Until the Disney+ series Into the Unknown: The Making of Frozen 2 begins streaming, there’s no better way to get a peak behind-the-scenes of this blockbuster film than with The Art of Frozen 2 from Chronicle Books. Over the course of five themed sections, readers will experience development artwork that hasn’t been seen outside the studio before and read quotes from the talented artists that created them. There’s a whole new world beyond Arendelle and now you can take a deep dive into the direction and choices made to bring the Enchanted Forest to life.
The first section is called “Arendelle” and primarily focuses on the new looks for returning characters like Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and even Sven. The kingdom’s history is explained a little better within these pages, including the wheat symbol that can be found on all of their day clothes. It also covers changes that were made to the town to serve the needs of the story as well as the fall color palette.
“Air” covers the set design of the Enchanted Forest, including an exploration of the flora and fauna found in Norway and Iceland and how the team modified these types of trees to give them an Eyvind Earl style. Character design for Captain Mattias, Queen Iduna, King Agnar, and Gale the wind spirit are found in this section. The latter includes some concepts that never materialized in the film, such as including a face for the invisible character.
“Earth” includes the Northuldra people including character and design studies of Yelana, Honeymaren, and Ryder. It also includdes the design of the Earth Giants and the reindeer of the Enchanted Forest. “Fire” covers everyone’s favorite salamander Bruni and a few more locations from the journey, including the caves that Anna and Olaf explore. The last section is “Water,” which includes the Nok, a closer look at the limits of Elsa’s magic, and the design of Ahtohallan. It also includes storyboards from the “Show Yourself” sequence and alternate designs for that powerful moment in the film, one of which graces the cover of the book.
The book includes a forward by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, and Peter Del Vecho, who also provide quotes throughout the book regarding some of the story choices that were made. The author is Jessica Julius, herself a part of Walt Disney Animation Studios as the Director of Creative Affairs. For Chronicle Books, she has also written art books for Big Hero 6 and Zootopia.
Reading The Art of Frozen 2 gave me a deeper appreciation for the artistry and talent that went into making the film. It also revealed some abandoned concepts and fun facts that only the creative team knew until now. If you love Disney artwork and Frozen 2, this book will be a treasured part of your collection.