Frozen 2 Trailer Takes Us On A Dark, Magical Adventure Beyond The Walls Of Arendelle
The past is not what it seems.
A day after unveiling a misty and mystical new poster for Frozen 2, Disney released the full-length trailer for the highly anticipated animated sequel, which will be much darker than its predecessor.
The footage, which clocks in at just under two minutes in length, opens on a sequence fans already saw in the Frozen 2 teaser: the reigning Queen of Arendelle Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) is standing barefoot on a beach in the middle of a storm, looking out onto the waves as they crash violently to the shore. Lightning crackles through the steel-gray sky, and Elsa circles back as far as she can to take a running start straight into the ocean. When her feet touch the crests of the waves, the water freezes and blue-purple snowflakes are left behind. Elsa again utilizes her powers when she faces a wave about to barrel down over her, sending a blast of ice magic forward to turn the water into a sheet of snow for her to climb. Her plan backfires, though, and Elsa tumbles down into the frigid water.
Then, we see something new: an ice horse swimming underwater, who looks at Elsa with bright turquoise eyes. A crack of thunder disintegrates the horse, and Elsa rockets to the surface of the water to regain her breath.
From there, the Frozen 2 trailer unspools the heart of the story. Elsa learns from the trolls who healed her sister Anna (Kristen Bell) when she was young and who raised their pal Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) that what she remembers of her past isn't the whole truth. The Troll King Grand Pabbie (Ciarán Hinds) tells Elsa and Anna that they must "go north, across the enchanted lands, and into the unknown" to discover who Elsa really is and where her powers came from.
Over shots of Anna and the living snowman Olaf (Josh Gad) riding down a river in a boat made of ice, Kristoff and his reindeer Sven running away from fuchsia-colored flames burning through a forest, and Elsa showing off her abilities while wearing a purple dress (which could tie into the dangerous magic Kristoff encounters), Grand Pabbie warns Anna that the trolls have "always feared Elsa's powers were too much for this world." He continues, "Now we must hope they are enough."
The trailer closes on a shot of Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf walking past four stone pillars (possibly to represent the four seasons, or the four elements) and stepping through a thick cloud of mist. They're embarking on a dangerous journey to solve the mysteries behind Elsa's powers — secrets that threaten to compromise the safety of Arendelle and the people of the kingdom. We then see Anna promising Grand Pabbie that she won't let anything happen to Elsa, which may be difficult to uphold since the trailer teases a battle between Elsa and an enormous monster tracking her every move.
Clearly, Frozen 2 isn't a cheap grab for cash like many sequels these days are. It looks to be a mature story that touches on elements of family, duty, loyalty, friendship, self-discovery, and identity — all while maintaining the sense of adventure that fans loved from the first Frozen, expanding the franchise's universe, and building upon the stunning visuals established in the original. The six years between the OG Frozen and the impending follow-up have been well worth it, as Disney seems to have spent that time doing everything in its power to craft a thrilling sequel that actually has something to say.
Directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, Frozen 2 will hit theaters on November 22.