He’s Olaf and he likes warm hugs. Sprung from the Snow Queen’s magical powers, Olaf is by far the friendliest snowman to walk the mountains above Arendelle, in Walt Disney Animation Studios' stunning big-screen comedy-adventure “Frozen.”

His innocence, outgoing personality and uncanny ability to disassemble himself at good and not-so-good times lead to some awkward, albeit laughable moments. He may also have the world’s most impossible dream, but what he doesn’t know won’t melt him—or will it?

Comedian Josh Gad (“The Internship,” “JOBS”) lends his voice to the affable snowman. “While technically he doesn't have one, Olaf’s got the biggest heart in the world,” says Gad. “He lives to love. And he really cares deeply about these new friends he’s found—Anna, Kristoff and Sven. The joy that he has in experiencing this family for the first time is the truth of the film that the audience will relate to the most.”

In “Frozen,” fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey—teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven—to find her sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

“Olaf represents that pure innocence and childhood joy,” says director Jennifer Lee. “The minute we imbued him with that, he just took off. He’s funny in a way that children are funny. He’s completely unaffected by the world. He’s the one character who isn’t struggling with fear versus love. He is love.”

“Olaf went through many iterations in development,” continues Lee. “He had so much potential. We found him as soon as we asked, ‘How does a snowman think?’ I started writing Olaf as a pre-teen boy—maybe 12—who’s playful, direct, more sophisticated than a little boy, but still innocent. Then Josh Gad came in and we decided to play with the character in the scene in which Anna and Kristoff meet him for the first time. We had a blast adlibbing and discovering exactly who Olaf is. It was perfect. We never re-recorded that scene.

“There's something so poignant and emotional about Olaf that makes him effortlessly funny,” Lee adds. “I don't think anyone could do that but Josh.”

“We want to ground the comedy and drama within the characters and situations,” notes producer Peter Del Vecho. “Olaf is one of the funniest characters in the movie, but he also has an innocent view of the world, which allows him to say things that go right to the heart very quickly.”

Filmmakers hoped to take full advantage of what Olaf offered in terms of his snowman construction, so they called on the technology team to create software called Spaces that allowed artists to deconstruct the character—and rebuild him—as part of the animation process. “For the animation team, Olaf was like a giant toy box,” says director Chris Buck. “He’s made up of three balls of snow that can break apart and come together in different ways. His eyes can move around, his nose can slide in and out and off. His stick arms came off. Animators could do anything with him.”

Opening across the Philippines in 3D and 2D on Nov. 27, “Frozen” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

From the outside, Elsa looks poised, regal and reserved, but in reality, she lives in fear as she wrestles with a mighty secret—she was born with the power to create ice and snow. Broadway superstar and film actress Idina Menzel (“Enchanted”) provides the voice of Elsa, in Walt Disney Animation Studios' stunning big-screen comedy-adventure “Frozen.”

Haunted by the moment her magic nearly killed her younger sister Anna (voice of Kristen Bell), Elsa has isolated herself, spending every waking minute trying to suppress her growing powers. Her mounting emotions trigger the magic, accidentally setting off an eternal winter that she can’t stop. She fears she’s becoming a monster and that no one, not even her sister, can help her.

Menzel brought warmth and likability to what might otherwise have been a cold character—by definition. “Idina has a sense of vulnerability in her voice,” says director Chris Buck. “She plays a very strong character, but someone who lives in fear—so we needed someone who could portray both sides of the character, and Idina was just amazing.”

Menzel says she finds her character unique. “Elsa is the Snow Queen; she could easily be perceived as a villain, but that’s not who she is. She's extremely complicated and misunderstood. She actually banishes herself from her home to avoid hurting others, and in return, she finds the liberation to celebrate who she is.”

The celebration is marked by the song “Let It Go,” and the character undergoes a profound transformation—inside and out. “Before ‘Let It Go,’” says character design supervisor Bill Schwab, “Elsa is really buttoned up, her hair is up—everything is perfect. During the song, she gives herself permission to be who she is and everything changes—her hair is more wild, her gown is magical. She’s finally free—even if she is all alone.”

According to Paul Briggs, head of story, Elsa’s new-found freedom—and the journey Anna takes as a result—showcases one of the film’s key themes: family. “The one person Elsa most needs on her side when her secret is finally revealed is her sister,” says Briggs. “The strength of the family bond is what makes this story so powerful, because it’s her sibling who’s willing to look beyond her powers and stand between her and the world if that’s what it takes. She just has to find a way to let that happen.”

