“One of the things that Disney was really interested in doing for this new film was a more mature, more sophisticated story,” explains composer Christophe Beck about “Frozen II,” the sequel to the animated blockbuster and Oscar winner “Frozen.”
In our recent webchat he says, “The audience for the first ‘Frozen’ that was such a huge success is now six years older. They’re more sophisticated moviegoers and they wanted to make a more mature experience for all the people that enjoyed that first ‘Frozen’ and that translated also to the way I approached the score.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Beck above.
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The original film was the highest grossing animated feature of all time (only recently surpassed by the 2019 remake of “The Lion King”), grossing $1.3 billion worldwide. It was also universally acclaimed, winning the Best Animated Feature Oscar and Best Original Song for the iconic “Let It Go” by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
“Frozen II” therefore had a lot to live up to. But audiences flocked to cinemas in droves to see it over recent weeks. The sequel also features a raft of popular new anthems like “Into the Unknown” and “Show Yourself” while Beck’s emotional score also seems to be garnering more attention. It is one of 15 films still in contention on the Academy Awards short list for Best Original Score.
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The composer delivered a deeper, more haunting score for this installment, as the film delves into more of the backstory of sisters Anna and Elsa, while also following Elsa’s journey of self-discovery. “It’s something I tried very hard to do,” he explains. “The fact that this is a more mature, more sophisticated and deeper story leaves more room for the music to do the same,” Beck says. “The score plays a bigger role in this film and a deeper role than in the first film.”
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