I Genuinely Can’t Watch “Frozen” The Same Way After Learning These Facts
There were only a few movies in the 2010s that garnered as much obsession as the Disney [https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/classic-disney-trivia-quiz] animated film Frozen. Following the success of Tangled [https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/disney-animated-movies-trivia-quiz], it felt like princess movies were back on a whole new level. You couldn’t go into a store without some Olaf memorabilia or “Let It Go” blasting on the radio. Here are 21 cool Frozen movie facts that will make you revisit the film on Disney+ with a new perspective.
Although it may be surprising, Frozen, released in 2013, was the first Disney film directed by a woman [https://variety.com/2021/film/directors/frozen-uplifting-new-voices-jennifer-lee-disney-journey-1235108711/]. Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck collaborated on the project, making Lee the first woman to direct a Disney animated film in 52 projects. Filmmakers even invited a real-life reindeer onto the set [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294629/trivia/?item=tr2038386&ref_=ext_shr_lnk] to better understand the animal’s behavior, which helped them create the character of Sven.
Opening weekend for Frozen was, well, cold. The film only made $67.4 million in its first three days. However, thanks to word of mouth and stellar reviews, it ended up earning a staggering $1.28 billion [https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl357926401/] globally — yes, billion with a “B.”
In the story, Elsa is confirmed to be 21 years old [https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Leon_Sealite-Rex/The_Actual_Ages_Of_Disney_Princess_%26_Prince], making her the oldest Disney princess. Meanwhile, Hans is 23 [https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Hans], the youngest brother in his family—and the youngest villain in a non-Pixar Disney film [https://www.buzzfeed.com/evelinamedina/classic-disney-movies-ranked].
The hit song “Let It Go,” one of Disney’s most popular tunes [https://www.buzzfeed.com/kaileyhansen/best-disney-songs], was surprisingly quick to write. Composers Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez created a demo in just a day [https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/idina-menzel-let-it-go-frozen-songwriters-chorus-interview-7775309/]. Conversely, the opening song “Do You Want To Build A Snowman?” was almost cut from the film. Kristen Bell, Anna’s voice actress, revealed, “[the song] was not put back in until the night before we released it.” [https://www.businessinsider.com/do-you-want-to-build-a-snow-almost-cut-from-frozen-2014-8].
Arendelle was inspired by real Norwegian towns, particularly Bergen, noted for its architecture and waterfront [https://www.fjordtours.com/en/norway/people-and-culture/the-real-norwegian-towns-that-inspired-frozen]. Interestingly, Elsa was originally envisioned as the villain in the film—a nod to the antagonist in “The Snow Queen,” which loosely inspired the story. Her alternate design was more evil, cold, and heartless [https://screenrant.com/frozen-elsa-original-villain-different-look/].
Hans Christian Andersen, author of “The Snow Queen,” influences the characters’ names—Hans, Kristoff, and Anna are all homages [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294629/trivia/?item=tr2010011&ref_=ext_shr_lnk], celebrating the fairy tale’s origins. The cast also recorded their lines together, a rare practice in animated movies, adding authenticity to their interactions [https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Uz5wSZ6X_HE].
Elsa’s hair alone was a marvel of animation, consisting of nearly half a million strands that needed careful rendering [https://disneyanimation.com/technology/elsas-hair-journey/]. Sven’s original name was meant to be Thor, a nod to his eventual Marvel namesake, but Disney probably chose to steer clear of Marvel references after acquiring it during production [https://aminoapps.com/c/disney/page/blog/animals-edition-sven/wKWB_MW4ToupPMQWJWbevnaqxGwP8jNaxlQ].
Voice actor Alan Tudyk, who played the Duke of Weselton, also lent his voice to King Candy in Wreck-It Ralph (2012), illustrating his prolific Disney career. Another fun fact: Olaf’s “big snow monster” version was initially non-silly and more intimidating, even acknowledged as Olaf’s “brother” and larger in size, but the team tweaked him for comedy [https://celebrationspress.com/2020/11/23/6-things-you-may-not-know-about-olaf/].
During a scene, Olaf counts exactly to 60 seconds when asked to give Anna a moment alone with Elsa—an interesting little detail showing the precision behind the animation. Actor Alan Tudyk also appeared in both Frozen and Wreck-It Ralph, showing the overlap of Disney’s voice talent [https://movieweb.com/alan-tudyk-every-disney-animated-movie/].
Elsa’s ice castle dynamically changes color to reflect her mood, mimicking a mood ring—from dark, angry shades to warm, calm hues. Kristoff was originally meant to punch Hans, but the filmmakers decided Anna should deliver that blow instead, aligning better with the story’s emotional beats [https://www.reddit.com/r/MovieDetails/comments/81yu2h/in_frozen_hans_rubs_his_chin_while_getting_up_at/].
Finally, the song “Let It Go” has been recorded in 41 languages, emphasizing its universal appeal. Disney held global auditions to find the perfect voices for Elsa in each language [https://www.npr.org/2014/02/24/282081061/let-it-go-a-global-hit-in-any-language].
Want to explore more about Elsa, Anna, and the magic of Frozen? Watch it again on Disney+ [https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-04c97b72-504b-47f2-9c6f-fe13d9aea82f].
**What’s your favorite Frozen moment? Comment below!**
