The success of Frozen at the box office and particularly in terms of merchandise sales means that Disney is squarely in the franchise business for the adventures of Elsa, Anna, charming snowman Olaf and the rest. One short follow-up has already hit screens and a new, longer one will be attached to Pixar's Coco. Check out the trailer for *Olaf's
Frozen Adventure*.
The short is set as the holidays – they don't specify in the trailer, but given Arendelle's frosty conditions, it's basically Christmas – are fast approaching. Royal sisters Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) are disappointed to note that thanks to the years the latter spent in isolation as a young woman afraid of her powers, and the death of their parents, they don't really have holiday traditions.
So Olaf (Josh Gad) decides he's going to visit various people around the city and learn what they do to celebrate so he can bring them back and help to save Christmas. Yes, it's a basic idea on which to hang more time with the merry snow creature.
Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton directed this one, which will run as a 21-minute-long piece written by Jac Shaeffer. It features four new original songs from Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson and also stars Jonathan Groff's Kristoff along with reindeer buddy Sven. Olaf's Frozen Adventure will be in US cinemas with Coco when the Pixar film arrives there on 22 November. UK audiences may have to wait until Coco lands here on 19 January next year, which will be a little awkward given the Christmassy feel... Frozen 2, meanwhile, is out in 2019.