The lives of millions of parents and children changed on November 27, 2013, when Frozen was released. Who would have imagined that Elsa and Anna would turn our lives upside down? The film became a global success with 1.28 billion US dollars in box office revenue, but it was with Frozen 2, released in 2019, that the film became the biggest success in the history of films. animation with 1.45 billion US dollars in global box office revenue. Frozen won two Oscars – best animated film and best original song for Let It Go, which became a real phenomenon.
The question has raged for 10 years: is the famous refrain (“liberated, delivered…”) a metaphor for coming out of the closet or not? Is Elsa a queer icon? With all due respect to all the academics who have looked into the question, an interview with the authors of the song (Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez) seems to refute this no less interesting proposition: it is more of an anthem to the freedom of women, in general, and to all the pressures they have on their shoulders, in particular.
We knew that Disney’s Frozen was loosely inspired by the tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. However, by delving into the archives, we learn that the character of Elsa, originally rather evil, first took on traits similar to those of… Amy Winehouse! At least that’s what Claire Keane, the artist who worked on the visual development of the film, reveals, who published her first sketches on her site. We understand that the character has evolved a lot…
Jennifer Lee is the first woman to co-direct a Disney animated film (with Chris Buck) and exceed one billion in box office revenue. She is the one who wrote the story of Frozen. In 2018, she became the chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, where she promotes diversity and parity. In Frozen, she focused on the sisterhood of the two heroines Elsa and Anna, and, above all, she created a surprise by making Hans a prince charming… who is a traitor!
A world in homage to the world of Frozen, World of Frozen, has just opened in Hong Kong, the very first “land” of a Disney park inspired by the famous animated saga. Right for the 10th anniversary, there is the kingdom of Arendell in the flesh, a number of rides (Frozen Ever After) and other roller coasters, and of course a merchandise store. Expect to be greeted here by Elsa, Olga or even Olaf.
The song, performed in English by Idina Menzel (in French by Anaïs Delva), shattered sales records, with the album becoming one of the best-selling of the year in 2014, just behind… Taylor Swift (1989 ). Parodied in every way, we found on YouTube an adaptation in ch’ti, a therapeutic version (from an expert in couples relations: Let Him Go!) and even – our favorite – a pandemic version (“locked up , confined…”).
Yes, there will be Frozen 3 and even 4! Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, announced that the third installment is in the works and that Jennifer Lee, who serves as creative director, is working with her teams on not one, but two stories! Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell (Elsa and Anna) will return, as will Josh Gad (Olaf), Jonathan Groff (Kristoff), and songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, for new songs.
Even if parents can no longer hear Liberé, delivered, many of them still liked the name Elsa! In 2014, for the first time in over a century, Elsa became a popular first name in the United States, thanks to the animated film, as reported by the New York Times. Since 1917, the first name Elsa had never appeared in the top 500 most popular first names given to girls. In 2014, 1,140 of them inherited it, placing it in 286th position in popularity. In 2022, 262 little Elsas were born in the United States and 15 in Quebec.
It is officially the landscapes of Norway that inspired the kingdom of Arendelle. Some members of the Disney animation team even made the trip there to soak up the snowy landscapes. Tourism to Norway from the United States increased by 37% in 2014, compared to 2013. Fans also discovered that the picturesque village of Hallstatt, Austria, is identical to Arendelle. A million tourists from all over the world come to visit it each year, and disturb the tranquility of the 780 inhabitants of this village, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Wooden barriers were even installed to block the taking of selfies.
Backpacks, pajamas, stuffed animals, Crocs, jewelry, figurines, advent calendars, larks, there is no shortage of gift ideas to mark this tenth anniversary. In the “unusual idea” category, special mention to the “des neiges” waffle machine which, surprise! allows you to make snowflake-shaped lunches.
