While Frozen 2 is coming out in just a few short months, we surprisingly know very little about it. We’ve seen a pair of trailers, the last of which was posted in June, but for the most part details have been kept to a minimum. We’ll likely have to wait until the film actually comes out in November to really learn what’s in store, but earlier today we got an awesome preview courtesy of the live-action/animation presentation at D23 Expo 2019.
Disney showcased a ton of their upcoming projects during the two hour show, which included some very exciting updates from franchises like Star Wars and Marvel, but Frozen II was kept until the end of the event as the literal show-stopper. In addition to announcing that the new release will feature the voice talents of Evan Rachel Wood and Sterling K. Brown, the audience was also shown a pair of consecutive sequences from the movie that play out at the very start.
The footage began with Anna (Kristen Bell), Elsa (Idina Menzel), Olaf (Josh Gad), and Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) all playing a game of charades, with being left to keep time. It’s a boys versus girls match, and the girls aren’t doing so great. Not only are neither Anna nor Elsa very good at mime, but Olaf has the distinct advantage of being able to totally change his body shape, allowing Kristoff the opportunity to rattle off correct answers in rapid succession.
As Elsa stands in front of her friends, though, she hears a call on the wind that clearly distresses her and throws her off her game – a call that nobody else can hear. When Sven rings his bell letting Elsa know her time is done, she turns down a rematch request from Elsa, and instead says that she is tired and is going to go to bed.
With Elsa, Olaf, and Sven out of the room, Kristoff sees an opportunity: he’s going to propose to Anna. He has a ring and is fully confident, but unfortunately things don’t go exactly as planned. He gets down on one knee, but Anna doesn’t even notice because she’s too worried about Elsa – a situation that worsens when she discovers that Elsa’s charade word was “Ice.” With things not going as expected, Kristoff fumbles with the ring, dropping it under the sofa, but by the time he retrieves it his moment has past, and Anna has left the room.
Anna then goes to Elsa’s room, where she can see that her sister is still clearly upset by something. Concerned that the problem is her, the redhead apologizes for possibly creating hurt feelings, but the elder sibling instead explains that it’s not her fault and that she just doesn’t “want to mess things up.” Anna comforts Elsa by bringing her to the bed and cuddling with her as their mother used to, and she sings her a lullaby to help her fall asleep.
Later that night, both of the girls are sleeping, but Elsa is awoken when she hears the same call on the wind that she heard earlier. She does her best to ignore it, shutting her eyes tight, and trying to put a pillow over her head, but nothing stops the sound. She gets up and leaves the room, then breaking into a fantastic new song seemingly titled “Into The Unknown,” which is about her trying to ignore the sound, calling it a “secret siren” and expressing that she “had [her] adventure” and doesn’t need something new, and that she is afraid to follow into the unknown. It's an amazing track, with the full power of Idina Menzel's voice pushing you into the back of your chair.
Prior to the footage, directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck noted that the call on the wind is first featured in Frozen II during the movie’s prologue, and also that what sparked the idea for the sequel was the big question regarding where Elsa’s powers came from. Could it be that whatever the “secret siren” is it has to do with her ability to create and control ice?
As mentioned, we don’t have much longer to wait for Frozen II, as Walt Disney Animation will be unleashing the film just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday on November 22nd. We’ll keep providing more updates as they become available prior to the release, and stick on the site for a whole lot more of our D23 Expo 2019 coverage!
