Real Animals Star in New Frozen Series

National Geographic and Walt Disney Animation Studios are producing a new natural history series called The Real Frozen.

The working title for the project is The Real Frozen. It marks the fourth time the two companies have collaborated on a format that pairs fictional characters with real-world animals. Previous projects in this series included Lion, which focused on The Lion King, and the Emmy-winning A Real Bug’s Life. An upcoming project, The Real Finding Nemo, is also in development.

The show will film in Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The production aims to match the emotional themes of the animated films with the behaviors of local wildlife. According to National Geographic, the series will feature animals that display fortitude, loyalty, and resilience while surviving harsh winter conditions. The goal is to show survival strategies and social bonds that mirror the relationships in the Frozen universe.

The voice cast for the series includes Kristen Bell as Anna, Idina Menzel as Elsa, and Jonathan Groff as Kristoff. These three characters will serve as the primary narrators for the episodes. Josh Gad will also appear in the project, voicing the character of Olaf.

Courteney Monroe, president of National Geographic content, described the project as a way to combine Disney stories with natural history storytelling. She said the series aims to introduce families to the natural world and encourage discovery. Christina Chen, a producer on Frozen 3, stated that National Geographic is the right partner to showcase the real locations that inspired the animated environments. She noted that the original Frozen animators are involved in bringing the characters to life for this new medium.

Jeff Wilson, the director, said the collaboration allows the team to present the real world as magical as the animated version. He mentioned that the project offers a unique chance to share animal stories with a sense of wonder. Elisabeth Oakham is serving as director, while Katie Parsons is a producer on all episodes. Janet H. Vissering is the executive producer for National Geographic, and Tom McDonald is the executive vice president of Nat Geo’s content. Frozen 3 is expected to arrive in theaters in approximately one year.

The series will premiere on the National Geographic cable channel. It will also be available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu. This distribution strategy aligns with the corporate structure of Disney, which owns the National Geographic brand, Hulu, and Disney+.