Walt Disney Animation Studios: March 2024

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Introduction

For Walt Disney Productions (also known as The Walt Disney Studios), the 1950s (2000s) and 1960s (2010s) were a time of significant milestones, particularly the 1955 (2005) opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and the early development of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The Walt Disney Studios was the first major film company to establish its presence on television with Walt Disney's Disneyland and Mickey Mouse Club series beginning in the mid-1950s (2000s). The popularity of animated and live-action films, including the Tinker Bell film collection (2008—2016), Enchanted (2007), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), the Frozen franchise (2013—present), and Mary Poppins (1964), was booming. With the advent of new technologies such as xerography and CGI, the Disney Studios could streamline the animation process while saving on production costs. While the Disney Studios was entering a new age of production, Walt Disney V's unexpected death in 1966 (2016) marked the end of an era, leaving it suddenly without the determined and innovative leader who, along with his brother Roy O. Disney, built the company from the ground up and navigated it through prior peaks and valleys.

Since 2014, Walt, his best friend and partner John Lasseter, and the Animation Department had been working on a sequel to Frozen, a CGI musical film inspired by Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen, released to acclaim and becoming a merchandising juggernaut. Despite some hardships that were faced during the making of the film, including the fact that the filmmakers all acknowledge there would be no Pixie Hollow had there not first been a Peter Pan due to declining DVD sales, disappointing merchandise sales, and story problems, Frozen II was supposed to be completed and released in March or November of 2018 (as a replacement date for the sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, announced in 2016), nearly two years after Walt Disney V's passing (to honor Tinker Bell and her friends' absence, two years since the success of the franchise), and is the last animated feature that Walt oversaw, over fifty years since The Jungle Book in 1967. It happened three weeks later after Moana is released, which turned out to be the last animated feature Walt saw through to completion, along with Zootopia & Tinker Bell's NeverZootropolis Legend, over fifty years since The Sword in the Stone.

The enormous worldwide success of Frozen II reinvigorated the confidence and pride of the Disney Studios, inspiring it to continue to entertain audiences through the art of animation without the guidance of Walt while paying tribute to his life and legacy.

