Filmmakers like to have some special fun, often inserting "inside jokes" into their productions. This has become especially popular in animated features. The recent film Frozen from Disney contains a number of hidden gems in the form of characters and odes to previous movies.
WELCOME TO ARENDELLE - Elsa's coronation draws guests from far-away lands-and movies. From "Tangled," Eugene Fitzherbert aka Flynn Rider and Rapunzel even made the guest list.
SWEET REPEAT - Anna's affinity for chocolate summons sweet treats all the way from the land of Sugar Rush in "Wreck-It Ralph."
IT'S A MOUSE! - Disney's famous icon makes the quickest of cameos in "Frozen." A small Mickey Mouse plush sits on one of the lower shelves in Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna.
REPURPOSED PAINTING - Artist Lisa Keene's painting-completed during the development phase of "Tangled" and based on "The Swing" by Jean-Honoré Fragonard-made such an impression on "Frozen" filmmakers, it became part of Anna's signature song, "For the First Time in Forever," when she leaps into the air and mimics the painting's pose.
Walt Disney Animation Studios, the studio behind "Tangled" and "Wreck-It Ralph," presents "Frozen," a stunning big-screen comedy adventure. Fearlessoptimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey-teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven-to find her sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (voice of Josh Gad), Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.
The film is directed by Chris Buck ("Tarzan," "Surf's Up") and Jennifer Lee (screenwriter, "Wreck-It Ralph"), who also wrote the screenplay. It is produced by Peter Del Vecho ("Winnie the Pooh," "The Princess and the Frog"). Featuring original songs from Kristen Anderson-Lopez ("In Transit," "Winnie the Pooh") and Tony® winner Robert Lopez ("The Book of Mormon," "Avenue Q"), and an original score by Christophe Beck ("The Muppets," Oscar®-winning short "Paperman"), "Frozen" hits theaters in 3D on Nov. 27, 2013.
In "Frozen," fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) teams up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven in an epic journey, encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (voice of Josh Gad)
in a race to find Anna's sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter.
NOTES:
- Kristen Bell will star in the feature film "Veronica Mars," reprising the title role. Her film credits include the comedy "Hit & Run," written and directed by Dax Shepard and co-produced by Bell, as well as "Movie 43," "Some Girl(s)," "You Again," "Burlesque," "When in Rome," "Couples Retreat," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and David Mamet's "Spartan." On the small screen, Bell stars in Showtime's "House of Lies" with Don Cheadle, and has also starred in "Heroes" and "Veronica Mars." Broadway credits include "The Crucible" and "Tom Sawyer."
- Idina Menzel, who won a Tony Award® as best actress in a musical for her role as Elphaba in Broadway's "Wicked" (2004), landed her first role on Broadway in 1995 in the Tony Award-winning musical "Rent." Film credits include "Enchanted" and the feature film "Rent." She has appeared in a recurring role on TV's "Glee" and recently released "Idina Menzel Live: Barefoot at the Symphony," a live concert with an orchestra led by composer/conductor Marvin Hamlisch. Menzel is currently on a North American concert tour.
- Jonathan Groff's film credits include "Taking Woodstock," "Twelve Thirty," "The Conspirator" and "C.O.G.," which was part of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. TV credits include Fox's "Glee," the Starz series "Boss" and CBS' "The Good Wife." Groff received a Tony® nomination for his performance in the Tony®-winning musical "Spring Awakening," and appeared in the Public Theater's revival of "Hair" and off-Broadway plays "Prayer for My Enemy" and "The Submission," among others. He made his West End debut in Ira Levin's "Deathtrap," and appeared in the 2010 Tony®-winning "Red" by John Logan at the Mark Taper Forum.
- Josh Gad, veteran of the Groundlings Improv troupe and founder of The Lost Nomads Comedy Troupe, appears alongside Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in "The Internship." He stars as Apple co-creator Steve Wozniak in the biopic "Jobs," and as Sam Kinison in the upcoming biopic directed by David Permut. Gad also stars in the Zach Braff Kickstarter-funded indie project "Wish I Was Here." His credits include "Thanks for Sharing," "Love & Other Drugs" and "Crossing Over." On Broadway, he was nominated for a Tony® for his role in "The Book of Mormon," and also appeared in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."
- Kristen Anderson-Lopez made her off-Broadway debut at Primary Stages with "In Transit," a musical performed entirely without accompaniment, inspired by the rhythms and sounds of life on the subway. Robert Lopez is the Tony®-, Grammy®-, and Emmy®- winning co-creator of the worldwide smash hit Broadway musicals "Avenue Q" and "The Book of Mormon." Together with his wife and collaborator, he co-wrote songs for the feature film "Winnie the Pooh" and "Finding Nemo: The Musical," a beloved fixture at in Disney's Animal Kingdom since 2006. Their next project for stage is an original musical called "Up Here."
- Director Chris Buck helmed the 1999 Disney classic "Tarzan" (with Kevin Lima) as well as the 2007 Oscar®-nominated "Surf's Up" (with Ash Brannon). His animation credits also include 1989's "The Little Mermaid," "The Rescuers Down Under" (1990) and "Pocahontas" (1995).
- Director/screenwriter Jennifer Lee is one of the screenplay writers of last year's hit arcade-hopping comedy adventure "Wreck-It Ralph." Her screen adaptation of John Steinbeck's "The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights" is being produced by Troika Pictures. She has an original screenplay in development with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way, and her original script "Lucid Dreams" was optioned by Wolfgang Peterson's Radiant Productions.
- Peter Del Vecho's credits as producer include 2011's "Winnie the Pooh" and 2009's "The Princess and the Frog." He served as associate producer for "Chicken Little" and "Treasure Planet."