If there’s one thing Disney is good at, it’s milking a cash-cow — or maybe a cash-mouse — so it comes as no great shock that the Frozen universe is fast on its way to become a four-film franchise.
2013’s original outing for Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and Kristoff became a cultural phenomenon up there with the very best of the studio’s animated classics, so the only surprise with 2019’s Frozen 2 was not why it existed but why it took so long to exist. Likewise, you hardly needed to use troll magic to predict both Frozen 3‘s announcement in early 2023 and then the subsequent confirmation of Frozen 4 in late 2023.
With both Disney and Disney fans unable to let the world of Arendelle go, then, when can we expect to head back into the unknown for another visit to the Mouse House’s Frozen empire (no, wait, that’s Ghostbusters)? Here’s all you need to know about Frozen 3‘s prospective release window.
When could Frozen 3 open in theaters? Estimated release window, explained
To predict the future, we must first look to the past. So, first of all, Frozen 3 was initially properly spoken about when Kristen Bell semi-jokingly announced its existence on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon in June 2022. The Anna actress was proven right come February 2023 when Disney officially revealed Frozen 3, Toy Story 5, and Zootopia 2 as part of its upcoming slate, although none were assigned specific release dates. In November 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger went one further and confirmed Frozen 4 to boot.
“Frozen 3 is in the works, and there might be a Frozen 4 in the works too,” Iger revealed. “But I don’t have much to say about those films right now.” The CEO then went on to confirm that director Jennifer Lee is once again “hard at work with her team at Disney animation” on these two, which seemingly washes away those reports that Lee had stepped away from the franchise after the second chapter.
Our best guess for when the next chapter in the frosty franchise could arrive? Logic dictates that Frozen 3 could release in November 2025. There was a six-year gap between the first and second Frozen films, and with Disney ramping up work behind the scenes but still yet to give it a place on the slate, another six years between Frozen 2 and 3 also seems highly plausible.
It’s naturally way too soon for it to drop in 2024 but November 2025, mirroring the first movie’s release in November 2013 and the second’s in November 2019, could be just enough time away. Failing that, November 2026 is another likely option. If Frozen 4 is being developed back-to-back with the third film, though, then hopefully that one won’t be another half a dozen years away. It feels like there’s a good chance we could see all four films by 2030. And, yes, I felt myself age just typing that sentence.