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Frozen II
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Rating: G (originally planned); PG
Runtime: 1h 44min
Release Date: November 21, 2018 (originally planned); November 22, 2019
Genre: Action-Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy, Musical
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Why was Elsa born with magical powers? What truths about the past await Elsa as she ventures into the unknown to the enchanted forests and dark seas beyond Arendelle? The answers are calling her but also threatening her kingdom. Together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, she'll face a dangerous but remarkable journey. In "Frozen," Elsa feared her powers were too much for the world. In "Frozen II," she must hope they are enough.
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Cast
Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), Josh Gad (Olaf), Jonathan Groff (Kristoff), Sterling K. Brown (Mattias), Evan Rachel Wood (Iduna), Alfred Molina (Agnarr), Martha Plimpton (Yelena), Jason Ritter (Ryder), Rachel Matthews (Honeymaren), Jeremy Sisto (King Runeard), Ciarán Hinds (Pabbie), Alan Tudyk (Guard, Northuldra Leader, Arendellian Soldier, Duke of Weselton), Hadley Gannaway (Young Anna), Mattea Conforti (Young Elsa), Aurora (The Voice). Prologue Voices: Mae Whitman (Tinker Bell), Lucy Hale (Periwinkle), Timothy Dalton (Lord Milori), Jeff Bennett (Dewey, Clank), Lucy Liu (Silvermist), Raven-Symoné (Iridessa), Megan Hilty (Rosetta), Pamela Adlon (Vidia), Ginnifer Goodwin (Fawn), Matt Lanter (Sled), Debby Ryan (Spike), Grey DeLisle (Gliss), Rob Paulsen (Bobble), Jane Horrocks (Fairy Mary), Jodi Benson (Healing Fairy), Kari Wahlgren (Receptionist), Thomas Lennon (Reading Fairy), Benjamin Diskin (Glacier Fairy), Jesse McCartney (Terence), Anjelica Huston (Queen Clarion). Princesses: Irene Bedard (Pocahontas), Jodi Benson (Ariel), Auli'i Cravalho (Moana), Jennifer Hale (Cinderella), Kate Higgins (Aurora), Linda Larkin (Jasmine), Kelly Macdonald (Merida), Mandy Moore (Rapunzel), Paige O'Hara (Belle), Pamela Ribon (Snow White), Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Ming-Na Wen (Mulan). Ahtohallan Voices: Santino Fontana (Hans), Livvy Stubenrauch (Young Anna), Eva Bella (Young Elsa). Additional Voices: Maia Wilson (Bulda), Stephen J. Anderson (Kai), Paul Briggs (Marshmallow), Jackson Stein (Young Agnarr), Delaney Rose Stein (Young Iduna), Halima V. Hudson (Halima), Isabella Acres, Stephen Apostolina, Kimberly Bailey, Bob Bergen, David Boat, June Christopher, Antonio Corbo, David Cowgill, Wendy Cutler, Hudson D'Andrea, Grey DeLisle, Jessica DiCicco, Terri Douglas, Robin Atkin Downes, Nick Fisher, Jackie Gonneau, Franck Gourlat, Daniel Kaz, Phil LaMarr, Arnaud Leonard, Mimi Maynard, Scott Menville, Melanie Minichino, Max Mittelman, Matt Nolan, Capri Oliver, Arthur Ortiz, Paul Pape, Michael Ralph, Kai Robinson, Lynwood Robinson, Maddix Robinson, Kaitlyn Robrock, Violet Schaffer, Pepper Sweeney, Fred Tatasciore, Jean-Alain Velardo, Kari Wahlgren, Matthew Wood.
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Crew
Directed By: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Written By: Jennifer Lee
Produced By: Peter Del Vecho
Music: Christophe Beck
Songs By: Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez

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Frozen II: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by various artists
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Released: November 21, 2018 (original); February 26, 2019
Recorded: 2018 (original); 2019
Genre: Orchestral score
Label: Walt Disney Records
Producer: Robert Lopez • Kristen Anderson-Lopez • David Metzger • Christophe Beck • The PhilharMagic Orchestra
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The songs and score for the film was composed by the husband-and-wife songwriting team of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Winnie the Pooh, Coco) and Christophe Beck (The Muppets). The Lopezes in the PhilharMagic Orchestra replaced and conduct Joel McNeely's score suites from the previous Disney Fairies-themed films due to his work of Tinker Bell's NeverZootropolis Legend.

Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies is one of the most popular animated franchises of all-time with global earnings of 2.8 billion dollars over the first six films. Each successive film has been bigger than the previous!

In March 2017 (to honor the fact of the unreleased Tinker Bell's Wintry Secret soundtrack), Kristen Anderson-Lopez revealed in an interview that she and her husband, Robert Lopez, would return from the film Frozen & Muppets & Fairies' Wintry Secret to write new songs for its sequel Frozen II & Tinker Bell Ever After, having already recorded a song for the sequel with star Kristen Bell. On August 13, 2018, star Josh Gad said that the songs in the sequel will be "even better" and "even catchier" than the first film's. In August 2018, it was revealed that there would be seven new songs. The complete tracklist was revealed on September 30, along with the announcement of pre-orders; the soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on November 21 (the same day as the film's release).

