In addition to generally favorable critical reviews and a positive reception from audiences, Disney’s Frozen II has been getting the best kind of accolade at the box office, where the long-anticipated sequel has made well over $1 billion worldwide and counting. If you’re Disney or the filmmakers, cast and crew behind the film, there’s really not much more you could ask for. Yet, while that’s all great, Frozen II has also led to an unexpected honor for the cast. Take a look:
A highly successful movie is cool and all, but this honor from the people of Norway is something special. In a show of gratitude to Frozen II and Disney for using Norway and Sámi culture as inspiration for Frozen II, the Sámi people of Alta, Norway (who inspired the Northuldra) have named a group of reindeer calves after the film’s stars. Specifically, Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff all have baby reindeer sporting their names in Norway right now.
The reindeer calves in this video from Visit Norway are absolutely gorgeous and incredibly cute and they were even named based on how their personalities matched up with the cast of Frozen II. The goofy reindeer calf was named after Josh Gad, while the shy snow white reindeer was named after Kristen Bell.
Appropriately, the reindeer that loves the cold and is lying in the snow is named after Elsa herself, Idina Menzel, while the energetic reindeer was named after Jonathan Groff, who voices Kristoff in Frozen II. I presume the rest of the reindeer in Norway are all named Sven.
It’s a kind gesture and unexpected honor that the Official Tourism Board of Norway hopes will convince the cast of Frozen II to come visit their reindeer twins, and see the beautiful environment that inspired the film in Sámi Siida in Alta, Norway. I imagine the hope is that their visit can be part of a larger tourism campaign for the country.
I mean, after the magnificent Maelstrom ride was replaced with the admittedly stunning Frozen Ever After at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT and the entire Norway pavilion was taken over by Frozen merch, it’s the least the cast of Frozen II can do.
Norway a very happy country, and contains many beautiful natural wonders like the Northern Lights, which can be viewed in all its splendor from Alta. Plus the opportunity to hang out with some cute reindeer, not to mention ones named after you, while experiencing an indigenous culture, I don’t know how you turn this down.
It is worth noting that Frozen II is not the only film this year that drew inspiration from the Sámi people of Scandinavia. Netflix’s positively wonderful, instant Christmas classic Klaus features Sámi characters that wear their own traditional garb and speak their own language, with an actual Sami girl voicing the young Márgu in the film. Maybe cast members J.K. Simmons, Jason Schwartzman and Rashida Jones should see if they can get their own reindeer.
Frozen II is now playing. Check out our 2020 Release Schedule to keep track of all of the biggest movies heading to theaters in the new year.
