Do you want to build a snowman — er, see a stage musical? "For the First Time in Forever," maybe "In Summer"? Disney's blockbuster animated hit movie "Frozen" is in early development for the stage, a spokesperson for Disney Theatrical Group confirmed to TODAY on Monday.
"Frozen" has earned more than $700 million at the global box office, after reportedly costing $150 million to make. Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," the film mixes critically acclaimed animation and story with an original soundtrack sung by many Broadway veterans. The soundtrack reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and has sold more than 500,000 copies. The film's top hit, power ballad "Let It Go," has been covered by everyone from preschoolers to angry altos (warning: profanity in the latter one).
But don't start buying tickets to see live-action Anna and Elsa just yet. There's no set date for when the "Frozen" musical will be stage-ready, and nothing has been announced about whether it will play on Broadway or on other stage venues. "We're not demanding speed," Walt Disney CEO and chairman Bob Iger told Fortune magazine. "We're demanding excellence."
"Frozen" was named best animated film at Sunday's Golden Globe awards in Los Angeles. Critics have praised the film as an unusual princess movie, one in which romance takes a back seat to sisters who love and support each other and fight a frozen curse on their kingdom.
Broadway vets Idina Menzel (Elsa), Josh Gad (Olaf the snowman), Jonathan Groff (Kristoff), Santino Fontana (Prince Hans) and "Veronica Mars" star Kristen Bell (Anna) have starring roles in the film version.