Frozen fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming years. Last year at D23 it was confirmed that not only was Frozen 3 set for release, but Frozen 4 was on the way as well. Unfortunately for those fans, they’ll be waiting a while for these movies. Frozen 3 won’t be hitting theaters until 2027, but Josh Gad has a solid explanation as to why.
Whether or not we could see Frozen 3 any earlier, Josh Gad doesn’t mind that we won’t because he says everybody involved is taking their time with the project. Appearing on The Spotlight with Jessica Shaw (via People) Gad avoids revealing any specific details about the new movie, but says that the movie’s slow progress is all about making sure the movie lives up to its predecessors. Gad said…
Anything that I have seen or know I will have been sworn to secrecy on. Here’s what I can tell you. There’s a reason the movie is coming out in 2027. And that is because no one wants to rush this. Everyone wants this to not just be a sequel or a money grab. They want this to be absolutely worthy of the story we set out to make in 2013 [in the first Frozen movie].
It’s understandable why the team behind Frozen 3, especially director by Jennifer Lee, who stepped down as the head of Disney animation to manage the franchise, will want to take its time. Animated movies tend to go through a lot of changes during production. We’ve heard some stories about movies like Toy Story 4 going through massive changes to find the right story. The Into the Unknown documentary showed how parts of Frozen II didn’t come together until late in the process. Disney wants to make sure Frozen III has that same chance to find itself.
Frozen 3 certainly has a lot to live up to. The first film was the highest-grossing animated movie ever made when it was released. It held the title until Frozen 2 came out and overtook it. The franchise has become an absolute phenomenon for Disney, selling an incredible amount of Anna, Elsa, and Olaf merch. There’s so much Frozen at Walt Disney World that you could spend a day just doing that.
Back when Frozen 3 and Zootopia 2 were officially confirmed, the expectation was that, due to the already set release dates for upcoming Disney movies, one of them would be released in 2025, and the other would come out a year later. Zootopia 2 was later set for Disney Animation’s 2025 release date, but at D23 last August Jennifer Lee confirmed Frozen 3 for 2027, with an as-yet-unnamed original Disney animation project taking the 2026 release date.
There are certainly plenty of ways to enjoy Frozen over the next few years while you’re waiting for Frozen 3 to come out. With a Disney+ subscription, you can rewatch the first two movies, along with a couple of animated shorts and TV specials, countless times. You can also travel to Hong Kong Disneyland and experience the World of Frozen land which opened last year. Another version of the land will open at Disneyland Paris in 2026.
