'Frozen II' Locks Down China Release Date

The Disney animated tentpole will open in the Middle Kingdom day-and-date with North America.


Disney Animation Studios' tentpole sequel Frozen II has locked down its release date in China.


The much anticipated reprisal of the adventures of Queen Elsa and Princess Anna will open in the Middle Kingdom on Nov. 22, the same day it releases in North America, Beijing film regulators revealed Wednesday.


The original Frozen earned $48.2 million in China, a sizable sum but relatively less than might have been expected, given the Chinese theatrical market's enormous size and potential (Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha, for example, brought in $701 million in the country earlier this year).


The highest-grossing U.S. animated film to date in China was Disney Animation's Zootopia, with $236 million in 2016.


Frozen II sees Kristen Bell (Princess Anna) and Idina Menzel (Queen Elsa) reprise their beloved roles. The gang from the original 2013 film will embark on a new journey that goes beyond their homeland of Arendelle, and this time Anna will be joining Elsa on the adventure.


Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad and Santino Fontana all return from the first film, while new cast members include Evan Rachel Wood and Sterling K. Brown. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee also return as co-directors.