Elsa: What If The Ice Queen Couldn’t Let It Go?
Did you know Elsa was initially conceived as a villain?
That makes the superhero from Frozen akin to many, many famous Disney characters who have changed their look and their stripes from conception to production.
However, given Elsa’s place among the pantheon of Disney Princesses, it’s interesting to know her genesis.
Elsa: From Villian to Victory
Screen Rants’ Christopher Hood wrote:
Disney’s Frozen originally had plans to make Elsa the villain of the story and give her an entirely different look. In the lead up to the film’s release in 2013, no one knew just how big of a hit Disney had on their hands with their latest princess fairytale story. Frozen followed Elsa, the Queen of Arendelle, and her struggle to keep her ice powers a secret from everyone – including her sister, Anna.
The movie quickly became a cultural phenomenon once it arrived in theaters. It included the year’s breakout song “Let It Go,” which was played on repeat for months to come and had instant merchandising appeal. Every kid wanted to build their own snowman with an Olaf toy, while Anna and Elsa became household names quickly. All of this has made the arrival of Frozen 2 later this year highly anticipated, especially as the trailers show a more grown-up tone and Elsa training to master her abilities.
All of the attention and success that Frozen received makes it nearly impossible to imagine the movie happening any other way. However, early discussions for the film had some significant differences with Elsa’s character – most notably the fact that she was originally going to be the villain. This would not only change her entire story but also would’ve given Elsa a darker look as well. This redesign and many more can be seen in the latest Screen Rant video:
Looking ahead to Frozen 2
Can you imagine a “Frozen saga” where Elsa was the villain? Me neither, and I am glad that they went away from that age-old concept.
BTW: If you want the full story of how Frozen came to the screen (and park, and stage), be sure to track down, “The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic.”
And, as we get excited to see Frozen 2 in November, be sure to check out MickeyBlog.com’s coverage of the sequel: MickeyBlog.com – Frozen 2