According to a recent press release from Walt Disney Studios, the Mickey Mouse-approved adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s popular fairy tale is set to hit the box office on November 17th, 2013. The news is long-awaited, since the film, which was originally titled The Snow Queen, was put on ice in 2010 due to story issues.
The synopsis for the film is as follows.
“A prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, so Anna (voice of Bell) must team up with Kristoff, a daring mountain man, on the grandest of journeys to find the Snow Queen (voice of Menzel) and put an end to the icy spell. Encountering Everest-like extremes, mystical creatures and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.”
Musically, this film shows signs of success. Idina Menzel, known for her roles in Wicked, Enchanted, Rent and Glee, has the experienced sass and commanding voice expected of a frigid femme fatale. Then there’s Kristen Bell, who is most recognized for her portrayal of the titular character in Veronica Mars as well as some comedy flick roles, she also has Broadway credits in The Crucible and Tom Sawyer.
For those who still haven’t warmed up to Frozen, the wife-husband duo Robert Lopez and Kristen-Anderson Lopez will be composing original songs for the animated fantasy adventure.
Robert Lopez is notable for his co-creations The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q; if you’ve seen either of the hilarious musicals, you’ll be pleased to know that Lopez’s wit will be influencing Frozen‘s score. As for his wife, she has written music for Disney before and voiced Kanga in the 2011 Winnie the Pooh film.
All in all, the film seems promising and I’m looking forward to hearing more about it. What about you?
