There’s no doubt that Disney’s Frozen has become a bit of a phenomenon. The movie has already made more than a billion dollars for the entertainment company, and its related products and songs have lined toy aisles and held a steady spot on the airwaves for months. The characters are so popular, Once Upon A Time producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz decided to add them to the ABC drama this fall. This week, actress Georgina Haig has been signed on to play Elsa, the lovely Queen of Arendelle.
While veteran Broadway actress Idina Menzel played the icy but kindhearted queen in the film version of the story, Haig is not quite as much of a powerhouse actress. Her most recent role has been a gig on CBS’ summer show Reckless. She’s also acted in The Elegant Gentlemen’s Guide to Knife Fighting, Fringe and The Elephant Princess. I personally can’t tell you anything about Georgina Haig’s acting ability, but I can tell you that she has the blonde hair and slim figure to play Elsa during Season 4. According to TV Line, her Elsa will be living in a universe after her big meltdown and the subsequent freeze it caused.
The news comes just a short time after newcomer actress Elizabeth Lail and Greek actor Scott Michael Foster joined the Once Upon a Time cast. The two actors will also be playing Frozen characters, with Lail playing Elsa’s sister Anna and Foster signed on to play Kristoff. Kitsis and Horowitz were able to get all of these actors on board after signing off with Disney’s brand management people to use the popular characters in the ABC drama. You would think that Disney would want as many of its franchised characters on the show as possible, but according to the co-creators of Once Upon a Time, if they do the characters, they have to do them right.
At the end of Season 3, Once Upon A Time went out of its way to tease Elsa during the big season finale. The costuming and setting were pretty spot-on for the character, who morphed from some icy liquid into a regular human being. Luckily, Once Upon a Time was smart enough to avoid showing Elsa’s face, thus giving the casting people plenty of time to sign on the actress they believed might be the perfect fit. If you missed the finale, here’s the footage.
Once Upon A Time has been a staple for ABC for some time, now. I've actually felt that the ambling storyline and the introduction of numerous additional characters have been a problem for the series in recent seasons. Hopefully, Elsa and co.’s official entrance will feel more like a true fit for the series than some of the show’s added characters in the past. We’ll find out when Once Upon a Time returns to ABC’s schedule this fall.
