'Frozen 2' Release Date & News Update: New Short Due in 2015, No Word on Direct Sequel

Frozen is the highest grossing animated movie of all time. Given that fact it is obviously in the best interest of fans and Walt Disney pictures to see a sequel some time soon. Thankfully, the company has released a few very important updates as to when Elsa and Anna will be taking to the silver screen again.

A full length sequel will not be happening any time in the immediate future, but a short film will be out by 2015. The short will be called "Frozen Fever" according to hillels.com and will be set on Anna's birthday, the plot will center around Elsa and Kristoff working to plan her party and give her the best gifts she deserves, but Elsa's infamous ice powers are making things more difficult.

As that plot synopsis may indicate, this short will not be a direct sequel in that it continues the plot of the first film, but it will be set in the same universe with the same characters and that should be enough to tide fans over until the next full-length feature.

Disney announced "Frozen Fever"  in a blog post a few weeks ago, along with the plot summary. Additionally, they revealed that one of the most beloved parts of the original film, the songs, will also be making a comeback in the short. Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the husband and wife team behind the music of Frozen, are going to be writing a brand new song for the production.

The short will be screened before Kenneth Branagh's live action Cinderella film in March 2015.

While there is no word on a proper Frozen sequel, Disney did announce a few more way that fans get their fix in the meantime. Four novels set in the world of Frozen are reportedly being developed. Two of the titles have been revealed so far: Anna and Elsa All Hail the Queen and Anna and Elsa: Memory and Magic are set to be released sometime next year.

The strong push for new Frozen stories should surprise no one; the film was essentially Disney's comeback movie, earning over $1 billion between its time in theaters and on home released catapulted the company back into the animated spotlight. That said even though the film was a massive hit, there have not been that many direct sequels to Disney animated movies so fans should not anticipate a second movie for some time.