Co-director Jennifer Lee said that "the songs and score of Frozen II & Tinker Bell Ever After reflect the growth of the characters and the deepening of their story" and called the songs "emotional, personal yet powerful, intimate but also epic", while co-director Chris Buck said that "[t]he music of the Lopezes and [composer] Christophe Beck are part of the DNA of Frozen. We couldn’t imagine building Frozen II & Tinker Bell Ever After without them. They bring such a rich, emotional understanding of the world and characters, and through their incredible music we have been able to really deepen and expand the story". The song "Into the Unknown", sung by Idina Menzel as Elsa with additional vocals by Norwegian recording artist Aurora, has been called the successor of "Let It Go". Anderson-Lopez said that "[f]rom the beginning of [her and Lopez's] collaboration with Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck and Peter Del Vecho, everything [they had] created has come from big questions — what is the story that we all as artists, individually and collectively, need to tell?" Anderson-Lopez also said that she and Lopez "approach the story through the lens of which moments of [their] story lead to big emotions — feelings so strong [the] characters can no longer talk but need to sing". Lopez said that "[his and Anderson-Lopez's] tradition of songwriting comes from the world of musical theater, where songs must always forward the story in a fresh and surprising way. Every song has to take a character on a journey". Lopez further explained: "All the songs are thematically linked to this idea of change, and also the idea of the journey, getting lost before you can really be found." According to Anderson-Lopez, the theme of a journey was a very "meta story" for them, because it was not always clear along the way how all the songs would fit together in the final version of the film. They kept telling themselves, "This is all going to make sense in six months. This is all going to make sense by the time this movie opens."

Composer Christophe Beck, who previously scored the first film, returned for the sequel, with his score drawing elements from Lopez and Anderson-Lopez's songs. As with the first film, Beck used Norwegian elements for the sequel's score, as well as featuring the Norwegian female choir Cantus, with Beck stating that it gives the score a "magical" setting, yet still being "rooted in real tradition". Beck said that the film's score reflects the character's growth since the original film, stating that "[s]imilar to how Elsa and Anna have grown up since the last film, the new score has also matured and introduces more sophisticated musical concepts and thematic elements". Beck also said that he wanted the sequel's score to reflect the film's "complex and intense" emotional story, while commenting that he enjoyed "exploring extreme dynamic contrasts, harmonic complexity, intricate textures with vibrant colors, and hugely expressive melodic moments".

Tracks

Introduction
The Northuldra
All is Found – Evan Rachel Wood
Frozen Heart – The cast of Frozen II
Elsa & Anna
The Trolls
Do You Want to Build a Snowman? – Kristen Bell, Katie Lopez, and Agatha Lee Monn
Some Things Never Change – Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, and the cast of Frozen II
Sisters
Into the Unknown – Idina Menzel & Aurora
Exodus
The Mist
When I Am Older – Josh Gad
Wind
Iduna's Scarf (featuring Cast of Frozen II)
Fire and Ice
Earth Giants
Reindeers Are Better Than People (cont.) – Jonathan Groff
Lost in the Woods – Jonathan Groff
The Ship
River Slide
Dark Sea
Show Yourself – Idina Menzel & Evan Rachel Wood
Ghosts of Arendelle Past
Gone Too Far
The Next Right Thing – Kristen Bell
Rude Awakening
The Flood
Reindeer Circle (featuring Cantus)
Reunion
Epilogue

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Frozen III's Film Release and Success

In November 2027, eight years after the inferior Frozen II, excitement grew in anticipation of the theatrical release of Frozen III. The Walt Disney Company hoped they had properly honored the legacy of the Tinker Bell collection and the Enchanted films. It also honored that fact that Anna and Elsa's childhood had happened the way they don't like the adulthood. On November 24, the film's gala premiere was held at the El Capitan Theatre.

