The halls of the Walt Disney Animation Studios are full of alternate versions of the stories that the audiences fell in love with. “Kingdom of the Sun” became The Emperor’s New Groove, Beauty and the Beast went from a dry, drole royal tale to the enchanting story we all love. And now, we were teased with the Frozen that almost was, and it didn’t include any warm-hugging snowmen.
What’s Happening:
- Last night, Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer and Frozen co-director Jennifer Lee accepted the Distinguished Storyteller Award from the Los Angeles Press Club on Sunday night at the 15th annual Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards.
- According to Variety, it was there that she told the brief anecdote of Olaf, the snowman that almost wasn’t, as she explained that the very first note that she gave when she first came on to the production was “kill the snowman,” and to make the film without the character.
- In her story, she explained that luckily (or unfortunately, however you choose to see it), an animator on staff at the studio had worked out a three-page treatment with Josh Gad (who voiced the character) in mind after seeing him on a late night TV show. Lee was enticed by the actor and chose to keep the snowman in after all.
- Ironically, the award was presented to her by Gad himself at the ceremony where she told him that she looks forward to “many more adventures together,” before catching herself in a room full of media and adding “that’s not an announcement.”
- Since it debuted nearly a decade ago, Frozen garnered over $1.2 billion at the worldwide box office, won two Academy Awards, and also spawned off a sequel, shorts, series, theme park attractions and theme park lands that aren’t set to open until the film hits that 10 year milestone.
- In the film, Olaf accompanies his human friends on the journey to save their kingdom and won the hearts of fans everywhere with his comedy and oddly sentimental lines that have been repeated endlessly for the last 10 years, as well as his musical number where he describes how he can’t wait to experience what the beautiful summer has in store for a snowman like him.
- You can catch Frozen, complete with Olaf, now streaming on Disney+.
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