In a rare display of thoughtful restraint, Disney has made no moves to produce a sequel to their $1.2 billion animated hit "Frozen." Back in the spring, the studio said it would focus on developing a Broadway show based on "Frozen’, and just last week hired the film’s writer/director Jennifer Lee to take on a different project entirely, an adaptation of the classic "A Wrinkle In Time." But the further adventures of Anna and Elsa are coming, albeit in a different medium.
Random House has announced a new series of books centered on the sisters taking place in the world of "Frozen," with plans to publish three or four books per year. January 6, 2015 will see the release of "Anna & Elsa #1: All Hail the Queen" and "Anna & Elsa #2: Memory and Magic," with two more books arriving next year as well. Author Erica David, an old hand at crafting stories based on animated properties like "How To Train Your Dragon," will pen the books.
Developing a "Frozen 2" doesn’t look to be anywhere near a priority for Disney, which is puzzling. Perhaps the Marvel juggernaut and the revived "Star Wars" franchise is sucking up all the available oxygen. [THR]
Maybe this is Disney actually having some artistic integrity. If it can come up with a good story, it may do the sequel. But if it can't, or if the filmmakers feel that they have told the story they want to tell and there is no need to go further, then perhaps it will stop there. In principle, I'm not opposed to a sequel, but it has to be very, very good and it has to build on what has gone before. I'm happy for there to be no sequel at all than for Disney to try something that detracts from the original.
Pog form to follow shortly after.
Exhibit A to prove that the real $$$ for Disney is in the merchandising, not the films. Disney was totally taken off guard that Frozen would be a huge juggernaut and are trying to catch up with merchandising. Disney will anounce a sequel once the sales plateau for Frozen bedsheets and toothpaste.
Walt Disney didn't make sequels to his animated feature hits. After a sequel to the short film sensation The Three Little Pigs didn't catch fire he declared "You can't top pigs with pigs."