Few Disney franchises are quite as big as Frozen, so the news that we’re getting not one, but two more Frozen movies is sure to have a lot of people very excited. Disney certainly has a lot riding on the success of the films, and the rumor was they were paying very well to ensure the core cast was on board. However, it sounds like maybe the Mouse hasn’t been quite as generous as rumored.
Last year, it was reported that Frozen’s main trio of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel and Josh Gad had all signed deals that were in the realm of $60 million each to appear in both Frozen 3 and 4. ET caught up with Bell ahead of the Actor Awards, which she hosted, and the voice of Anna said that while she’s getting paid well for the sequels, she’s not getting paid that well. Bell explained…
I think there’s been a lot misreported about that Frozen deal. No, no, no, no, no that’s somebody making a lot of things up. But that said, am I happy to have that job and does it pay very well because it’s a successful franchise? Yes. And I’m so grateful for it and I will continue to do it for the rest of my life if they’ll have me.
The $60 million number seemed bizarrely high when it was announced. $30 million per film for two movies is a massive up-front number that most live-action stars don’t get these days, as many take their salary on the back end based on a film’s success. Perhaps the $60 million number is the cost for the three stars together, as it would still equal a pretty impressive payday per actor. I hope Jonathan Groff got a decent contract, too.
It’s also possible that the reported number was technically accurate, though it may encompass more than just two movies of work. Being the voice of Anna from Frozen doesn’t mean simply doing work on two films, after all. It could include additional voice work for anything from animated shorts to toys to Frozen theme park attractions. It could be a larger contract designed to make sure that Kristen Bell and the rest of the team are involved with Frozen for the long haul.
Whatever the truth, it’s clear that Kristen Bell and her co-stars are getting paid well to continue with Frozen. It’s only fair considering how much money Frozen has brought to Disney over the years. But again, I really hope Jonathan Groff got a nice deal, too.
