FROZEN 2 Is A Go

Frozen Fever, a sequel short to Frozen, runs in front of Cinderella. I don't know why Disney isn't just advertising this fact, as Frozen fever in the real world hasn't even begun to die down. It was my goddaughter's fourth birthday yesterday and she spent the day in an Elsa dress, and she was the envy of every kid at her little birthday to-do. These kids are nuts for Elsa, and they continue to consume Frozen merch at an astonishing rate (remember when Disney didn't know Frozen would be a hit and didn't make even remotely enough merch to meet immediate demand?). Once they know there's more Frozen in front of Cinderella it would take the very forces of hell to keep these children away from the theater. 

But Frozen Fever, which checks in on Elsa and Anna and Sven and Olaf and Kristoff and Oaken and even that evil prince in a cute, if slightly insubstantial bit of fluff, will only have to tide these kids over for a while. Disney today announced that Frozen 2 is happening and that Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, directors of the first one, are back. That's about all we know - we also know that Josh Gad is back as Olaf because he was at the announcement, and I think we can all assume every single person will return for the pretty payday Disney will offer. 

Is this why Frozen Fever is cute but not really great? Because Lee and Buck were holding back stuff for a sequel? I hope it's great - I truly love these characters, and just revisiting them for a few minutes makes Frozen Fever worth watching (and it also introduces new tiny snowmen who are sure to be a marketing mainstay in the future). I do wonder where the story can go in a sequel - and what this means for Disney Animation, which hasn't been sequelizing their movies recently (not theatrically anyway). Could this be the next trend?