DisneyFrozen won't "Let It Go."
Walt Disney Animation Studios' megahit—which earned $1.28 billion at the global box office after its 2013 release and spawned a short film, Frozen Fever, in 2015—is officially heading to Broadway. Disney Theatrical Group announced Tuesday that a musical adaptation will open in the spring of 2018 after a limited pre-Broadway engagement in the summer of 2017. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who wrote the film's original music and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Let It Go," will write the score for the live-action stage show.
Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in 2014 that Frozen would "be going to Broadway," following in the tradition of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Tarzan, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, Newsies and Aladdin. Later that year, Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical Group, said he was "already talking to directors" about Frozen. In 2015, Anderson-Lopez and Lopez also told The New York Times they were writing about a dozen new songs.
Disney Theatrical Group created a Twitter account for "Frozen on Broadway" Tuesday, which revealed more details about the production. Alex Timbers will direct; Stephen Oremus will be in charge of music supervision, vocal and incidental music arrangements; Peter Hylenski will handle sound design; Natasha Katz will oversee lighting design; Bob Crowley will handle scenic and costume design; Peter Darling will do choreography; and Jennifer Lee will write the book.
Casting and Broadway dates and theatre will be announced at a future date.
As filmmakers work on the movie Frozen 2 (release date TBD), ABC also announced Tuesday that three members of the original voice cast— Kristen Bell, Josh Gad and Idina Menzel—will reprise their roles for a holiday special, which does not have a title or date set in stone. Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton are directing the TV special, while Roy Conli is producing.
As it happens, Frozen makes its debut on Disney Channel Sunday at 8 p.m. The film has been a cash cow for Disney. Anna, Elsa and Kristoff were featured prominently in ABC's Once Upon a Time in 2014. That same year, Frozen on Ice debuted, and continues to tour.