Tony® Award-winning Broadway powerhouse Idina Menzel has a diverse career on the stage, in film and television, and in music. Lauded for strong yet emotional performances, Menzel recently culminated a successful international orchestra tour.

She reached superstardom on Broadway with her Tony®-winning performance as Elphaba in the blockbuster “Wicked,” and in her Tony-nominated role as Maureen in the revolutionary “Rent.” Menzel also appeared as Sheila in the Encores! production of “Hair” and starred as Amneris in Broadway's “Aida.” In London, she premiered in “Wicked” in the West End and received the Theatregoers Choice Award for best actress in a musical.

Opening across the Philippines in 3D and 2D on Nov. 27, “Frozen” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

Walt Disney Animation Studios (“Tangled,” “Wreck-It Ralph”) presents “Frozen,” a stunning big-screen comedy-adventure inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen.”

In the film, fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey—teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven—to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

Get to know the interesting fun facts behind the making of “Frozen” below!

Wait, what? – One of Anna’s favorite phrases—“Wait, what?”—was added to the script compliments of Kristen Bell.

Pure fun – When the story team was developing the character of Olaf, the possibilities were endless. It was when they asked, “How would a snowman think?” that they found Olaf: pure, simple, innocent. His humor ultimately comes from the simple way he thinks.

So Sami – The character of Kristoff was largely influenced by the Sami people, who are indigenous to parts of northern Norway. The Sami are known for herding reindeer, which may explain why Kristoff’s best buddy is a reindeer named Sven. Filmmakers visited a Sami-owned reindeer husbandry business in Roros, Norway. At one point, filmmakers named the reindeer Thor, but later changed their minds due to the sudden popularity of the name around the company.

It's a lemon – Hans’ horse, who keeps Anna from falling in the water before the coronation, has a name: Sitron, which means “lemon” in Norwegian.

Reindeer Day – Filmmakers invited a real-life reindeer into the Walt Disney Animation Studios, observing the animal’s physical makeup and mannerisms, which were later caricatured in the making of Kristoff’s reindeer buddy Sven. The reindeer showcased an unexpected technique for taking care of an itch on his ear: he used his back legs—like a dog might do. Sven later adopted the technique.

Ice house – Several members of the production team traveled to Quebec to experience the Ice Hotel as inspiration for Elsa’s ice palace. Though the artists were inspired and wowed by the icy architecture, none opted to spend the night in the chilly abode.

Let it snow – In an effort to perfect Elsa’s icy magic, filmmakers called on Dr. Thomas Painter, a scientist from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena known as “Dr. Snow” to learn about snowflakes from a molecular level. 80 percent of Earth’s fresh water is frozen in the form of ice or snow. Snow is colorless and clear, but light reflected evenly on snowflake crystals gives it its white appearance.

That sounds about right – To pepper the script with authentic Norwegian words, accents and phrases, filmmakers called on Jackson Crawford, who teaches Old Norse, Scandinavian mythology, Vikings and sagas at UCLA. His research focuses on the history of Old Norse and Norwegian. Native Norwegian singer and aspiring film composer Christine Hals was tapped to perform the distinctive vocals for the film.

That's special – The average animated film features special effects in about 45 percent of its shots. However, since most of “Frozen” takes place in the midst of a winter storm—and snow and ice are considered special effects—“Frozen” can be considered extra—almost entirely—special.

It's a long story – The scene in which Elsa walks out onto the balcony of her newly constructed ice palace is 218 frames long, and includes the film’s longest frame to render. The single frame took more than 132 hours to render (that’s more than five days).

Everything's coming up roses – Rosemaling, a style of decorative folk art found throughout Norway’s history, appears throughout the film—on clothing, within the architecture and is even evoked in Elsa’s magic and her icy creations.

Ding! – During animation dailies, individual animators would sit in a red “hot seat” and present their shots to directors for feedback. If the directors were happy and had no further notes, they would ding a bell—approved!—and everyone would applaud.

Opening across the Philippines in 3D and 2D on Nov. 27, “Frozen” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

Walt Disney Pictures has just launched the main trailer of its upcoming animated adventure, “Frozen,” which can be viewed at http://youtu.be/mJeJbRlEVhM.

In “Frozen,” when a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, Anna (voice of Kristen Bell), a fearless optimist, teams up with extreme mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his sidekick reindeer Sven on an epic journey to find Anna's sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), the Snow Queen, and put an end to her icy spell. Encountering mystical trolls, an amazing and comedic snowman named Olaf, Everest-like conditions and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.

