Frozen 2 Celebration

By Melanie Gable

*I attended the “Frozen 2” home entertainment press day at Walt Disney Animation Studios for the purposes of this article. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, CA recently opened its doors to press, bloggers, and content creators to celebrate the in-home release of “Frozen 2,” which will be available on digital February 11 and 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on February 25. 

During its theatrical run, “Frozen 2” became the highest-grossing animated film of all time, and we had the opportunity meet with creators, artists, and talent behind the movie, as well as preview some of the bonus features included on the in-home release. (Full list of features at the end of this article.)

Bonus Feature Screenings

Our day began with a light breakfast in the Caffeine Patch, the studios’ central gathering spot/coffee bar, which was decked out with “Frozen 2” concept art and photo ops. A small stage with a piano and pair of microphones was set up near the center of the space, so we anticipated there might be a surprise performance in store for us that day!

After breakfast we were ushered into a small screening room, where we were treated to a viewing of several of the bonus features on the in-home release, including some funny recording booth outtakes from Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), Jonathan Groff (Kristoff), and Josh Gad (Olaf). 

Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Bobby Lopez, the Oscar-winning songwriters of “Frozen” and “Frozen 2,” were the stars of the next featurette and shared insight into their creative process. (One anecdote told by the couple revealed that the first draft lyrics of “When I Am Older” was written while Anderson-Lopez was ice skating!) Anyone wondering how songs are incorporated into the story—and vice versa—of a Disney animated film can find out more on the “Meet the Lopezes” digital exclusive. 

We also watched a storyboarded version of one of the deleted songs from the film, “I Wanna Get This Right,” in which Kristoff attempts to propose to Anna. The song was ultimately cut because it didn’t fit into the final story, but this goofy gem of a musical number is just one example of some of the great material that sometimes ends up on the cutting room floor, but can thankfully be shared in bonus features. 

Two deleted scenes—“Secret Room” and “A Place of Our Own”—also never found a place in the final film, but revealed more about Anna and Elsa’s parents, and even made some of us a bit misty-eyed. 

These were just a sampling of the bonus features audiences can check out on the “Frozen 2” in-home release.

Getting “Lost in the Woods”

Following the bonus feature screening, we met with story artist Dan Abraham, animation supervisor Michael Woodside, and animation supervisor Justin Sklar, who all worked on Kristoff’s power ballad “Lost in the Woods.” 

According to Abraham, Lopez and Anderson-Lopez had long wanted to incorporate a 1980s-style rock ballad into one of their projects, and Kristoff’s big solo in “Frozen 2” seemed like the perfect fit. 

For research purposes, Abraham spent hours sketching and brainstorming ideas while watching 80s rock music videos, which led to many of the visual jokes and cues that nostalgic older viewers (*cough *cough…ME) would recognize from their “I want my MTV” days. The challenging part was finding the balance between the sincerity of Kristoff’s emotions and the inherent comedy in having a herd of reindeer provide back-up vocals. 

Speaking of reindeer, Woodside, Sven’s animation supervisor, was tasked with making sure the reindeer would be able to sing and emote. He created a test animation sequence of Sven singing “Unchained Melody,” and the team was convinced the song concept would work.

(Fun fact: Groff not only sang lead vocals on the song as Kristoff, but also provided the background harmonies, which were mixed together to create the chorus of reindeer voices.)

Sklar—who described his own personality as “not fun”—was Kristoff’s animation supervisor and was in charge of keeping the character’s integrity and sincerity intact, with Woodside on hand to guide the comedic elements since he, according to Sklar, knows “how to experience joy.” (LOL.)

After learning about the making of “Lost in the Woods,” we were given the rare opportunity to step into a recording booth ourselves and take a crack at singing along to a snippet of the song. I can tell you firsthand that it’s pretty jarring to hear your own singing voice in your ears through a big set of headphones, but it was also fun and exciting to give it a try, especially as a fan of both Disney and musicals.

Families can have their own sing-alongs at home with the Blu-ray and digital versions of the movie, which feature a mode that displays each song’s lyrics highlighted underneath the scene, karaoke-style. 

Bringing Real-life Research to the Screen

Our next presentation delved into the making of Ahtohallan, the frozen “river of memory” Elsa travels to in pursuit of the voice that’s been calling to her, and the setting for the triumphant song “Show Yourself.”

Marc Smith, director of story on “Frozen 2,” spoke briefly about the Scandinavian research trip that key members of the production team took in 2016. (For the full story on the trip, click here.) While visiting Iceland they explored an ancient glacier that extended around a thousand feet deep, which Smith described as a “time capsule.” This research fed into the idea the story team had been exploring about water having memory, and what that meant to Elsa, who was searching for answers about her family’s past. 

