Frozen 2: 10 Key Questions You Should Be Asking
7. What Will We Learn About The Parents?
Disney are notorious for their overprotective parents, but King Agnarr and Queen Iduna are two of the most polarising in the Canon. Their decision to keep Anna and Elsa apart generates of the conflict in the original Frozen, and their abrupt demise means that they are reduced to mere plot devices.
Based on their appearances in the trailer and the Annecy preview, it seems like the parents could get a far larger role in Frozen 2. Disney need to be careful about how they use these widely criticised characters. Casual viewers won’t mind learning more about Agnarr and Iduna, but the revelations have to affect Anna and Elsa’s relationship in a meaningful way or they will slow down the story.
Queen Iduna, in particular, could have a much larger role in Frozen 2. The original film gave her just a single line (provided by Frozen director Jennifer Lee herself) but the Broadway version added a bit more backstory, hinting that she was part of a group called the Northern Nomads.
Building on this would reinforce the feminist approach of the Frozen franchise and provide an interesting counterpart to the traditional overuse of dads. Frozen 2 will need to explain and explore Agnarr and Iduna’s misguided decisions whilst keeping them sympathetic and well-meaning.
Done well it could provide them with the complexity which they previously lacked, but if done badly, it could seem excessively apologetic and annoying.