Walt Disney Animation Studios pulled out all the stops at D23 this weekend, starting with the news that Zootopia 3 is officially in early development. A release date has yet to be announced, but an upcoming original feature with the working title Clay is scheduled for release in 2028.
After showcasing this November's Hexed, Disney wrapped up its Showcase panel with an electrifying grand finale, as Frozen 3 cast members Kristen Bell (Anna) and Idina Menzel (Elsa) performed a new version of the song "Frozen Heart." Josh Gad (Olaf), meanwhile, performed a new love song for Olaf's first crush, titled "Ooooh, Samantha."
Both songs are written by Academy Award-winning composer duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Frozen, Coco, Frozen 2). In the final surprise of the night, the trio unveiled all-new animation of Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven, teasing at a new villainess whose powers rival those of Elsa's.
As we first reported on Toonado.com, the trailer has leaked online in its entirety. Disney must have known this would happen, and we'd bet on the official version dropping right in time for Hexed a few months from now.
The visuals look stunning, and that mysterious villain has a lot in common with very early designs for Elsa in the first Frozen movie. That's an intriguing prospect, and this will be the first time the Frozen franchise has featured a big bad with magical powers.
The Frozen franchise has become one of Disney's most lucrative properties, and a fourth movie is expected to follow this third chapter in fairly quick succession. Will it eventually get the live-action treatment? Possibly, though Disney has hopefully learned from Moana.
"The second [Frozen 2] was over I was waiting by the phone and/or texting everyone, 'When are we gonna do it?'" Bell told E! News at the event in Anaheim. "And so I was in an anticipatory place. I just remember when I called, they were like, 'We're talking about it. We're discussing it.'"
Menzel added, "They wait for the right time. They don't rush to get back to it. They only do it if they feel like they have the right story to tell. So, they're super patient with it, and I guess we were a little impatient because we really like to get back to the process. We love being together. We love revisiting these characters."
In Walt Disney Animation Studios' Frozen 3, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf return for their next adventure. Frozen 3 is directed by Academy Award winner Jennifer Lee (Frozen, Frozen 2) and Trent Correy (Once Upon a Studio, Once Upon a Snowman, Zootopia+), produced by Christina Chen (Moana 2, Iwájú), and releases in theaters on November 24, 2027.