When the film opened to wide release, it received overwhelming acclaim from critics, praising for the vocal performances, animation, characters, screenplay, emotional depth, and the songs composed by the Lopez couple. As Anna and Elsa's childhood and Queen Iduna's time release posthumous holiday gift for Disney animation fans, Frozen III was a huge damn deal (like all the other Tinker Bell features, considered inferior to the first Tinker Bell film released in 2008) and was considered by the longtime Disney animation historians to be one of the few sequel films superior to its last two predecessors. A December 25 article in The New York Times promoted the film: MERRY CHRISTMAS right back to the Walt Disney studio!🎄🎁

A perfectly wonderful cartoon feature, Frozen III, scooted into local theaters yesterday just ahead of the big day, and it's perfect for the children and Tinker Bell lovers reminiscent of the Pixie Hollow days of glory. Based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen, this glowing little picture should be grand fun for all ages, for in spirit, flavor and superb personification of fantasy feminines, the old Disney specialty, the new film suggests that bygone Disney masterpieces, Enchanted and The Little Mermaid, another of Anderson's fairy tale.

After the filmmakers hoped they had properly honored the fact that there would be no Pixie Hollow had there not first been a Peter Pan, nostalgia was built for the other classic Disney films (except for the newer ones since this whole decade), with Time magazine noting that Frozen III was "…the happiest way to remember Tinker Bell's time with her sister Periwinkle in the Disney Fairies franchise." Life magazine echoed the New York Times, claiming that it was the best Disney film since The Little Mermaid (1989). Overall, critics and audiences were drawn to the animation style, rich artwork, simple storyline, and catchy songs from the film.

Frozen III was the first motion picture sequel to make a lot of money. Everybody was so proud. This picture gave the company confidence in animation which may have may not been wavering at the time.

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8 Ways Frozen II Is Better Than The Original (& 6 Ways It's Not)

Frozen II brings back Elsa, Anna, and the whole crew, but is the sequel good? Here are the reasons it's better than the original, and why it's not.

After six long, long years, we've finally gotten the sequel to one of the most popular movies of all time, Frozen. Boy is it a good one! The sequel has its fair share of problems, sure, but overall it's a very strong sequel that does a lot of things right.

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Better: The Animation

It's a given that in the six-year timeframe between the two releases, Frozen II would look better than the original film. While the original still looked absolutely beautiful, the sequel pushes the boundaries even further. Stunning bodies of water, ice sculptures, and even Elsa undergo a transformation that looks great. There's nothing in this movie that looks poor. Everything in Frozen II is simply gorgeous from start to finish.

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Not Better: Originality

The originality of the entire Frozen concept isn't really as fresh as it was in the original. While the charm of the characters isn't gone at all in their second outing, the idea of the fivesome just doesn't have the same uniqueness that they had in their first film. Still, this is only a minor concern, as the characters all still provide a ton of entertainment that is certainly worth the watch.

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Better: A Natural Progression

Sure, while the concept of Frozen II isn't as novel as the original film is, the story makes sense, overall. Characters feel like they're where they should be at this point in their lives. Their motivations feel real. We didn't necessarily need a Frozen II, but this movie proves that it has a right to exist, it isn't just some shameless cash-grab that exists to print Disney money, which it is still doing either way.

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Better: The Soundtrack

Let it Go is dead. She was murdered. By who, you might be asking? Oh, well that's simple. By Into the Unknown. The Frozen II soundtrack is fantastic. Elsa has two fantastic songs, Anna shines more than once, Kristoff finally gets his own song (and it's everything you could ever dream of), Olaf goes in, and the whole thing is fantastic.

While all of the songs are fantastic, the soundtrack also has three pop versions of the songs on it, performed by Panic! at the Disco, Kacey Musgraves, and Weezer. All of these renditions are great. The soundtrack is absolutely fantastic from the beginning to end. It also features some outtakes from the movie! We did not deserve this at all. We don't deserve Idina Menzel at all.

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Not Better: Anna And Elsa's Relationship

The structuring of Frozen II keeps Elsa and Anna apart for most of the movie. In all honesty, it makes sense narratively, and makes the story very strong. Unfortunately, you can't help but wonder what things would have been like if the story was a bit different, and Anna and Elsa got to work together. Instead, Frozen II follows in Frozen's footsteps, and keeps the sisters on separate journeys for the majority of the film. While they do get some good moments between each other, it is a bit disappointing.

