Disney+ Is Getting a New Version of Frozen (& Just Released a Trailer)

For those who can’t let go of their love for Disney’s Frozen, we have good news. Disney+ just released a trailer for a filmed version of the Broadway and West End adaptation of the phenomenon about sisters Anna and Elsa, set to begin streaming on June 20th. The musical opened in 2018 at the St. James Theatre and was forced to close because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The stage musical version of the billion-dollar Frozen franchise also had a three year run on London’s West End from 2021 to 2024, as well as toured intermittently for about five years, yet this is the first time another with a Wifi connection and a Disney+ account can experience the show.

Much of the creative team behind the Frozen films returned to bring the juggernaut Disney musical to the stage. Composers Bobby and Kristen Anderson Lopez wrote twelve new original songs for the Broadway musical and director/writer of the film Jennifer Lee returned to write the book for Frozen on stage. It allows for the best of both worlds for Frozen fans, we still get to hear the hits like “Let It Go” and “For the First Time in Forever” as well as discover new favorites from the musical.

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Disney Pulled Out All the Stops for Frozen Spectacle on Stage

The trailer for Frozen‘s stage version features the West End cast with Stephanie Barks playing Elsa, originated by fellow stage legend Idina Menzel in the film. Stephanie McKeon plays Anna, who was voiced by Kristen Bell in both animated Frozen films, and earned McKeon an Olivier nomination in 2022. Despite being a hit with children, this version of Frozen sought to develop and explore both Anna and Elsa’s internal lives more since according to Disney, 70% of the audience for its musicals are adults without children.

This filmed version spotlights all of the practical, on stage magic director Michael Grandage utilized to bring the show’s setting of Arendelle to life. lighting and grand set pieces are used for Elsa’s powers and two ballet dancers who traded off the strenuous responsibility of playing Sven. The role required hand stilts and walking on one’s tip toes for the two-plus hours of performance. Even from the trailer, Frozen appears to be both a feast for the eyes and ears with its stellar production design along with its timeless music.

Frozen Follows in the Footsteps of Two Disney Traditions

After the incredible success of the film, it was no surprise that Disney began developing a stage version of Frozen as it did with past classics like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid. While Frozen didn’t run as long as those productions, the stage show did rack up three Tony award nominations on Broadway and 4 Olivier nominations for its West End version.

The choice to release a professional recorded version of the production is the latest in a burgeoning trend for Disney+: releasing filmed stage shows. Both Newsies and Aladdin’s Broadway productions either are or were available to stream on the platform, and Disney celebrated Fourth of July in 2020 but releasing the filmed version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. As Broadway ticket prices soar, we hope this trend will continue as it makes theater accessible for an exponentially larger audience.

Frozen begins streaming on Disney+ on June 20th.