Disney+ has released the trailer for Once Upon a Snowman. The animated short will premiere October 23rd, exclusively on Disney+. Frozen fans are about to learn all about Olaf’s origins in this spinoff of the popular franchise. Josh Gad has come back to provide the voice of Olaf, who is on a mission to discover who he really is. Once Upon a Snowman is done in the same computer animation style as the first two Frozen movies and it should be a welcome holiday distraction for Disney fans.
The previously untold origins of Olaf, the innocent and insightful, summer-loving snowman who melted hearts in the Academy Award winning 2013 Disney animated feature, Frozen, and its acclaimed 2019 sequel, are revealed in the all-new Walt Disney Animation Studios animated short, Once Upon a Snowman. The short film follows Olaf’s first steps as he comes to life and searches for his identity in the snowy mountains outside Arendelle. Fans will be able to see how the lovable snowman came to be who he is today.
The Once Upon a Snowman trailer has Josh Gad’s goofy snowman out and about on a whole new adventure. Everything is heightened and a bit absurd, which is perfect for Olaf as he tries to figure out exactly wo he really is. We quickly learn that the snowman can talk, but not juggle in the brief trailer. The short film takes place in between the events from when Elsa created Olaf and when he meets Anna, Kristoff, and Sven in the forest. This will likely not be the last time that we see a new Olaf adventure on Disney+ since he has become a fan-favorite character.
Once Upon a Snowman is the second Olaf short following Olaf’s Frozen Adventure and the third short to be based on Frozen, the first being Frozen Fever. Josh Gad previously noted that the original test screenings for Frozen were not positive. It wasn’t until they placed “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” into the story that everything seemed to click. The movie ended up being massive at the box office and gained positive reviews from fans and critics alike, with Olaf being one of the most popular characters from the franchise.
Once Upon a Snowman is directed by Trent Correy (animation supervisor, Olaf in Frozen 2) and Dan Abraham (veteran story artist who boarded Olaf’s “When I Am Older” musical sequence in Frozen 2). Correy says, “This is an idea that started to form when I was an animator on the first Frozen. Dan Abraham and I are so grateful and excited to have had the opportunity to direct this short, working with our incredible colleagues at Walt Disney Animation Studios.” Abraham says, “Josh Gad gives one of the great animated voice performances as Olaf through the Frozen films.” The short film will premiere later this week on Disney+. Until then, you can check out the latest trailer above, thanks to the Walt Disney Animation Studios YouTube channel.
