One thing you can say about the folks at Disney – they don’t like to lose.
First, in an effort to get increased attention for “Frozen”‘s Oscar nominated Best Original Song, “Let It Go”, the studio has released a mashed-up version, with the song, sung by Idina Menzel, in 25 different languages. It’s pretty amazing, though I’ll still take the original. Do you think this could have anything to do with “Let It Go” losing at the Golden Globes (voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press)? No matter what, this version is now getting millions of hits online and will definitely attract the attention of Academy members as they start to fill-out their Oscar ballots this week.
And there’s also a battle on to become the highest grossing animated film of 2013. Universal’s “Despicable Me 2” built-up a huge lead on the rest of the field, but since its release in late November, “Frozen” has been steadily gaining on “DM2”.
But it didn’t look like the updated “Snow Queen” tale had a chance to catch the Minions – until the extraordinary news that Disney will be releasing a sing-along version of “Frozen” in over 1000 theaters nationwide – on Super Bowl Weekend. Fans will be able to join in on all the songs, as the lyrics will be displayed at the bottom of the screen, complete with a bouncing snowflake. Past Disney sing-along movies have done quite well and you can expect millions of young girls to flock to theaters to experience this one (especially on SB Sunday).
Will the bonus box office $$$ from these special screenings (combined with the money the film is still making in its regular version) allow “Frozen” to catch “Despicable Me 2” and capture the title “#1 Animated Film of 2013”? As of now “DM2” leads both domestically (by about $30M) and worldwide (by more than $150M), but “DM2″‘s US total is literally frozen, opening the door for Disney, with an avalanche of sing-along fans, to steal the crown.