FROZEN Stars Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell and Josh Gad Sign Record $60 Million Deals for Third and Fourth Films
THE Frozen the cast will officially return to build some very expensive snowmen.
The stars of the Disney animated franchise have reportedly lined up massive, record-breaking salaries for the third and fourth films, doubling the $15 million they received for their voice work in Frozen II.
According to The wrapKristen Bell (Anna), Josh Gad (Olaf) and Idina Menzel (Elsa) each signed a deal worth $60 million, marking one of the highest amounts ever paid to actors on an animated project, far surpassing the $20 million Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson signed for Moana 2and the 25 to 40 million dollars pocketed by Tom Hanks Toy Story 4.
These colossal salaries would include upfront fees and back-end bonuses, which would not be paid out as a lump sum but rather over the long production runs of future films. Part of the payouts will also depend on box office performance, but something tells us that won’t be much of an issue!
A connection line for Frozen 3 was shared online following Disney’s consumer products division’s launch conference in Shanghai in September. The translation revealed that the Disney trio would focus on the royal wedding of Queen Anna and Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), while also introducing a “mysterious new member” of the royal family.
“In this new chapter, witness the wedding of the century in Arendelle as Queen Anna walks down the aisle and joins Elsa on a magical new journey filled with unknown challenges. And what’s even more exciting: the royal family is about to welcome a mysterious new member!”
Jared Bush, creative director of Walt Disney Animation Studios, recently shared the following update on the progress of the next two films.
“That’s partly secret, but what I’d like to share with you is that right now the work that’s been done on Frozen 3, in particular, is phenomenal. When people see it, I think coming back into that world with these characters, the entertainment value of seeing them go on a new journey, but it feels very organic to the story that they’ve already been a part of, is fantastic. For me personally, I think it’s essential to make sure that every movie we make is fantastic. We have the luxury of being able to watching a lot of movies multiple times, so watching Frozen 3 like, “Can we tell the best story possible with this and not worry about where we’re going to split in the next story” is kind of important, one thing at a time is, for me, the best way to approach it.
Elsa the Snow Queen has an extraordinary gift: the power to create ice and snow. But even if she is happy to be surrounded by the inhabitants of Arendelle, Elsa finds herself strangely destabilized. After hearing a mysterious voice calling to her, Elsa journeys to the enchanted forests and dark seas beyond her kingdom – an adventure that soon turns into a journey of self-discovery.
