earned $41.8 million on its first day, including $8.5 million from Thursday night previews. The film debuted with $130 million, the highest opening for an animated film that month. Frozen 2 mainly attracted a female audience, with about 70% of viewers being families. Its second weekend grosses dropped 34% to $85.6 million (with $125 million over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend), followed by $34.7 million the third weekend. By December 29, its domestic gross reached $400 million. Frozen 2 left theaters on March 19, 2020, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2019 in the United States and Canada. At that time, the film industry was significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Globally, Frozen 2 earned $228.2 million in its opening weekend across 37 markets, totaling $358.5 million worldwide. This surpassed the 2019 remake of The Lion King to become the highest-grossing animated film until The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) took over. It had the best opening for an animated film in the United Kingdom ($17.8 million) and France ($13.4 million), the biggest start for a Pixar or Disney Animation title in China ($53 million), Japan ($18.2 million), Germany ($14.9 million), and Spain ($5.8 million), and the third-biggest opening in South Korea ($31.5 million). In the United Kingdom, it earned $11.4 million in its second week, bringing its total there to $35.3 million. By January 5, 2020, its international earnings exceeded $875.3 million. As of July 2021, its top international markets were Japan ($122.6 million), China ($122.3 million), South Korea ($95.5 million), the United Kingdom ($69.7 million), Germany ($60.6 million), and France ($53.9 million).

Frozen 2 received mostly positive reviews. It has a 77% approval rating based on 336 professional reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 6.7/10. The site’s critical consensus states, "Frozen II can’t quite recapture the showstopping feel of its predecessor, but it remains a dazzling adventure into the unknown." Metacritic gave it a score of 64 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences gave it an average grade of A− (lower than Frozen’s A+) on a scale from A+ to F, and PostTrak rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars on its opening day.

Frozen II continues the story with Elsa responding to a siren’s call. The songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez are pleasant and have lyrics that feel like a personal confession. Critics praised the film’s craftsmanship, delivery, and themes. The New York Times called the narrative a "pink world of adventure and aspirational uplift," and RogerEbert.com noted its clear depiction of issues understandable to all ages. The film’s visual imagery, romance, and history were highlighted, as well as its autumnal color palette. Reviewers from Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and The Hollywood Reporter praised the animation, music, and characters. Some critics, however, noted the film’s lack of innovation, flawed narrative, and less impactful music compared to the original. Others criticized its reliance on mythology, complicated story, and dark tone.

At the 92nd Academy Awards, Frozen 2 was nominated for Best Original Song. It also received eight Annie Awards (winning two), a British Academy Film Award, two Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards.

Sequels

A follow-up movie, Frozen 3, is planned to come out on November 24, 2027. A fourth movie is being made.