Frozen is one of Disney's most successful films to date, and fans have been waiting a long time already for a sequel, so the inclusion of a special short all about the snowman Olaf seemed like it would be a hit with audiences in theaters. Unfortunately, the short wasn't so short, clocking in at 22 minutes, and folks who paid to see Coco weren't all happy about sitting through Olaf's Frozen Adventure. Now, Olaf's Frozen Adventure is heading to the small screen for folks to tune in and watch if they want to, not have to sit through while waiting for something else to play. The Frozen short/featurette will debut on ABC next week.
You can catch Olaf's Frozen Adventure on Thursday, December 14 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The short recently finished its limited theatrical run ahead of Coco in theaters, and those who didn't get to the theaters for Coco will get to watch Olaf's latest shenanigans in Arendelle on TV. It will air as part of Disney/ABC's 25 Days of Christmas celebration, followed by a showing of Prep & Landing. If you're in the mood for some Christmas festivity next Thursday, ABC is the place to be.
Olaf's Frozen Adventure brings the original voice cast back together, including Josh Gad as Olaf, Kristen Bell as Anna, Idina Menzel as Elsa, and Jonathan Groff as Kristoff. Viewers will get to hear four new original songs as well. Given that the Frozen sequel is probably still a ways off, Olaf's Frozen Adventure should be a treat for any who are anxious for more of the cast and characters.
It should be interesting to see how Olaf's Frozen Adventure is received by TV audiences compared to movie audiences. The reaction from many theatergoers was very negative, but those reactions were almost certainly affected by the fact that the short delayed Coco for more than 20 minutes. They shelled out the cash to see Coco, not Olaf. TV audiences will know what they're getting into by sitting down for an evening of Olaf in action, and it's very possible that reactions will be much more positive.
As it happens, Olaf's Frozen Adventure was originally not intended to debut as a very long short. According to Coco co-director Adrian Molina, Disney simply didn't have a traditional short prepared for Coco's release, so the company suggested the Frozen featurette. The short does "further the mythos of Arendelle," according to Frozen 2 director Jennifer Lee, so the short will have relevance to the Frozen universe.
Be sure to tune in to ABC on December 14 at 8 p.m. ET to see Olaf's Frozen Adventure. For what you''ll be able to watch on the small screen in the new year, take a look at our 2018 midseason TV premiere guide. If you're not up on all the shows that got the axe over the past year, swing by our 2017 TV cancellations rundown.
