Jennifer Lee will co-direct Disney’s 2013 animated feature Frozen with Chris Buck, the studio announced today. Billed as Disney’s 53rd full-length animated feature, Frozen is slated for a Nov. 27, 2013 release date. Lee, who has contributed to the film’s screenplay, is one of the writers of Disney’s animated hit Wreck-It Ralph.
Featuring the voices of Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, Frozen is a new take on the famous Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. When a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, Anna, a fearless optimist, teams up with extreme mountain man Kristoff and his sidekick reindeer Sven on an epic journey to find Anna’s sister Elsa, the Snow Queen, and put an end to her icy spell. Encountering mystical trolls, a funny snowman named Olaf, Everest-like extremes and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.
Frozen producer Peter Del Vecho says the match-up is perfect.
“Jenn has a real connection to the film and creates dynamic and relatable characters. Her sense of comedy, adventure and story structure paired with Chris Buck’s vast experience and incredible instincts create an ideal situation for this film.”
Lee’s screen adaptation of John Steinbeck’s The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights is being produced by Troika Pictures. She has an original screenplay in development with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way, and her original script Lucid Dreams was optioned by Wolfgang Peterson’s Radiant Productions. Lee holds an MFA in Film from Columbia University and a BA in English from the University of New Hampshire.
Buck directed (with Kevin Lima) Disney’s 1999 feature Tarzan and directed (with Ash Brannon) 2007’s Oscar-nominated Sony pic Surf’s Up. His credits also include The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under and Pocahontas.
Frozen will also feature songs by Tony-award winner Robert Lopez (The Book of Mormon, Avenue Q) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (In Transit). For more information, visit www.facebook.com/disneyfrozen.
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