In an era, one would say, very different from when the Disney animated classics aroused a completely unparalleled enthusiasm and appreciation among younger audiences - just think of the nostalgic 90s, with masterpieces such as "Beauty and the Beast”, “Aladdin” and “The Lion King” - an important exception must largely be attributed to the films of Pixar Animation Studios - which, although not falling into the category of classics, represented the true alternative to Disney's portfolio of titles - and also to the success of names such as "Rapunzel" in 2010 and above all "Frozen: the kingdom of ice" released in 2013; capable even of reversing a trend which, for the most traditionalists, now belongs to a distant past.

The box office results of the first "Frozen" still make a certain impression today : in addition to the critical recognition with two Oscar awards for best animated film and best original song, the title is placed in nineteenth place among films with highest grossing in the history of cinema.

In the adventures featuring the young Elsa - daughter of the royal couple of Arendelle and sister of Anna, gifted with extraordinary powers that allow her to control the natural elements of ice and snow - the title reached a total amount of 900 million dollars worldwide with just one theatrical release . In just two months, it surpassed the billion dollar mark and beat even "Toy Story 3: The Great Escape" at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing animated film in the history of cinema in 2014.

With the official sequel, entitled "Frozen 2 - The Secret of Arendelle", even the previous record was surpassed and, according to the results updated to 2023, it would be the greatest commercial success for an animated film second only to "Super Mario Bros: the film". Therefore, given the astonishing impact that the franchise has had among the public, it was more than reasonable to assume that something was starting to move for a third date with the ice queen. And in fact the official announcement of a new episode of the saga came last February directly from Bob Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company.

In this regard, further information comes directly from director Jennifer Lee, who has recently been involved in the promotion of "Wish" - the latest addition to the Disney family - and said she is open to the creation of the next chapter of "Frozen", again in her capacity as director: « Well, I definitely know that sooner or later I want to go back to being a director. I'm getting older, but I'm not that old yet. It depends on who you ask. The Frozen movies were the only two I got to make, and I've never gotten to make a movie from scratch. Wish is the closest thing to it, because I came to Wreck-It Ralph later; and the same goes for Frozen and Zootropolis. So it's a necessity for me, and I will definitely go back sooner or later. At the moment, I'm having a lot of fun with the new generation. I can participate in all films. I have a chance to be part of Frozen. It's all very beautiful. But yes, there is the possibility. I believe I will be able to recognize the right moment."

Furthermore, some rather optimistic statements released by Lee during a previous interview should not be forgotten: «The only thing I can say is that Bob Chapek has announced that there will be more Frozen. And I will say that what we're working on excites me a lot. That's all I can say."

In the meantime, we discover that "Frozen 3" could even be divided into two parts, given the very elaborate plot that will define the events. Precisely with respect to the next narrative developments, the producer Peter Del Vecho - also involved in the promotion of "Wish" - wanted to express some considerations: «Disney only makes sequels if we believe there is enough story to tell. They are currently working on it in the development stages, I am focusing on Wish. But I find it exciting that they're working on it. Everything you read around is not reliable, we haven't said anything about the sequel. This is all just speculation, but I have faith that it will be fantastic."

Giovanni Scano

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