Even though Frozen 2 is already an emotional movie, one scene in an early cut of the movie was too traumatizing for its young audiences. Olaf's death in Frozen II is arguably the saddest moment in the franchise. But, according to Josh Gad, who voiced the lovable snowman in both films, the character's death in the original script was much more brutal.
The actor detailed the devastating scene in his new memoir In Gad We Trust, explaining that writer-director Jennifer Lee had to rewrite it. Jen and I started recording the. If you've seen Frozen 2, then you'll know the unthinkable happened, and everyone's favorite cuddly snowman Olaf tragically (and temporarily) died near the end of the movie.
Josh Gad Reveals the Traumatic Original Version of Olaf's Death in 'Frozen II' by Justin Hermes January 16, 2025 In his new memoir, In Gad We Trust, Frozen star Josh Gad reflects on the production of Frozen II. The book is an interesting look at the creative process behind one of Disney's biggest franchises. Frozen II does end up with a version of an Olaf death scene, but it is far from permanent.
The powers that kept Olaf alive begin to fade away once Elsa discovers more about the truth of Ahtohallan. As a result, Olaf dies in Anna's arms, fading into a pile of snow. After Elsa is revived and gains back powers, she brings Olaf back to life, noting that water has memory. So, Olaf lives on after.
Josh Gad says he couldn't get through recording Olaf's death scene in 'Frozen 2' without 'sobbing,' revealing that the original script was so 'brutal' it was 'causing absolute havoc' with kids. Olaf is a fictional character in Disney's Frozen franchise. He first appeared in Walt Disney Animation Studios ' animated film Frozen (2013).
He later appears in other related Frozen media, including the sequel Frozen 2 (2019), and serves as the central character in the featurette Olaf's Frozen Adventure (2017), the short film Once Upon a Snowman (2020), and the series of shorts Olaf Presents. Olaf's original death scene in Frozen 2 was much grimmer than the version we got, actor Josh Gad has revealed. Olaf is a snowman built by Elsa.
He is based on a similar snowman built by Elsa and her sister, Anna, when they were both young. Though she was unaware of it, Elsa imbued Olaf with life, and the snowman proved instrumental in Anna's quest to find her sister. Olaf was built on the night of the accident that would separate Elsa and Anna for thirteen years.
At the time, Olaf was not yet sentient. Together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, she'll face a dangerous but remarkable journey. In Frozen, Elsa feared her powers were too much for the world.