Beloved Character Olaf Almost Didn’t Make It Into Disney’s ‘Frozen’
This is an interesting story that may surprise fans. Beloved, fan-favorite character, Olaf, almost didn’t make it into Disney’s Frozen!
Almost Didn’t Make It!
Variety reports that an executive’s early creative note nearly resulted in Olaf being axed. Can you imagine this film without the adorable snowman?
It just wouldn’t be the same! Walt Disney Animation’s chief creative officer and co-director of Frozen, Jennifer Lee, admits that Olaf was the first thing she wanted to remove from the movie after coming on board.
Ironically, Lee was recently presented with the Distinguished Storyteller Award from the Los Angeles Press Club by Olaf himself, Josh Gad. The heartwarming moment took place at the 15th annual Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Although Lee now acknowledges that, “Josh is Olaf,” things weren’t so clear at first. She came onto the project after production was already underway.
After seeing the character in an early cut, she confesses, “My first note was, ‘kill the snowman!” In a fortunate turn of events, a staff animator had a plan.
According to Variety, the visual artist worked out a three-page script treatment meant for Gad, after an impressive late-night TV appearance. Lee could not resist, and the rest is movie history!
After its debut, Frozen won two Academy Awards and ended up grossing more than $1.2 billion worldwide. Would the movie have been as successful without the iconic and loveable snowman?
I guess we’ll never know! Upon receiving her award, Lee expressed that she looked forward to working with Gad on future projects.
Frozen
After Frozen’s sequel came out in 2019, fans began speculating about the possibility of a third installment. Although Disney has not confirmed or denied the idea as of yet, enthusiasts are hopeful for another movie.
Jonathan Groff, the voice of Kristoff, admitted that he thinks it’s a possibility last spring on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Adding to the rumors, Idina Menzel, who voices Elsa, recently appeared on the show as well. Interestingly, she discussed her awkwardness around characters portraying her at Disney Parks.
MickeyBlog will keep you posted as news for Frozen breaks. For now, we’re just happy our beloved Olaf made it into the fan-favorite movie Frozen!