How do you make a hit animated movie? ABC will reveal all in a brand new special called The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic. In addition to giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the beloved Disney musical, the special, which airs next month, will also offer news of what's ahead for "Anna, Elsa and friends," and give us a sneak peek at Disney's upcoming animated film Big Hero 6.
Disney has announced that The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic is an all-new, original special and a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Lincoln Square Productions and Walt Disney Animation Studios. The special will give Frozen fans a peek behind the scenes of the making of the 2013 movie. The one-hour special will allow viewers to hear from voice stars Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa) as well as the directors, songwriters, producer, artists and chief creative officer John Lasseter, all of whom contributed to turning a Hans Christian Anderson story into an animated musical that went on to be a mega-blockbuster, grossing more than a billion dollars worldwide.
Viewers will take a journey to the beautiful Norwegian villages and landscapes that inspired the look of Arendelle - the fictional kingdom - and see images and footage from the research trips to Norway, Quebec and points beyond that helped create the film’s unforgettable look and feel.
Beyond that, Disney promises "exciting announcements" regarding the future of Frozen. Or "the next chapter" as they put it, which could very well be a reference to the book series we recently heard about, if not an actual feature sequel or perhaps something aimed for television. Speaking of TV, the Story of Frozen special will also include a brand new preview of Frozen characters Anna, Elsa and Kristoff in their highly anticipated appearance in ABC's Once Upon a Time. So it seems this special will be packed with previews for related things, and that includes the mentioned Big Hero 6 sneak peek.
Those who have Frozen on Blu-ray are likely aware that it includes a bonus feature set on the Making of Frozen. However, that glimpse inside the making of the popular musical is actually a music video featuring some of the stars singing about the making of Frozen... without actually revealing much about the making of Frozen. The featurette gets a major pass for not delivering the goods, thanks in large part to the song being so catchy and the video being so incredibly entertaining.
You can catch part of the "Making of Frozen song in the video after the jump. And if you're interested in looking behind the scenes of Disney animated movies, I recommend Waking Sleeping Beauty, a 2009 documentary that focuses on the re-rise of Disney animation in the late 1980s, at the start of the era that included The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. That's worth a watch for Disney fans.
As for Frozen fans, be sure to tune in for The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic on Tuesday, September 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
