The Brutal Frozen 2 Scene That Was Cut For Terrorizing Kids

There are some things that audiences who love the "Frozen" movies will simply not let go of, whether it's the cool grace of Elsa (Idina Menzel), the chipper warmth of Anna (Kristen Bell), or even the gamboling of Olaf the Snowman (Josh Gad). Olaf has been something of a polarizing figure in the "Frozen" world; while some like his innocence, others find him grating, his inexplicable pop culture knowledge an unanswered question in the "Frozen" movie world. 

But one "Frozen 2" moment — according to Gad himself — went way too far, and ultimately caused Disney-loving kiddie test audiences everywhere to flee in terror as a result of one scene that did something utterly awful to poor Olaf. The scene hasn't ever been seen again, presumably locked away in the depths of Disney's vault. 

What happened to Olaf in that deleted "Frozen 2" scene? Why was it scary enough to be cut? Is there any chance we'll ever get to see it sometime in the future? And are there other scary big-screen Disney film moments out there? Here's the lowdown on what sent that one Olaf scene right into the deep freeze. 

After helping Elsa and Anna reunite during "Frozen," "Frozen 2" finds Olaf happily participating in fall activities with the princesses, their friends, and Anna's boyfriend, Kristoff (Jonathan Groff). Elsa yearns for more, though, and follows a mysterious voice that leads her on until she awakens elemental spirits in the woods. Soon all of Arendelle is in chaos, and the group of friends must team up to restore the lack of balance between them.  

Kristoff and Olaf join forces, while Anna and Elsa go on a quest alone. The sisters stumble upon the truth regarding the feud between Ahtohallan and Northuldran, resulting in a bitter dispute over magic. Learning the truth freezes Elsa alive, which causes Olaf to disappear completely, right into thin air. Anna figures out that the dam constructed to block off Northuldran's supply of water must be destroyed in order to return the balance, and uses an earth spirit to break the dam down. Elsa revives — and eventually brings Olaf back to life, in one of the best moments of "Frozen 2." 

Elsa learns she's one of the elements and becomes the protector of the Enchanted Forest — while Anna becomes the new queen of Arendelle. Olaf is last seen recounting how everything went down, with Elsa at his side, to the creatures who live in her ice palace, an amusingly cute post-credits scene you may have missed if you left "Frozen 2" early. But Olaf's temporary death was originally much more brutal in "Frozen 2."

According to Josh Gad's autobiography, "In Gad We Trust," Olaf's death in the script was so sad that it upset him during the recording process, forcing a rewrite. The scene originally featured Olaf disintegrating and being cast into the wind flake by flake, horrifying Anna and breaking her heart. "I couldn't get through it without sobbing," Gad wrote in his book (per Entertainment Weekly). "Those first recordings were brutal, and I remember feeling that we were doing something that was going to pack a serious punch." 

Weeks later, after a rough draft of the film had been assembled and screened for test audiences, Gad asked director Jennifer Lee how the scene played. "She put on a brave face and said, 'The adults loved it, but the kids were very confused and very, very sad,'" Gadd reported. "They were apparently sobbing, screaming, and fully traumatized by the extended sequence and the tone of the scene." That was a big signal to Gadd that it was time to revise the scene and record fresh dialogue. 

A new version featured a less horrified Anna and an Olaf more at peace with his death, but the blow was ultimately softened by Olaf's survival. Disney chairman Robert Iger pointed out to Gad that a lot of kids related to Olaf's wide-eyed innocence, seeing it as a reflection of their own, which explained their horror. There's no word if this deleted scene exists anywhere, but considering how long it took to make "Frozen 2" in the first place, it's likely we won't see it anytime soon.

Josh Gad confessed in "In Gad We Trust" that he was utterly distraught when recording Olaf's dialogue for the scene. He recalled calling into Facetime sessions with his wife with red, puffy eyes because he'd be crying so hard. He described Olaf's death as completely devastating and even traumatic for him. 

"By the end of the recording, there wasn't a dry eye in the room," he admitted, joking that his wife "couldn't tell if we were recording a sequel to 'Frozen' or 'Sophie's Choice.'" The most amazing thing about the scene is that Gad got no forewarning that Olaf was going to be killed off due to the intense level of secrecy and scrutiny surrounding the project. He remembered arriving at the recording session and finding out that the very first scene would be Anna and Olaf's emotional goodbye. Even Jennifer Lee teared up when she told him Olaf was going to meet his doom. Is it any wonder that "Frozen 2" turned out to be more difficult to make than the original?

Disney is well-known for having the occasional scene that upsets and challenges small children. The examples of this are plentiful, and Disney has usually been unafraid to terrify kids. 

Notorious examples include Bambi's mom being shot to death — albeit offscreen — by a hunter in "Bambi," Snow White running through a haunted forest in terror in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," and Pinocchio being swallowed by the blue whale and turned into a donkey on Pleasure Island in "Pinocchio." In modern Disney films, Frollo's attempt at killing Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," Gaston's battle with the Beast in "Beauty and the Beast," and Scar's brutal murder of Mufasa right in front of Simba in "The Lion King" are all notably traumatizing for kids of a certain age. 

No, Disney hasn't shied away in the past from delivering big scares for its audiences, And it's okay to be scared even if you're young — but the Mouse House arguably did the right thing in "Frozen 2" by taking the edge off Olaf's death.