Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2 (2020) Review

I have consumed a lot of content during this lockdown but Into the Unknown is the first show to inspire my creativity and return to writing. The six-part docuseries provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of last year's Frozen 2 and celebrates the hardworking, talented and visionary individuals who created the magic.

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After the unexpected mega-success of 2013's Frozen, directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck had set a high bar for the sequel. They had to produce a follow-up that remained faithful to the first film's beloved characters while maturing and expanding its themes and story. Thus, they were faced with many challenges throughout the (4 year long) filmmaking process.

Devoted Directors

The biggest takeaway I had from Into the Unknown is that Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck are as emotionally invested in the Frozen brand and magic as the families and children who rushed to see Frozen 2 on opening weekend, queued hours to meet Anna and Elsa at the Disney theme parks, and recited the lyrics to 'Let it Go' in 25 different languages. They understand and appreciate that the characters mean a lot to audiences around the world and wanted to get the sequel right.

However, the docuseries does more than attest Lee and Buck's passion for the Frozen brand, it cultivates a better understanding of who they are outside of the directing chair. During the series Lee cries after hearing a breathtaking orchestral performance of 'Into the Unknown', laughs when presented with a hilarious mock-up of Olaf as Pabbie the troll, and spends her free time (14 hour days, 6 days a week) perfecting the film's script. In a sweet candid moment, Lee is filmed printing her daughter's math homework and opens up about being a single parent. She expresses how she connects with the mother/daughter themes that are woven into the film and, for a brief moment, Frozen 2 felt less like a major studio production and more like an intimate tale of daughterhood. Forget Elsa and Anna, Jennifer Lee's warmth, optimism and kindness will thaw your frozen heart.

There is a heart to Frozen 2 that will only be discovered by watching this docuseries. Chris Buck's son Ryder was devastatingly killed in a car accident in October 2013 and this is addressed at the end of Episode 3. Buck vulnerably describes his grief, the importance of 'The Next Right Thing' and hosts a fundraiser in honour of Ryder. He also bittersweetly reveals, to the viewer and his wife, that Kristoff's new friend 'Ryder' (a member of the Northuldra) is purposefully named after his son. This is a poignant, sentimental detail that would be overlooked without this series.

In the same episode, both Kristen Bell (voice of Anna) and Hyun Min Lee (animator of Anna) detail their experiences with depression and the personal significance of Anna's new song 'The Next Right Thing'. This was also touching to hear.

Show Yourself

Elsa's transformation during 'Show Yourself' is spectacular. I remember feeling overwhelmed and liberated by the show-stopping musical sequence when I first experienced it last November. The song is 'Let It Go''s louder, prouder and wiser sister. However, Into the Unknown reveals that this profound song was actually the centre of many creative disputes across the filmmaking process and was nearly left on the cutting room floor.

After the phenomenal success of 'Let it Go', Lee, Buck and songwriting duo Kristen and Robert Lopez were faced with the added pressure of making lightening strike twice. The team struggled to convey the song's complex message in an accessible way - would Elsa be singing to an idealistic version of herself? a magical glacier? or the eventual answer, her deceased mother?. They even considered completely rewriting the song's hook! (I agree with Kristen Lopez here - 'I Am Home' is no where near as compelling as 'Show Yourself').

To help with their struggles, some of the team took a trip to Iceland during pre-production to interact with a real glacier and inspire their creativity. It really was fascinating to witness the collapse and construction of the dazzling 'Show Yourself' sequence. There were so many different components (and different teams) - the song, the visuals, the dress, the colours, the scenery - that had to come together for it to pop.

Creative Differences

Finally, Into the Unknown offers a refreshing and professional perspective on how to deal with creative differences. It is often publicised that indifference leads to the downfall of a project, but there are many examples throughout the series where innovative ideas had to be scrapped, reworked or improved for the greater good.

Advanced screenings were regularly held with Disney insiders and test audiences to ensure that production was moving in the right direction. This means that the team were constantly receiving constructive criticism and were able to make assured creative decisions. Side-note: Test screenings are common practise in Hollywood so how do films like Cats gloriously derail?. This led to the unfortunate cutting of Sterling K Brown's musical solo (he was excited to play the first black character in the Frozen universe) but also the addition of a clearer prologue and Olaf's witty bursts of exposition.

I knew that advanced screenings took place during production but it was insightful to see them in action. Sadly the documentary's crew were not allowed to capture the conversation had between the filmmakers after the first, and most crucial, audience screening. We can only imagine how tough that meeting must have been. It was also torturous to watch the shredding of old storyboards and the absence of Selena Gomez from the premiere footage was disappointing ;).

Into the Unknown: Making the Biggest Animated Movie of All Time

Aside from the content that premiered on launch-day, Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2 might just be the best Disney+ original yet (sorry Artemis Fowl!). It is always fun to go behind the scenes of beloved blockbusters but it is the innovative people who worked on Frozen 2 that make this docuseries as captivating as it is. From Lee and Buck to The Lopez's to the skilled animators and technical team, Frozen 2 was always in safe hands. I would love to see more documentaries on Disney+ like Into the Unknown!

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