The Walt Disney Co. will be expediting the release of Frozen 2 on Disney+.
The beloved sequel to 2013’s Frozen will hit the streaming platform on Sunday – three months earlier than expected – in order to give families cooped up by the coronavirus a welcome distraction.
The early release comes in wake of Disney deciding to ‘pause production’ on a slew of their live-action films as a result of the growing coronavirus threat.
Early gift: The Walt Disney Co. announced they will release Frozen 2 on Disney+ on Sunday
In some countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands, Frozen 2 will be available to stream starting Tuesday.
Frozen 2, which features the vocal talents of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, and Josh Gad, premiered in theaters on November 22 of last year.
Gad took to Twitter shortly after Disney’s announcement to express his support for the decision.
‘I could not be happier with this decision. All of us need some joy right now,’ wrote the 39-year-old actor.
For the families: The debut comes three months earlier than scheduled in order to give families cooped up by the coronavirus a welcome distraction
Earning more than $1.4billion worldwide in ticket sales, Frozen 2 became Disney’s highest grossing animated film to date in 2019.
The last minute gesture to share Frozen 2 early appeared to be an attempt to appeal to avid Disney fans angered over the delays, production halts, and park closings issued by the company over the week.
‘We have made the decision to pause production on some of our live-action films for a short time,’ announced a Disney representative in a statement released Friday in regards to the company hitting pause on live-action productions.
Although ‘there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19’ on Disney sets, the halt comes as a result of the company ‘considering the current environment and the best interests’ of cast and crew.
On pause: Disney will temporarily ‘pause production’ on a slew of its live-action films, including the live action The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey (right), as a result of the growing coronavirus threat
Projects currently suspended include the live-action The Little Mermaid.
The rep confirmed that Disney will ‘continue to assess the situation and restart as soon as feasible.’
Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid, which was scheduled to being production next week, will be one of the many films affected by the sudden production suspension.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Peter Pan & Wendy and Shrunk, the Honey I Shrunk The Kids sequel, ‘both in pre-production’ will be delayed.
Disney films currently in production, like Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel and Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, will shut down until further notice.
Disney already delayed the release date for the highly anticipated live action Mulan film, which had been scheduled to hit theaters on March 27.
Delayed: Disney already delayed the release date for the highly anticipated live action Mulan film, which had been scheduled to hit theaters on March 27
The film’s director, Niki Caro, took to Instagram on Thursday to address the postponement.
‘We are so excited to share this film with the world, but given the current ever-shifting circumstances we are all experiencing, unfortunately, we have to postpone the worldwide release of,’ captioned Caro, who shared a photograph of one of the many Mulan promotional photos plastered around Los Angeles.
Disney has yet to set a new release date for the film.
Emptiest place on earth: The Walt Disney company made a landmark decision on Thursday by announcing the temporary closure of their parks in California and Florida, expected to last through March
The Walt Disney company made a landmark decision on Thursday by announcing the temporary closure of their parks in California and Florida, expected to last through March.
President Donald Trump addressed the nation during a press conference Friday morning where he officially declared coronavirus a ‘national emergency.’
The declaration will allow Trump to access $50million in emergency funds and unveil ‘drive-thru testing’ for the virus at Walmart, Target, and CVS parking lots across the nation.