Plans for the theatrical adaptation of Disney's mega-hit Frozen are moving forward, and fans of the film will be happy to know that screenwriter/co-director Jennifer Lee is being joined by songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez to spearhead the musical and story elements of the planned stage show. EW reports that the oscar-winning musical duo will return to compose the entire score for the show, and that Lee will pen a script adapted from the book.
It is also reported that Tony-nominated writer and director Alex Timbers has signed on to helm the highly-anticipated adaptation with an aim to hit stages in 2017. These facts aren't confirmed as of yet, but I don't doubt that Disney has a plan in motion to get the adaptation in front of audiences as soon as possible.
Bringing back the key players of the creative team behind the film is without-a-doubt the right move for this adaptation, as many of the film's musical sequences could easily slide right into a stage show, and the adaptation will no doubt need more songs penned to suit the format. Not to mention that the same folks who delivered the hit songs that have come to define the movie are the songwriting duo behind Broadway hits Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon.
The biggest challenge ahead is converting the animated film, which features magic, a moose, and a whole lot of snow, to a stage format. Certain moments of the film could make for outstanding spectacle (Olaf, Elsa's ice palace), but will be difficult in execution. I'm also interested to see if they're able to lock down Idina Menzel, who is a famed stage actress, to return for the show.
In any case, fans of the film can rest easy knowing that the much original creative team is returning to bring the beloved movie to the stage, and maybe as soon as next year.
Here's the official statement from Thomas Schumacher, president and producer of Disney Theatrical Productions:
As has already been announced, Disney Theatrical is working on a stage adaptation of the animated film Frozen. It will come as no surprise that the EGOT-winning Broadway veteran Robert Lopez and the Oscar and Grammy winning Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who wrote the indelible songs for the film, will be working on the show and that Oscar winner Jennifer Lee, co-director and screenwriter of the film, will be working on the book of the stage version. No other staffing or dates have been announced.
