It’s been less than a year since Walt Disney Animation Studios’Frozen 2opened and assumed pop cultural dominance thanks to its winning mixture of heartfelt storytelling, gorgeous artistry and a collection of songs that would insidiously lodge themselves in your brain for months on end (I’m looking at you, “Lost in the Woods”). Since then, we’ve seen the characters debut in their new outfits in the Disney Parks (complete with Anna’s engagement ring) and been brought behind-the-scenes in the brilliant Disney+ documentary seriesInto the Unknownand a series of ingeniously devised animated online shorts worked on during quarantine by Disney Animation artists that helped melt away some of the pandemic blues. And now comes word that we’re getting a new treat this October in the form of a brand-new animated short, “Once Upon a Snowman,” centered around, you guessed it, everyone’s favorite summer-loving snow-buddy, Olaf (voiced once again by the incomparableJosh Gad).
“Once Upon a Snowman,” debuting exclusively on Disney+ on October 23, will be directed byTrent Correy, who was the animation supervisor on Olaf forFrozen 2, andDan Abraham, a story supervisor who storyboarded Olaf’s big “When I’m Older” musical number inFrozen 2. Described in the press release as exploring “the previously untold origins of Olaf,” the short is set in the span of time in between when Elsa created Olaf while building her ice palace and when the cuddly snowman met Anna and Kristoff in the woods. In other words, this will beOlaf Begins. We have also confirmed that unlike in previous short “Frozen Fever” or the holiday specialOlaf’s Frozen Adventure, there will be no new original song. But you will hear a bit of “Let It Go.”
“This is an idea that started to form when I was an animator on the first Frozen,” director Trent Correy said in an official statement. “Dan Abraham and I are so grateful and excited to have had the opportunity to direct this short, working with our incredible colleagues at Walt Disney Animation Studios.” Correy added: “Josh Gad gives one of the great animated voice performances as Olaf through theFrozenfilms. To have the opportunity to work with him in the recording booth was such a privilege and career highlight.”
We cannot wait to see “Once Upon a Snowman” when it debuts on October 23 on Disney+. If you’re looking for more Frozen goodness before then, the streaming platform has you covered, with both movies,Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, the documentary series, and a LEGOFrozenspecial calledNorthern Lights. So don’t worry, you won’t have to let it go anytime soon.
