Kristen Bell, like Anna Kendrick, has a more substantial background in singing than many audiences know, so it should come as no great shock that when she was finally given the chance to do a full-blown musical, she rocked it.
When we sat down to talk about her return to the character that first brought her to my attention, “Veronica Mars,” I couldn't resist asking her whether or not Disney has already broached the subject of making a “Frozen 2.” After all, the first one has become a full-blown phenomenon. I may not cover box-office stories, but it would be hard to miss just how big this film is at this point. It's been in the top ten longer than “Avatar” was, and it seems like fans can't get enough of it. Of course they're going to do a stage version of it, but for the first time, Disney may have no choice but to develop a theatrical sequel to one of the princess films, and as long as they keep the core creative team together, there's no reason they can't figure this one out.
Her answer was very entertaining, and it allowed her to talk a bit about just what a miracle it was that the first film came out the way it did. Sometimes, films that go through very difficult births end up being special precisely because of all the time and energy that was focused on figuring out exactly what they're trying to do, and I can't imagine how many different iterations there were of “Frozen” before they finally landed on the one that audiences are currently enjoying over and over and over.
It also sounds like Bell had quite a bit of input into shaping her character, so if they do bring Anna back for a sequel, here's hoping Bell gets a chance to be just as involved.
Sounds like the ball is in your court, Disney.