Do you want to build a snowman … again? Disney has announced that a new installment in the Frozen franchise is in the works. The spinoff story, which is titled Frozen Northern Lights, will span a variety of formats, including new books and TV animated shorts.
“Natural phenomenon meets cultural phenomenon in this all new story, Frozen Northern Lights,” Disney Publishing Worldwide executive vice president Andrew Sugerman said in a statement on Tuesday, June 21. “We’re excited to share this new adventure and offer fans great new ways to connect with their favorite characters thanks to a host of related books, digital games and activities.”
The new story will kick off in July with the release of the first novel, Disney Frozen Northern Lights: Journey to the Lights. Disney Channel will air a series of four new animated shorts — featuring the voices of original cast members Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), Josh Gad (Olaf) and Jonathan Groff (Kristoff) — from the LEGO Group in the fall.
“It’s a new story that follows Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and, of course, Sven on an epic adventure to restore the Northern Lights,” Gad, 35, explains in a new video. “The shorts are unbelievably cool. Fans are absolutely going to love it. All of the voice talent from the original film is back. This is going to be unbelievable, you guys!”
Disney will also update the Frozen website with fun activities related to the new series, as well as a Frozen Instagram account (@DisneyFrozen).
The Academy Award–winning film, which was released in 2013, has become the highest-grossing animated feature ever released, earning more than $1.27 billion at the box office worldwide. In March 2015, Disney confirmed that a sequel is in the works. A Broadway musical inspired by the beloved movie is also set to open in NYC in spring 2018.
