Disney has confirmed that its $2 billion-plus Frozen IP will get a three-quel in 2027. Disney exec Jennifer Lee, who is also one of the directors of Frozen and Frozen II, released a concept art of the film at the ongoing D23 event. The film was inspired by Christian Andersen’s old fairy tale The Snow Queen. The two films grossed a total of $2.76 billion at the box office.
Lee also hinted at a potential fourth film in the franchise, which obviously draws a comparison to Pixar’s seminal four-part film franchise, Toy Story. From the numbers and the success of Inside Out 2 & Despicable Me 4, the Frozen franchise is likely to surpass the $3 billion-grossing franchise.
Disney Announces Frozen 3 And The Franchise Is All Set To Overthrow Another Pixar Film Series
The Academy Award-winning film Frozen has announced a threequel and fans are excited to explore the world of Elsa and Anna once again. The announcement was made at the ongoing D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event (via Deadline). Accompanying the announcement was concept art from Frozen III, which is set for a 2027 release date.
Jennifer Lee, one of the directors of Frozen, was tasked with presenting the news for Disney. She shared, “There were a lot of questions coming out of Frozen 2…it will take two films to answer them.” She has also seemingly confirmed a fourth film with that statement. However, Disney decided to announce only the third film for the time being.
Frozen is surely an investment-worthy IP for the media conglomerate, which had a few hits & misses over the past years. The IP has already amassed $2.76 billion, with the first film collecting $1.27 billion while the second film grossed a massive $1.45 billion (via The Numbers). Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell will likely return to their characters of Elsa and Anna.
As Lee presented the concept art from the film, she shared, “It captures the scene of Anna and Elsa…everyone at Disney animation is excited to be back at in this world.” The art showed Elsa, Anna, and Olaf riding on horses toward a horizon. It surely looks like another adventure awaits the sisters.
With two potential films coming up in the franchise, the Frozen franchise will likely earn a couple of billions more. It will likely surpass the Toy Story franchise, despite the film releasing a fifth film in 2026. The franchise has grossed $3 billion from its four films if you don’t count the disastrous spinoff Lightyear.
Toy Story and Toy Story 2, which were released in the 1990s, amassed $365 million and $511 million respectively (via The Numbers). Toy Story 3 was the first billion-dollar grossing film in the franchise, collecting $1.068 billion. Toy Story 4 grossed $1.072 billion during its 2019 release.
The Box Office Performance Of Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4 Are Promising For Frozen III
Amy Poehler‘s Inside Out 2 has been a smashing hit at the box office, with its global numbers crossing the $1.6 billion mark (via Forbes). It is a remarkable achievement for an animated film and the film brought a much-needed massive win to Pixar. The success of the IP is a great sign that things are going to be great for Frozen III as well.
Elsewhere at Universal, the sixth overall installment in the Despicable Me franchise has also grossed a respectable $762 million. It is currently the third-highest-grossing film of 2024 behind Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine. It should be noted that Despicable Me 4‘s success comes amidst mixed reviews for the film from various corners.
Fans hope that things don’t change much by 2027. Disney has reserved a Thanksgiving spot on November 24, 2027, for an animated feature, which is likely the release date for Frozen III.
Frozen I & II are now available for streaming on Disney+.
