A tale of two sisters

MANILA, Philippines - In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen, fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey — teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven — to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

Frozen features the voices of Kristen Bell as Anna, Idina Menzel as Elsa, Jonathan Groff as mountain man Kristoff and Josh Gad as the lovable snowman Olaf.

The voice cast also includes Santino Fontana as Hans, a handsome royal who catches Anna’s eye; Alan Tudyk as the Duke of Weselton; Chris Williams as Oaken; and Ciarán Hinds as Pabbie.

“We wanted the movie to be both timely and timeless,” says director Jennifer Lee. “We were going for something contemporary that everyone would understand and we realized that fear is so often the very thing that gives us a negative outlook, that threatens our relationships. Every single scene, in its own way, supports our themes of family and love, and real love versus fear. And it’s fear that drives Elsa.”

Elsa’s inability to handle her power to create snow and ice is revealed when she and Anna are playing as children. Elsa’s magic delights young Anna — the girls build a snowman they name Olaf and play amidst wild slopes of snow inside their home. But the magic gets out of Elsa’s control and injures Anna. Elsa lives each day thereafter in fear she’ll hurt Anna again, and as a result, avoids the one person she loves most. “Anna, who has no memory of the event, grows up trying to reach out to Elsa,” says director Chris Buck.

Kristen Anderson-Lopez and husband and writing partner Robert Lopez, who worked hand-in-hand with the directors and story team, were struck by the image of Anna getting shut out by her sister. “What could get you more on that girl’s side than seeing doors slam in her face all throughout her childhood?” asks Anderson-Lopez.

“We needed to tap into Anna’s emotions,” continues Anderson-Lopez. “We needed to understand her and show what’s missing from the world of this goofy, optimistic young woman. That moment in the film when we see the two sisters on either side of the closed door is one of the most revealing moments in the movie.”

The filmmakers realized that the morning of Elsa’s coronation would represent a new beginning for Anna. The story team wanted to introduce the now-grown-up Anna with a song, but it proved to be a tall order. “This particular song was a tough nut to crack, because it had to do a lot of things,” says Anderson-Lopez. “It had to introduce Anna as an optimistic, active person, but also as someone with a need to be filled over the course of the movie.”

Opening across the Philippines in 3D and 2D on Nov. 27, Frozen is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.