‘Frozen’ Stars Kristen Bell and Josh Gad Surprise Disney Fans at D23 Expo
Disney stars host a special presentation of the upcoming short film “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure”
Jeremy Fuster | July 14, 2017 @ 3:05 PM
Last Updated: July 14, 2017 @ 4:36 PM
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Kristen Bell, who wowed fans as Anna in “Frozen,” surprised fans at D23 Expo in Anaheim to present the upcoming “Frozen” short film, “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure.”
The 21-minute film follows Olaf, Anna and Elsa during the holiday season, as Arendelle is left empty while villagers head home to spend time with their families. When Anna and Elsa tell Olaf that their family has no family traditions of their own, Olaf goes door-to-door asking other families how they spend the holidays.
During a sneak-peek clip, the audio short-circuited, leading to a surprise appearance from Olaf’s voice actor, Josh Gad, who sang a new song from the film live for the crowd. Gad and Bell also presented a travelogue from “Frozen” directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, who traveled to Scandinavia to do research for “Frozen 2.” That film is slated for release November 27, 2019.
The D23 animation presentation was hosted by “Toy Story” director and Disney Animation/Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter. Lasseter has served as head of Disney’s entire animation division since 2007.
“Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” will make its debut as the opening feature for Pixar’s “Coco,” which hits theaters November 22.
16 Live-Action Disney Movies in the Works After 'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' (Photos)
Disney will be pumping out live-action versions of its animated classics for a long time to come. Here's a list of titles in the works, including the release date of the original.
Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil Adapted from 1959's "Sleeping Beauty," the first "Maleficent" helped re-energize Angelina Jolie's career and introduced an entire generation to the tale's terrifying villain. Its sequel will hit theaters this week and will also star Ed Skrein, Michelle Pfeiffer and Elle Fanning. Joachim Rønning directs.
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Mulan This is a particularly anticipated title, which is slated to be released on March 27, 2020. Niki Caro is directing, while Liu Yifei is starring as the title character. Donnie Yen and Jason Scott Lee also star.
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Jungle Cruise
Okay, okay, "Jungle Cruise" might not count as live-action based on a previously animated classic, but it is based on a ride at Disneyland, so we're going to include it. Plus, we'll take any chance to talk about Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt in the same sentence. It will hit theaters in July 2020.
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Pinocchio
Pinocchio is the next up to go into production, with Tom Hanks playing Geppetto.
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The Little Mermaid So now we're getting into films that are in some stage of development but haven't necessarily been slated for release. After all, Disney has so many untitled films slated, it's hard to count. But a live-action version of "The Little Mermaid" has been long discussed, as it is arguably one of the most popular and profitable movies in Disney's vault. Rob Marshall is said to direct, with Halle Bailey set to star as Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.
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Cruella Extracted from the famous villainess of 1961’s “One Hundred and One Dalmatians,” this origin story of a woman who declares open season on purebred puppies-- Cruella de Vil -- is set to star Emma Stone. The reigning live-action Cruella is Glenn Close, who herself starred in two live-action adaptations.
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James and the Giant Peach In one of the more interesting adaptations, this beloved Roald Dahl book became a quirky claymation hit for Disney in 1996 with director Henry Selick. Heavy dramatist director Sam Mendes was attached to take a stab at it, but he has since dropped out.
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Rose Red This one is trippy (no pun over producer Tripp Vinson), but promising creatively. In the German fairy tale, Rose Red is Snow White's sister. Disney and Vinson are collaborating on introducing the world to the sibling of the famous apple-loving princess. Disney released the original "Snow White" in 1937.
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Tinker Bell
This movie has also been in the works for quite some time, with Reese Witherspoon attached as the cute little fairy from "Peter Pan."
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Snow White Forget her sister -- the original baddest chick in the Disney animated kingdom is coming back for her own standalone film. It was announced at the end of October 2016.
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Peter Pan Neverland will get a practical set if Disney has its way updating the 1953 animated film.
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The Jungle Book 2 This is a no-brainer follow-up to Favreau's hit from Spring 2016, based on the animated classic released in 1967.
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Oliver Twist While Disney never formally made a direct animated take on Charles Dickens' beloved orphan, they did release the adorable 1988 "Oliver and Company," inspired by Dickens' tale but told with animals. They also made a small-screen live-action version in 1997 with Richard Dreyfuss.
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Lady and the Tramp
Another film that is in some stage of development but has no active release date is "Lady and the Tramp." Tessa Thompson is set to voice Lady, while Justin Theroux is attached to play Tramp. Other cast members include Ashley Jensen, Janelle Monae, Kiersey Clemons, Benedict Wong and Thomas Mann. Charlie Bean is directing.
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Lilo & Stitch
And another film that is supposed to get the live-action treatment and some point. This project was announced in October 2018 with Mike Van Waes attached to pen the script. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of Rideback are producing.
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Hunchback
In early 2019, a live-action film based on 1996's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was announced. Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang was tapped to pen the script, with Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz handling the music.
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The studio is raiding its vault to remake classics including “Mulan”
Disney will be pumping out live-action versions of its animated classics for a long time to come. Here's a list of titles in the works, including the release date of the original.
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