Frozen 3 gets a theatrical release date… after Disney announces 4th installment is in the works

Disney has announced the official release date for Frozen 3. The film will hit theaters on November 24, 2027, during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The latest update comes just months after Disney CEO Bob Iger said last November that a fourth installment of the animated series was also in the works.

Jennifer Lee, who wrote and directed Frozen and Frozen 2, revealed during the D23 event last Friday that the third sequel will premiere in 2027. Disney will confirm the actual date soon.

Also during the expo, Lee revealed a first look at concept art for the upcoming film, per Term.

An image appeared on a screen showing sisters Anna and Elsa riding horses through a forest with a warm, sunny landscape in the distance.

The snowman, Olaf, sat behind Anna on the horse, while a shadowy figure reflected in a river near the trio. This could point to the antagonist in the next part.

Plot details for Frozen 3 are still under wraps, but the songwriters of the first two films, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, are returning, according to Variety.

The third film was announced by Iger last February and both Kristen and Richard previously said they were surprised by the revelation.

“They told us the day itself and a little bit about what they were thinking,” the couple said Collider in March of last year.

“It made us very excited. Now we have to let the wheels of Hollywood do their work, but we were very excited about their ideas.”

When it came to writing songs for the first Frozen film, the couple credited their children as an inspiration.

‘When they showed us the pictures of Little Anna and Little Elsa, we thought, “That’s Katie and Annie. That’s our kids. This is for them. This is what we need to say to the world right now.”‘

Last November, Bob Iger said Good morning America that Frozen 4 is also in the making.

“Well, I’ll give you a little surprise,” he said then. “Frozen 3 is in the works and there might be a Frozen 4 in the works as well.”

“But I don’t have much to say about those films right now. But Jenn Lee, who created Frozen, the original Frozen and Frozen 2, is working hard with her team at Disney Animation on not one, but actually two stories.”

Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa) and Josh Gad (Olaf) return in the third film, but it is not yet known whether they will reprise their roles in the fourth installment.

The original Frozen film hit theaters in 2013 and quickly became a box office success, having since grossed $1.28 billion.

The animated film also received critical acclaim and several award nominations. Frozen won Best Original Song and Best Animated Feature at the 86th Academy Awards.

Six years later, in 2019, the sequel Frozen 2 was released, which was also a success among cinema-goers.

The film grossed slightly more, $1.45 billion, against a budget of $150 million.

The second part was also nominated for several awards, including the 92nd Academy Awards for Best Original Song, which went to (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again by Rocketman.

Gad – who is known for voicing Olaf – gave a sneak peek at the third film on The view last year and joked, “I could share things with you, but Disney would literally escort me out of the building with armed security.”

He added: ‘No, apparently there are two Frozen sequels in development right now, surprise! Equally surprised – and I know Jennifer Lee, who wrote and directed the first two, is hard at work with the team right now.’

“I’ve heard a little bit about it and I can tell you, it’s pretty overwhelming what’s coming. It’s pretty exciting.”

Also last year, in November 2023, Lee hinted in an interview with Disney-esque.

She said: ‘The team is working hard, we’re incredibly excited about the story we’re creating together, and it’s so epic that it might not fit into one film.’

The film and its characters are beloved by fans, with a Broadway musical released in 2018 and the World of Frozen opening at Disneyland in Hong Kong.

Speaking about Frozen’s impact, Jennifer said, “I think it’s both the story of the familial love between these two sisters, and the idea of ​​love overcoming fear.”

“I recently visited World of Frozen and it is awe-inspiring. You are a citizen of Arendelle the moment you step foot in the land.”