Frozen's story is well-known by now, but Elsa and Anna's relationship in the original plan would have changed both characters' journeys in the film.
Frozen is essentially about the love of two sisters, but the animated film’s original plan would have been even more heartbreaking for Anna and Elsa. Released in 2013, Frozen went on to become one of Disney’s most successful and popular animated films. With a central song like “Let it Go,” which became an instant classic, and a story that spoke to children and adults alike, Frozen became a staple of pop culture. However beloved the story is now, though, it might have looked a whole lot different had the filmmakers gone in another direction by changing a crucial aspect of the characters’ story.
The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic, a TV special about the film, aired on ABC in 2014, nearly a year following Frozen’s theatrical release. The special boasted behind-the-scenes details, which included the fact that “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” was nearly cut out of the film entirely, and other interesting tidbits. The special also revealed how Anna and Elsa’s relationship, inarguably the heart of Frozen, was eventually altered from the original plan that would have made the characters practically unrecognizable to each other and the audience. Anna and Elsa were not initially written as sisters, and it would’ve made for a wildly different viewing experience.
Frozen's Original Anna Plan Made Both Characters More Tragic
Audiences have come to know Anna and Elsa as sisters whose parents tragically died in a sea storm, but Anna was actually a peasant girl in Frozen’s initial drafts, and Elsa was a dark snow queen. They were also not related in any way. Originally, Anna had planned to go to Elsa to have her heart frozen. This would have irrevocably altered the course of the animated film’s story, making both Anna and Elsa far more tragic characters than they are. Had Frozen gone this route, Anna and Elsa would have been lonely, alienated figures who didn’t have any support or love.
The lack of Anna and Elsa’s sisterly bond would have given the animated movie a darker tone. The dark tone would have been more in line with traditional fairy tales, including The Brothers Grimm’s stories and Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, which directly inspired Frozen. While Anna’s heart does turn to ice in Frozen, the act is an unintentional side effect of Elsa’s powers, and not something Anna sought to have done to her. Had Anna gone to Elsa to freeze her heart, Frozen would have been a far sadder story. And while Anna did grow up lonely, she’s far more of a hopeful character than her earliest iteration.
Why Frozen Making Elsa & Anna Sisters Saved The Movie
The filmmakers changing their minds and making Elsa and Anna sisters instead actually saved the movie. Their relationship — the love they have for each other, and the lengths they’re willing to go to save the other — is the beating heart of Frozen. Without it, the story wouldn’t have worked as well, nor would it have been as heartfelt and personal. Being sisters gave Anna and Elsa something to fight for: Each other. Had Anna been a peasant with no relation to Elsa, the film would have been a lot colder, and there may not have been a way for audiences to connect with them or the overall story being told.