Artists from multiple departments worked together to create and animate Ahtohallan, which had to appear simultaneously natural and magical, as well as support the emotional beats of “Show Yourself.” They mapped out the space and how Elsa would move in it, and then incorporated all of the effects into a beautiful scene that led to Elsa growing fully into her powers. 

Taking “Frozen 2” in New Directions

“Frozen” and “Frozen 2” directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (who is also Walt Disney Animation Studios’ chief creative officer), as well as producer Peter Del Vecho, sat down with us for a roundtable interview to discuss working on the film. 

So, why did they decide to create a “Frozen” sequel?

Buck said the filmmakers felt the characters lives were “just starting” at the end of the first movie and that there were still mysteries behind Elsa’s powers that were worth exploring. 

When asked if “Frozen 2” was originally meant to be an exclusively in-home release, Lee said an emphatic “no” and emphasized that the filmmakers approached the making of the film with the same dedication and in-depth creative process as “Frozen.” The sequel was intended to be a natural expansion of the story and a fitting companion piece to the first film, rather than an afterthought. Del Vecho compared the sequel to the second act of a Broadway play—essential to the overall story.

Buck revealed that the first story element to be fully solidified was actually the ending—where Anna and Elsa find themselves at the conclusion of the film—which was the “true North” guiding the story team tasked with shaping the characters’ journeys. Having the ending in place left room for the filmmakers to make discoveries and experiment with plot lines along the way, without straying too far from the path leading to the end goals for Anna and Elsa. 

Audiences can hear more insight into the making of “Frozen 2” from Lee and Buck (including their most loved deleted scenes and songs) on the Blu-ray and digital bonus features for the film.

Newcomers to the World of “Frozen”

Our roundtable interviews continued with Jason Ritter and Rachel Matthews, who portray Northuldra siblings Ryder and Honeymaren in “Frozen 2.” This was the first Disney film for both actors, and the first-ever voiceover acting job for Matthews, who is theatrically-trained and new to the world of voice acting. 

Matthews, a self-proclaimed “massive fan” of “Frozen,” wasn’t even supposed to get an audition, but her agent got on the phone at the right time regarding another client, and Disney agreed to see Matthews as well. Clearly the casting team was impressed, with Matthews crushing her first-ever voice acting audition and landing the role of Honeymaren, who quickly bonds with Elsa in “Frozen 2.” Matthews had a learning curve when she first started recording her role, but she quickly caught on to the particulars of voice acting and has already taken on several more voice gigs, including recording for NPR and Disney audiobooks on Audible. 

Ritter is already known to Disney fans as the voice of Dipper in the animated series “Gravity Falls,” but this was his first singing audition. Ritter confessed that he was “so scared” when it came time to sing for the “Frozen 2” casting team, but he was perfectly suited to play the affable and friendly Ryder, who bonds with Kristoff over their mutual love of reindeer. 

Ritter and Matthews loved working on the film, and even got to lend a hand in shaping their characters. Directors Buck and Lee were open to the actors’ ideas and allowed them to infuse their own personalities and humor into Ryder and Honeymaren. 

Crafting the Music of “Frozen 2”

A huge part of the appeal of “Frozen” and “Frozen 2” is the incredible music. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Bobby Lopez, the songwriters of both films, joined us at the roundtable for our final interviews. 

Lopez and Anderson-Lopez are not only creative partners, but also a married couple who met in a musical theatre writing workshop. When asked about working together as a husband-and-wife team, Anderson-Lopez said, “When it’s great, it’s GREAT…when it’s rough, that’s when those marital skills of communication really come in handy.” Added Lopez, “Disagreements or discussions—conflict—should always lead to something better, and it all comes from listening and truly trying everybody’s idea and never shutting anyone down.” Their daughters are usually the first ones to hear their songs, and even provided inspiration for Anna and Elsa. 

Clearly they work beautifully together, as evidenced by their impressive body of work. “Let It Go,” the standout song (and cultural phenomenon) from “Frozen,” is the most-streamed Disney song on Spotify, reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and went on to win both a Grammy Award and an Academy Award for Best Original Song. But the songwriters weren’t intimidated by the success of the first film’s soundtrack when it came to writing “Frozen 2.”

“Every song always begins with story,” said Anderson-Lopez. The duo doesn’t sit down to write a song with the aim of making a hit—they focus on propelling the story forward or helping the characters work through their emotions or make a decision. The script influences the songs and vice versa. With “Frozen 2,” the songwriters worked in tandem with directors Lee and Buck to shape the plot and music together. 

