Disney’s Frozen was, quite simply, a phenomenon. It made more money and more fans of more little kids than anything in recent memory. It’s one of the highest grossing films ever made. Making a follow-up is going to be a tall order, yet that’s exactly what Disney is currently working on. At this point it seems that nobody has any idea what’s in store for the film’s lead characters, however, Josh Gad knows what he’d like to see come from Olaf in Frozen 2. The character is so young that the sequel would be a great opportunity to show what he’s learned.
Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with Josh Gad and I ask him about plans for the forthcoming (eventually) Frozen 2. While the actor told me that he didn't know what Disney was planning for the lovable snowman, he said that he would love to see how Olaf has changed now that the world has become more familiar to him.
I would love to see him grow. I mean, I’d love to see new colors. I’d love to see… You know, he’s so new to the world. I’d love to see what being around in this world a little bit has taught him, or is teaching him.
When Olaf is created in the original Frozen (and somehow given life) he arrives, essentially, as a child. He’s capable of speech, but doesn’t really understand the world around him. He’s mostly mesmerized by this magical idea called "summer." Everything he encounters is new. While we don’t know how much time will have passed in between the original movie and its sequel, one can assume that Olaf (Josh Gad) will have matured to some degree. If nothing else, once he’s experienced summer, it should become somewhat less mysterious to him, even if it won’t have the negative effects on him that a normal snowman would experience.
Olaf, by virtue of his childlike innocence, is possibly the most versatile character within the Frozen films at this point. By the end of the original film, Elsa has come to terms with her abilities, and Anna has matured significantly and already lost some of the innocence that she had. We would expect those characters to move on from those points in the sequel. Olaf, on the other hand, can go nearly anywhere from where we left him. While he likely will have a better understanding of the world, how will that impact him? Could we see a jaded and bitter Olaf in Frozen 2? It would be an extreme reaction for him, but maybe once he learns more about the world, he decides he’s not nearly as impressed with it as he thought he’d be. We don’t really expect that, but it could actually be hilarious.
We’re certainly looking forward to the future of Olaf the snowman, whatever it may bring. What would you like to see in Frozen 2? Let us know in the comments.
