Frozen 2 will be in theaters nationwide on November 22nd 2019.
A few weeks ago I had the very fortunate opportunity to meet the artists and filmmakers whose diverse talents combined forces to continue the development of Anna and Elsa in the creation of Frozen 2. It was an amazing behind-the-scenes experience full of crazy cool details about the film.
During the day, I had the opportunity to hear about several aspects of the creative process of Frozen 2. I loved hearing about it all, the excitement and energy in the room was palpable. Walt Disney Animation Studios creators are just as excited about the new film as we are. One of my most favorite topics discussed during the day was the evolution of Anna and Elsa’s storylines. Hearing about the filmmakers desire to evolve the characters story arcs into something with more depth was fascinating.
This particular discussion included the talent of: Becky Bresee (Head of Animation), Hyun-Min Lee (Animation Supervisor), Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay (Visual Development Artist), Marc Smith (Director of Story), Wayne Unten (Animation Supervisor) and Marlon West (Head of Effects Animation). To say it was a room packed with amazing talent would be an understatement.
Where Do We Go From Here?
In an effort to not just chug out another film, the artists and creators of Walt Disney Animation Studios took the time and effort to truly consider the Frozen characters past and their future. Great time, detail and care was put into the story of Elsa and Anna in Frozen 2.
As Marc Smith the Frozen 2 Head of Story, said during our discussion:
“When we started on this movie three and a half years ago, we really took a deep dive into the idea of who are these characters are…and not just who they were at the end of Frozen, but what is the hard-wiring that’s going to go all the way through Frozen and into Frozen 2.”
How The Research Helped With Character Evolution
One of the best and most amazing aspects of Walt Disney Studios is their extensive research behind each and every film. You betcha even animation films. Through every press day that I have been lucky enough to participate in, I am always impressed with the great amount of detail each film participates in because they know their success stems from their research trips. For Frozen 2, the filmmakers traveled to Nordic regions to get an idea of what this film would feel and look like. They took a trip to Finland and Norway, north of the Arctic Circle and then to Iceland, which they found ‘super fascinating and fun’ (their own words).
During the filmmakers travels, they found areas in Finland to feel like a fairytale, specifically the spectacular Lake Inari in Finland. The landscape was dreamlike and everything they encountered was plush, green and accepting. They said they could literally feel the heroine slaying the dragon within the magical forests. Several of the filmmakers fell in love with the land.
Then they traveled to Iceland, where the land was foreboding and it seemed as if everything was dangerous. As filmmakers said word-for-word: “Nature was trying to kill us”. On the other hand, not only did Director Jennifer Lee feel comfortable, she felt at home. The filmmakers on the trip quickly associated the land of Iceland with sorcerery and strong magic. It was here that they could feel as if a witch was behind the tall ocean waves and brisk air that was casting spells to keep intruders at bay. Honestly, it’s no wonder filmmakers associated “myth” with Elsa.
It’s easy to understand now why it was during this research trip that the filmmakers of Frozen 2 associated “fairytale” Finland with Anna and “myth” Iceland with Anna. In the character evolution of Anna and Elsa, we needed to understand their inherit differences first.
Anna is sweet and kind, her abilities lie in the understandable and the kind. She is the fairytale.
Whereas Elsa is strong and fierce, her abilities lie in the supernatural and she can evoke magic at her emotional will.
She is the myth.
Becky Bresee Head of Animation said: “on Frozen 2, our characters have matured and they embark on a journey that was not only challenging for them but also for us as a team. It was exciting to get to collaborate again with all the different departments and to meet these challenges. For instance, effects and animation got to collaborate on a few new characters in the film. As well as Elsa’s magic, of course.”
Now What?
What will become of our beloved Anna and Elsa? Who are the new characters that we get to meet? Where and What will happen in Frozen 2?
I’m not allowed to share much about Frozen 2 at this time, however I can tell you that this film will for certain be as engaging and entertaining as the first film. I am certain that audiences will fall in love with Frozen 2 as much as they did with Frozen.
Frozen 2 will be in theaters nationwide November 22 2019. If you can’t wait for more details until then, log on to the official Frozen 2 Facebook page.
