Josh Gad explains why one Olaf scene had to be changed forFrozen II. Known for his adorable song “In Summer” in 2013’sFrozen, Olaf is the jovial snowman in theFrozenmovies. Gad, who has performed on Broadway, contributed his vocal talents to Olaf for the movie. He is joined by a talentedFrozenvoice castincluding Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, and Ciarán Hinds. Gad is set to reprise his snowman role inFrozen 3, which is set for release in 2027.
In his memoirIn Gad We Trust(viaEntertainment Weekly), Gad explains how a key Olaf scene fromFrozen IIhad to be rewritten. According to the actor,Frozen II’soriginal Olaf death scene was “brutal,” and Gad himself even struggled to get through itin the recording booth. After a test screening, Gad asked director Jennifer Lee how she thought it went, and she responded that “the kids were very confused and very, very sad.” As a result, Lee went into a long process of reworking the Olaf scene. Check out the full quote from Gad below:
“Jenn and I started recording the dialogue and I couldn’t get through it without sobbing. Those first recordings were brutal, and I remember feeling that we were doing something that was going to pack a serious punch.
[I] asked Jenn how the first test screening went. Jenn is many incredible things, but a good liar is not one of them. She put on a brave face and said, ‘The adults loved it, but the kids were very confused and very, very sad.’ [I] knew we still had a long road ahead.”
What This Meant For Frozen II
Frozen IIdoes end up with a version of an Olaf death scene, but it is far from permanent. The powers that kept Olaf alive begin to fade away once Elsa discovers more about the truth of Ahtohallan. As a result,Olaf dies in Anna’s arms, fading into a pile of snow. After Elsa is revived and gains back powers, she brings Olaf back to life, noting that “water has memory.” So, Olaf lives on after theFrozen IIending, allowing the lovable snowman to return for the sequel.
Gad does not state what exactly the alternate death was for Olaf inFrozen II, but one can imagine it was a situation far less reversible. As is, a child could easily be upset by the Olaf death that does exist in the Disney sequel, though they might be comforted when Olaf was brought back to life. The way the death scene was played out in the theatrical version ofFrozen IIis palatable to viewers, and likely a good shift if the first cut was as “brutal” as Gad claims.
Our Take On Olaf’s Death (& Revival) In Frozen II
Disney Is Opting Towards Less Traumatic Death Scenes
Disney’s softening of Olaf’s death inFrozen IIshows that the company is trending away from some of the more upsetting deaths in their earlier work. Movies likeBambi,The Lion King, andFinding Nemoiconically feature heartbreaking death scenes. While Elsa and Anna’s parents are both dead as per the Disney trope, nothing in theFrozenmovies matches the intensity of some earlier Disney works. AsFrozen 3is developed, it will be interesting to see whether the new movie will go any further than the previous ones did.
Frozen II
Cast
The sequel to Disney’s smash hit musical animated film, Frozen II sees the return of Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf as they embark on a new journey to save the kingdom of Arendelle. When Elsa and Anna learn about a betrayal that occurred between their nation and a local tribe in the Enchanted Forest, they discover they must seek the truth about their parents and the origin of Elsa’s powers to stop the rampaging spirits and the takeover of their home.
