See 10 curious facts about the film

Released on November 27, 2013, “Frozen” was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The plot that portrays the power of love and family following two sisters from Arendelle: princesses Anna and Elsa, became a huge success, being remembered to this day, exactly 10 years after its debut in cinemas.

So, to celebrate the film’s 10th anniversary, check out ten impressive facts selected by Disney about the animated feature film.

1. Derived from a short story by Hans Christian Andersen

The plot is based on the title “The Snow Queen”, a story by the famous Danish writer Hans Christian Andersenfirst published in 1845. This is the second time that the Disney is inspired by a story of Andersen to create your own story. “The Little Mermaid”, a classic animation released in 1989, is inspired by the renowned author’s short story of the same name and is available on Disney+, as is the live-action remake that has just debuted.

2. Real-life inspiration

To bring the story to life, the art director Mike Giaimo and his team traveled to Norway, where they were able to discover and absorb the atmosphere of the place, as well as learn about the architecture, research local culture and mythologies and be inspired by the landscape to create the fictional kingdom of Arendelle. There, the team visited two castles that served as inspiration for the creation of the royal palace: the medieval castle of Akershus, in the city of Oslo, and the royal palace Stiftsgården, in the city of Trondheim.

3. Special appearances at Elsa’s coronation

During the musical sequence of “Once in Eternity” it is possible to see two very special guests at Elsa’s coronation. When Anna opens the palace doors, among the crowd entering the ceremony are Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, the stars of the Disney film Tangled (2010), also available on Disney+.

4. The secret to perfect snowflakes

Elsa’s magical abilities had their effects enhanced thanks to Dr. Thomas Painter, a scientist at the Pasadena Jet Propulsion Laboratory known as “Dr. Snow.” Her knowledge of snowflakes at the molecular level enriched the work of animating Elsa’s snowy environments and powers.

5. Spontaneity of success

The title of the song “Uma Vez Na Eternidade” or “For The First Time in Forever”, in English, came up unexpectedly during a conversation in the writers’ room. At the time, someone uttered the phrase “Once in Eternity”, as part of a theme in the story, and caught the attention of the president of Walt Disney Music, Chris Montan. “I immediately thought, ‘That’s it! That’s Anna’s song!’ It was one of those moments of inspiration. “Finally, like never before, I will be free. Maybe you know someone. Maybe I’ll live my life.’ It was really exciting,” says Montan.

6. The groundbreaking animation behind Olaf

To help Anna and Elsa’s beloved snowman, Olaf, take shape, the film’s technology team created innovative software called Spaces.

To the animation team, Olaf was like a huge toy box. It is made up of three snowballs that can be separated and put back together in different shapes. His eyes can be moved back and forth, his nose can be pulled out, put back in, tucked in. His wooden arms bounce. The animators could do whatever they wanted with it,” reveals the film’s co-director, Chris Buck.

7. Too much hair

The scene where Elsa escapes the kingdom was a lot of work for the film’s creative team. That’s because, they turned to the renowned hairstyle stylist, Danilo, who experimented with countless looks for the protagonist until arriving at the iconic hairstyle we know today. With a total of 420,000 strands, Elsa has more than four times the amount of hair of the average person.

8. The influence behind Kristoff

Everyone already knows that the geography and culture of Norway played a big role in the film! Still, what some may not realize is that the film crew developed Kristoff’s character based on members of the Sami people, an indigenous group in the north of the country. The Sami are known for their reindeer herding, which would explain why Kristoff’s best friend is a reindeer.

9. The secret that carries Anna’s animation

The animation supervisor Becky Breseewho directed Anna’s animation, turned to a tool she often uses to achieve very human performances: herself.

Instead of sketching, I record myself acting out a scene. I tend to film myself dozens of times to get the performance I want, although I almost always end up going back to my first version because it’s the most authentic,” Bresee revealed when stating that she filmed herself to animate Anna.

10. Sven, Kristoff’s reindeer, would have another name

Kristoff’s reindeer, Sven, had another name during the animation’s development: Thor. The filmmakers opted to change the name due to the sudden popularity that Thor, the powerful God of Thunder in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, acquired.