If you haven’t gotten the memo from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or the recently picked up Agent Carter series, ABC and Disney are really great at cross-promoting popular franchises. Once Upon A Time is another series that has brought newfound relevance to some popular Disney characters. The latest character to join the Once Upon a Time cast is a cold character from Frozen, a character who will play a bigger role in the show’s Season 4.
Despite the popularity of the Disney flick at this point in time, co-creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz swear up and down that the idea for the appearance came together naturally. The two men actually caught Frozen several times apiece, and eventually decided that the ice queen Elsa would be a great fit for the series. The character was actually first teased at the very end of the recent Season 3 finale, but in an interview with THR, the two men confirmed that Elsa will play a role during Season 4 of the popular drama after it was recently picked up for the fall season.
The two creators actually told the outlet that it was an “honor” for Disney to agree to allow them to use Elsa on the show, explaining that the process of getting a popular Disney character onto the small screen was harder than the average audience member might think.
The process I’m guessing it will be similar to how it’s been with all these characters. In many ways, it’s like using Snow White, using a character from Frozen -- it’s just a hundred-year difference. Our scripts and our ideas get vetted by the studio and the network and Disney’s brand management people, and I’m sure that process will continue.”
The two men make it seem like a huge process to get the characters they want on to the show (which might explain why it took so long for Ariel to be a part of the series), but I don’t see why Disney wouldn’t want Once Upon A Time to engage in plenty of cross-marketing. I do see the need for the brand management people to vet the TV versions of popular characters so that Kitsis and Horowitz are kept on a tight leash concerning the tone and nature of characters people have grown to love over the years. But I hardly think Disney would be dismissive of the show choosing to use one of the most beloved Disney characters in current memory. Frozen banked over a billion dollars worldwide and has been a box office juggernaut. If ABC can keep the characters in the public eye, why would Disney ever say no?
Here’s to hoping whatever Once Upon a Time chooses to do with Elsa is a fun and fulfilling plot during Season 4. We’ll let you know as soon as an actress gets cast in the role.
