Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck Deny a Frozen Sequel is in the Works

While the new Disney short Frozen Fever might not be enough to satiate the actual Frozen fever that swept the world since the 2013 hit became the #1 animated movie of all-time, directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck told BuzzFeed that a bonafide sequel is not yet in the works, despite reports to the contrary.

“It’s been in the press that we are doing it, and we would ask each other, ‘Are we?’” Buck said. “They’d have a date and they’d have a cast and it was like, OK…”

“It all comes down to the story,” Lee added. “Like with the short, it was so daunting until we found the story. Then it was all of the things it usually is and we were thinking of every emotion and moment and feeling. I think that’s all we can do. Until we find our way into what’s next, emotionally, it will feel too big. We just finished the short two weeks ago. One year ago, it was a lot to even think about doing a short. We were quite tired. We don’t really know what it’s like to stop for a minute and think about what we want to do next.”

“There is a bit of that drop-the-mic thing,” Buck suggested. “Just go, [drops mic] ‘I don’t know what else to do.’” 

While this line of talk might not be pleasing to fans, it’s hard to believe that Disney will take one of their most valuable IPs and simply, to coin a phrase, let it go. The reality of the situation is that the company has most certainly begun development with Buck and Lee on future adventures with Anna, Elsa and Olaf, but with an eye towards not diluting the brand, as in the decade-long wait between the second and third Toy Story films.

Although major blockbuster films that never received sequels are few and far between, they do exist, as in E.T., Forrest Gump or Disney’s own Who Framed Roger Rabbit. However, an interview with star Idina Menzel late last year might have tipped off more than was intended.

When asked about the planned short, stage show and movie sequel, Menzel said, “Ah, yeah sure… Not the stage show – I don’t know what will happen with that – but the movie hopefully. We’ll see. I’m just going along for the ride.” 

Directed by Buck and Lee, Frozen Fever is set to premiere before screenings of director Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella, which hits theaters this Friday, March 13. Produced by the returning Peter Del Vecho, the seven-minute short also boasts an all-new original song by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.