Disney has always produced fantastic animated features, which become instant classics passed down across generations. The most recent of these hits was 2013's Frozen, which adapted the tale of the The Snow Queen for a new generation. That queen was named Elsa, voiced by Tony Award winner Idina Menzel, who had vast cryokinetic abilities. When Frozen hit theaters, critics applauded how the sisters' relationship was the most important in the movie, rather than a love story. Since then theories have been going around that Elsa might have a same sex romantic partner in the sequel. Frozen writer/director Jennifer Lee recently spoke to this fan reaction, saying:
I love everything people are saying [and] people are thinking about with our film -- that it's creating dialogue, that Elsa is this wonderful character that speaks to so many people. It means the world to us that we're part of these conversations. Where we're going with it, we have tons of conversations about it, and we're really conscientious about these things. For me ... Elsa's every day telling me where she needs to go, and she'll continue to tell us. I always write from character-out, and where Elsa is and what Elsa's doing in her life, she's telling me every day. We'll see where we go.
While Jennifer Lee hasn't confirmed or denied Elsa's gay theory, she certainly seems happy that the character is creating dialogue. While Elsa was originally set to be the villain of Frozen, she ended up being rewritten to be a sympathetic character-- one that the LGBT community seems especially close to.
Rumors and theories around Elsa possibly being queer happened shortly after Frozen debuted in theaters. It was unique for the character to not have any love interest-- something that is a mainstay of Disney animated features. Additionally, the lyrics to her showstopping song "Let It Go" were relatable for LBGT fans. The anthem is about being your authentic self, which fanned the flames of the gay Elsa theory.
It's interesting that Jennifer Lee's comment to Huffington Post didn't deny that Elsa was a LGBT character in the upcoming sequel. It would have been easy for her to put the rumors to rest, but she purposefully chose to remain ambiguous. This may simply be to help conversation continue around the sequel for the year and change until it finally arrives in theaters.
The call for inclusion has been a major conversation revolving around the entertainment world. Critics are crying out for more representation in the media in regards to race, gender, and sexual orientation. Director J.J. Abrams seems to think this important as well, ensuring fans that queer characters will pop up in the Star Wars franchise. And since he's directing Episode IX, maybe all the Poe/Finn shippers will finally get their wish.
Frozen 2 is set to arrive in theaters November 27, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
