NEW YORK — Winter is nearly over for “Frozen” fans shivering in anticipation of its next iteration. A musical adaptation of the animated film is scheduled to open on Broadway in spring 2018, Disney Theatrical Productions said on Tuesday.
The stage production has been in the works for years in an effort to capitalize on the Oscar-winning film’s massive success. It’s also a chance for Disney to rebound from flops on Broadway such as “The Little Mermaid” and “Tarzan” and recapture the success of others, including “The Lion King” and “Aida.”
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” “Frozen” follows Princess Elsa’s quest to find her estranged sister. The 2013 film is the highest-grossing animated feature in history, earning close to $1.3 billion worldwide, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It won Oscars for best animated feature and best original song for “Let It Go” and it’s believed to have inspired a “baby boomlet” of children named Elsa.
It will reunite the creative team behind the hit 2013 movie, including writer Jennifer Lee and composers Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Disney recruited set and costume designer Bob Crowley and Natasha Katz for the production, both Tony Award winners who worked with Disney Theatrical Productions on “Aida” and “Tarzan.”
It remains to be seen who will be cast in the lead roles.