This year the duo received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for “Into the Unknown,” one of Elsa’s big musical numbers from “Frozen 2.” (Personally, I’m rooting for them to win!)

The Blu-ray and digital versions of “Frozen 2″ include interviews with Lopez and Anderson-Lopez, as well as deleted songs from the film. 

Surprise Performance!

After our interviews and lunch in the Caffeine Patch, Walt Disney Animation staff and press were treated to a surprise performance by Lopez and Anderson-Lopez! With Lopez on piano, the duo regaled us with a medley of songs from “Frozen 2,” including “Some Things Never Change,” “Into the Unknown,” “The Next Right Thing,” “When I Am Older,” “Lost in the Woods,” and “Show Yourself.” See it below!

FROZEN 2 is available on digital February 11 and 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on February 25!

“Frozen 2” Bonus Features (may vary by retailer)

Blu-ray & Digital

• Sing–Along Version of the Movie — Sing along with your favorite songs as you watch the movie. 
• Song Selection — Jump to your favorite musical moments, with on screen lyrics. Songs include Oscar-nominated “Into The Unknown,” “All Is Found,” “Some Things Never Change,” “When I Am Older,” “Lost in the Woods,” “Show Yourself,” and “The Next Right Thing.”
• Outtakes– Laugh along with the cast of “Frozen 2” as they record their lines, sing their songs and have fun in the recording booth.
• Deleted Scenes —Check out a few scenes that never made the final cut. 
  • Intro — Directors  Jennifer  Lee  and  Chris  Buck  offer  a  glimpse  into  their  filmmaking process with scenes that didn’t make the final cut. 
  • Prologue — A battle rages between Arendelle and the Northuldra while a mysterious figure challenges King Agnarr. 
  • Secret Room — A secret room reveals even more of Anna and Elsa’s past, including a shocking revelation about their mother. 
  • Elsa’s Dream — Anna’s playful glimpse into Elsa’s dream takes a dark turn.
  • Hard Nokks — Kristoff reveals his true feelings about life in Arendelle when the Nokk won’t take no for an answer. 
  • A Place of Our Own — Elsa uses her magic to relieve Anna’s lingering doubts about their parents’ faith in her. 
• Deleted Songs— When it comes to “Frozen 2,” there can never be too much music. Hear some of the songs that got cut from the final film. 
  • Intro — Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck revel in the chance to share a few songs that didn’t make it into the final film.
  • “Home” — Anna savors every moment as she wanders through this kingdom she calls home.
  • “I Wanna Get This Right” — Kristoff wants everything to be perfect before he proposes, leaving Anna to wonder, “Will it ever be just right?”
• The Spirits of “Frozen 2” – Cast and crew explore the Scandinavian and Nordic mythology that inspired the spirits inhabiting the enchanted forest of “Frozen 2.”
• Did You Know??? — Olaf asks us the question “Did You Know?” as we discover “Frozen 2” fun facts, Easter eggs and tidbits about the making of the film.
• Scoring a Sequel – Composer Christophe Beck combines a 91-piece orchestra with 30 choral voices to create the compelling score for “Frozen 2.”
• Gale Tests — They say you can’t see the wind. Only its effects. Filmmakers give it a shot while creating the playful wind spirit, Gale.
  • Gale Test — A young girl and boy play tag in this fully animated effort to “give personality to something that’s invisible.” 
  • Hand-Drawn Gale Test — A hand-drawn test to bring the precocious wind spirit to life. 
• Multi-Language Reel
  • “Into the Unknown” in 29 Languages — Hear Elsa’s soaring call to adventure in 29 different languages.
• Music  Videos — Weezer and Panic! at the Disco lend their voices to a few of the soaring melodies from “Frozen 2.”
  • “Into the Unknown” (Panic! at the Disco version) — Panic! at the Disco frontman Brendon Urie stars in their version of “Into The Unknown” from “Frozen 2.”
  • “Lost in the Woods” (Weezer version) —Weezer puts their spin on Kristoff’s epic ballad, “Lost in the Woods.” 
• DigitalExclusives:
  • Meet the Lopezes — Meet the award-winning husband-and-wife team behind the incredible songs from “Frozen” and “Frozen 2.”
  • Deleted Song – “Unmeltable Me” — An animatic version of Olaf’s celebratory song about his newfound freedom.

Visit the official FROZEN 2 website: Movies.disney.com/frozen-2

Like FROZEN 2 on Facebook: Facebook.com/DisneyFrozen

Follow FROZEN 2 on Twitter: Twitter.com/disneyfrozen

Follow FROZEN 2 on Instagram: Instagram.com/disneyfrozen

Check out official FROZEN 2 videos on YouTube: Youtube.com/disneyanimation