Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, and Josh Gad will be making a record-breaking amount of money for Frozen 3 and Frozen 4. The third installment in Disney’s hit animated franchise is scheduled for release on November 24, 2027. Frozen 3‘s cast is bringing back Menzel as Elsa, Bell as Anna, and Gad as Olaf the snowman, all of whom perform the speaking and singing voices for their characters.
According to TheWrap, Bell, Menzel, and Gad have now each signed deals worth $60 million for their returns in Frozen 3 and Frozen 4. These are among the highest amounts ever paid to actors in the history of animation.
Upfront fees and backend bonuses are included in the $60 million total, which is a significant increase from the stars being paid $15 million each for Frozen 2. All three actors are paid the same amount for each film in the series. An executive with knowledge of the groundbreaking deal clarified that the $60 million will not be a lump sum and will be paid over the course of several years as per the movies’ production and box office performance.
Jennifer Lee, who co-directed and co-wrote the first two Frozen movies, is returning to direct the third and fourth films as well. She announced in 2024 that she was stepping down from her role as Disney Animation’s Chief Creative Officer in order to focus on making Frozen 3 and Frozen 4.
Trent Correy, who co-directed and co-wrote Disney’s 2023 animated short film Once Upon A Studio, is reportedly co-directing Frozen 3 alongside Lee. Songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who worked on the previous films, are reportedly returning, as is producer Peter Del Vecho.
Both Frozen and Frozen II are among the Disney animated movies that grossed $1 billion or more at the worldwide box office. Frozen earned nearly $1.3 billion following its theatrical release and the sequel managed to outperform its predecessor with $1.45 billion. This makes Frozen one of Disney’s most lucrative franchises, which has now led to the historic paydays for Bell, Menzel, and Gad.
With Frozen 3 releasing during Thanksgiving 2026, it is expected to continue Disney’s box office dominance during this time of the year. Moana 2 came out during Thanksgiving 2024 and went on to earn $1.05 billion worldwide, and Zootopia 2, which is coming to theaters Thanksgiving this year, is expected to perform incredibly well at the box office as well. There is no release date yet for Frozen 4.