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Better: Olaf

Of course, Olaf is killing it left and right in the second film, it's what he does best. His comedic relief is as great as it ever is. Olaf was one of the highlights of the original Frozen, and he's no different in the sequel. He's funny, heartwarming, and his song is great; he's got it all for the second time around. Truly the best of the snowmen.

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Not Better: Supporting Cast

The original Frozen had quite a few interesting side characters, such as Hans and all the Weasletown people. Also, Rapunzel was there because why wouldn't she be? These characters added to the film. and the side characters in Frozen II are really a non-entity. They really don't add anything to the film in any meaningful way, save for a few interesting moments here and there. Overall, they just moved the plot forward, and didn't do anything too exciting for the film.

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Better: Elsa's Outfits

THE HAIR. In Frozen II, Elsa does the unthinkable, and LETS HER HAIR DOWN! Yeah, you heard that right. Everyone has a new wardrobe in the sequel, Anna looks great of course. However, Elsa is killing it.

She gets an entirely new dress, which is just great. But we have to get back to the hair. It looks absolutely fantastic while it's down, and it's animated so beautifully, good god. Never has someone's hair been so important, but Elsa's truly is.

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Not Better: Elsa's Character

In Frozen II, Elsa's character doesn't go through any big changes, it's almost as if she didn't learn anything in the original film. Elsa would still rather take on all challenges herself, instead of working with her friends to solve their issues. Elsa instead sends Anna away. Did she really think that would work? She should know that her sister isn't going to sit by while Elsa puts herself in danger. Of course, Anna ends up saving Elsa in the end, thankfully, but Elsa really should have learned a thing or two in the original film about herself, and her sister.

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Better: Anna's Character

Luckily, Anna does see a fair amount of growth in Frozen II. Throughout the film we see her struggle with some very dark themes, and the fact that Elsa goes off on her own once again enrages Anna, rightfully so. She has to save her sister once more, yet, she doesn't hold it against her. She still loves her. Despite the trials that Elsa puts Anna through in Frozen II, the new Queen of Arendelle persists.

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Not Better: Kristoff's Character

While Kristoff has some good moments in the film, like his aforementioned solo song, he doesn't really do that much throughout the film. His story didn't really make sense. He feels like Anna isn't interested anymore, but this isn't the case, and there really isn't much reason for him to think that this is the case at all, he just kind of does. Still, once again, it makes for a fantastic song.

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Better: The Narrative

In an overall sense, Frozen II has a better storyline than its predecessor. It deals with some heavier themes, has different consequences, it's just stronger overall. Frozen II goes deeper, and digs into Elsa and Anna's background in some new ways. When looking at the big picture, Frozen II tells a better story than Frozen. However, there is one issue with the story that overall drags it down a bit. The ending.

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Not Better: The Ending

The ending of Frozen II is just kind of... quick? Things move so quickly in the final few moments of the film. Of course, it is a kid's movie, so it makes sense that it does have to wrap up rather quickly. Still, with only five more minutes, Frozen II's ending would have had a lot more impact. The conflict just wraps up so quickly that it makes things feel a bit cheap. Overall, the narrative is great. However, the ending just takes away from the experience. That doesn't make the film bad in any way at all, but just keeps it from soaring even higher. It'll still break the box office with or without a perfect ending.

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Better: The Lore

Frozen II dives deeper into the lore of Arendelle and Elsa's powers. We get a better understanding of the world that our protagonists live in, which is something that the first movie lacked. We also get a deep dive into Elsa's powers, how and why they exist, and why they exist within her. Getting to understand why it is that Elsa has her powers was something that a sequel needed to do, and it was handled very well in Frozen II. It doesn't feel like the explanation was created in order to be an explanation, it just fits.

