Disney has always been known for its animated blockbusters, but Frozen (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) became a full-blown sensation upon its release in 2013. Its sequel Frozen II crushed at the box office, and two more sequels were quickly announced. Although the studios' Head of Animation recently revealed a big change coming to the next two installments of the franchisee
The first Frozen III footage debuted at D23 over the summer, so anticipation for the threequel is steadily building. While we'll have to wait another year until it arrives in November of 2027, Disney's Jared Bush spoke to Collider about how the studio is approaching the next two movies. He revealed that they're putting a full emphasis on the third movie, rather than trying to put out 3 and 4 in quick succession. In his words:
Looking at Frozen 3 and what a Frozen 4 could look like, I know early on it was, 'We're going to put them right together, and they're going to be out in the world. It's going to happen quick.' That's not what we're doing, for a lot of reasons.
Rather than trying to produce a third and fourth Frozen movie as a cash grab (although they're sure to rake in the bucks), it sounds like the powers that be at Disney are putting story first. This is sure to be a relief for fans who might be worried about the property's legacy being soiled by the next two installments.
Fans are excited for Anna and Kristoff's wedding in the threequel, and to reportedly see Olaf get a love interest. Although we shouldn't expect Frozen III to do a bunch of set up for the developing fourth movie. As Bush went on to say:
To me, an important one is we want to make sure that Frozen 3 is the best movie it can possibly be, so that when you get to the end of the movie, do you feel like you've watched a complete story? That it feels like something that feels fulfilling. That doesn't always mean that everything is buttoned up, but it does mean that you have to be building to something that feels worthy of the end of a franchise that's that important to people.
Honestly, I love this strategy. Rather than getting too big picture about the Frozen franchise as a whole, it sounds like the next two installments will tell independent, fully formed stories. So we shouldn't expect any MCU-esque credits scene that help to set up the fourth movie once Frozen III hits theaters next year.
Sometimes thinking too far ahead can frustrate moviegoers when it comes to franchise films. For instance, Halloween Kills got some backlash upon its release for keeping Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode in the background and set up her role in the threequel. Luckily the third Frozen movie won't be doing that, and will instead tell its own complete narrative.
All will be revealed when Frozen III hits theaters November 24th, 2027. Since its not on the 2026 movie release list, we'll have to practice patience until footage get its wide release.