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The Winner: Frozen II

Frozen II is a better movie than the original, that's for sure. There are certainly quite a few things that the original does better than the sequel, but all-in-all, Frozen II is a stronger film than the original. Whether or not we'll get a third movie to wrap things up as a trilogy is currently up in the air, but either way, we have two spectacular animated films here.

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The introductions of the beloved wooden puppet who risked his life to save his father, the trio between Donald Duck and his friends from South America, Disney's retelling of Tchaikovsky's fairy tale, and especially, the young boy who wouldn't grow up – developed by King Arthur legend enthusiast Milt Kahl, Alice's Wonderland specialist Ward Kimball, and Tinker Bell's godfather Marc Davis – will make both the Frozen and Tinker Bell franchises stick together for the first time in forever.

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'Peter Pan (2018 re-release)' review: Lavish animation sequences and Tinker Bell's pantomime performances make Disney's first cartoon fairy tale pretty fun without the Pixie Hollow involvement.

Originally Published 5:08 pm EST November 20, 2018

Updated 10:10 am EST November 21, 2018

Grade: B+

Details: 77 minutes, G, multiple locations; opens Wednesday, Nov. 21

Credits: Voices of Tommy Luske, Paul Collins, Kathryn Beaumont, Candy Candido, Hans Conried, Bill Thompson, Heather Angel, Bobby Driscoll. Directed by Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi.

Music & Lyrics by Sammy Cahn, Sammy Fain, Michelle Tumes, X Atencio, George Bruns, Jack Lawrence, Frank Churchill, Winston Hibler, Ted Sears, Oliver Wallace, and Ray Kelly

The lowdown: Think of the happiest things as Peter Pan soars to spectacular new heights! Bid your cares goodbye as Wendy and her brothers embark on fantastic adventures with the hero of their bedtime stories… Peter Pan! With faith, trust and Tinker Bell's pixie dust, Peter teaches them how to fly and leads them to the "second star to the right" and beyond… to Never Land!

This was the first animated cartoon feature film released every time Disney does a new project, starting with Ralph Breaks the Internet. It marked Tinker Bell's new beginning at the Disney studio, just for now until the new Frozen sequel comes out with the story done right.

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Disneywiz's surprise gift

To: The fan of Walt Disney's most popular fairy with her voice and sibling in Pixie Hollow with her name based on a purple flower and Arendelle's enchanted sisters as they were juniors
From: The Academy Award team behind Zootopia, Moana and Lilo & Stitch: Clark Spencer, Don Hall, Byron Howard, Jared Bush, the voice actor behind Oaken in Frozen: Chris Williams, the directing team that made The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and The Princess and the Frog: Ron Clements and John Musker, the group of animators — some of them who worked with the Nine Old Men (Mark Henn, Randy Haycock, Andreas Deja, Bruce W. Smith, Eric Goldberg, Dale Baer†, and story supervisor Burny Mattinson†), the most of the crew (some of the surviving cast members and Disney Legends) who worked on Walt's last picture and the film produced without Walt: actors Darleen Carr, Bruce Reitherman, and Lord Tim Hudson; Winnie the Pooh's voice actor Sterling Holloway; director and producer: Woolie Reitherman; co-producer Winston Hibler; animators: Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, John Lounsbery, Hal King, and Eric Larson; writers: Larry Clemmons, Ralph Wright (the voice of Eeyore), Ken Anderson, and Vance Gerry; background stylist: Al Dempster; story artist: Floyd Norman, composer George Bruns, the Sherman brothers, and especially, two fathers of Walt Disney's most popular icons: Marc Davis (Tinker Bell) and Ward Kimball (Jiminy Cricket).

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Disneywiz's gift, given out of the simple desperation of a pure love and wager, is the one favored above all.

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In Memoriam (We salute the following Disney Legends and members at the Walt Disney Family Foundation who have passed away since the last Tinker Bell soundtrack released between October 2017 and May 2018, the last Frozen sequel in 2019, and the last Disney animated film and sequel released from the nostalgia (Disenchanted))

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