“Frozen” is directed by Chris Buck (“Tarzan,” “Surf's Up”) and Jennifer Lee (screenwriter, “Wreck-It Ralph”), and produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Winnie the Pooh,” “The Princess and the Frog”). The film features music from Tony® winner Robert Lopez (“The Book of Mormon,” “Avenue Q”) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“In Transit”).

Opening across the Philippines in 3D and 2D on Nov. 27, “Frozen” will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

Meet the characters of Walt Disney Animation Studios' upcoming animated feature “Frozen,” a stunning big-screen comedy adventure.

Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) is more daring than graceful and, at times, can act before she thinks. But she’s also the most optimistic and caring person you’ll ever meet. She longs to reconnect with her sister, Elsa, as they were close during their childhood. When Elsa accidentally unleashes a magical secret that locks the kingdom of Arendelle in an eternal winter, Anna embarks on a dangerous adventure to make things right. Armed with only her fearlessness, a never-give-up attitude and her faith in others, Anna is determined to save both her kingdom and her family.

From the outside, Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel) looks poised, regal and reserved, but in reality, she lives in fear as she wrestles with a mighty secret—she was born with the power to create ice and snow. It’s a beautiful ability, but also extremely dangerous. Haunted by the moment her magic nearly killed her younger sister Anna, Elsa has isolated herself, spending every waking minute trying to suppress her growing powers. Her mounting emotions trigger the magic, accidentally setting off an eternal winter that she can’t stop. She fears she’s becoming a monster and that no one, not even her sister, can help her.

Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) is a true outdoorsman. He lives high up in the mountains where he harvests ice and sells it to the kingdom of Arendelle. Rough around the edges, Kristoff’s the strong, no-nonsense type, who follows his own set of rules. He may seem like a loner, but he always has his best friend by his side—a loyal and extremely mangy reindeer named Sven.

A reindeer with the heart of a Labrador, Sven is Kristoff’s loyal friend, sleigh-puller and conscience. He makes sure his mountain-man companion is the stand-up guy Sven knows and loves, and does so without saying a word. A few emphatic snorts usually get his point across. Life would be perfect if only Kristoff would lose that ridiculous reindeer voice he likes to use when speaking for Sven (as if reindeers really talk that way).

Hans (voice of Santino Fontana) is a handsome royal from a neighboring kingdom who comes to Arendelle for Elsa’s coronation. With 12 older brothers, Hans grew up feeling practically invisible—and Anna can relate. Hans is smart, observant and chivalrous. Unlike Elsa, Hans promises he’ll never shut Anna out; he just might be the connection she’s been waiting for all these years.

Olaf (voice of Josh Gad) likes warm hugs. Sprung from Elsa’s magical powers, Olaf is by far the friendliest snowman to walk the mountains above Arendelle. His innocence, outgoing personality and uncanny ability to disassemble himself at good and not-so-good times lead to some awkward, albeit laughable moments. He may also have the world’s most impossible dream, but what he doesn’t know won’t melt him—or will it?

What the Duke of Weselton (voice of Alan Tudyk) lacks in stature, he makes up for in arrogance and showboating. He’s determined to get close to the new queen—that is, until Elsa’s magical secret is revealed. Then he’s the first to call her a monster and try to turn her own kingdom against her—anything that might help him exploit Arendelle’s tradable goods.

Marshmallow is an enormous icy snowman born from Elsa’s powers. He serves as a brute bodyguard charged with keeping intruders away from her ice palace. The menacing white beast doesn’t say much, but he packs a powerful punch.

Oaken (voiced by Chris Williams) runs Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna. But since Elsa’s massive winter storm hits in mid-July, he finds himself with a surplus of summer supplies. Deal-seekers beware: though he’s good-natured and helpful, if you cross him, Oaken won’t hesitate to throw you out of his humble establishment.

Opening across the Philippines in 3D on January 2014, “Frozen” will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

Walt Disney Animation Studios, the studio behind “Tangled” and “Wreck-It Ralph,” presents “Frozen,” a stunning big-screen comedy adventure. Catch the film's teaser poster below and teaser trailer here at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lk5g8BbEDU.

In “Frozen,” fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey—teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven—to find her sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

The film is directed by Chris Buck (“Tarzan,” “Surf’s Up”) and Jennifer Lee (screenwriter, “Wreck-It Ralph”), and produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Winnie the Pooh,” “The Princess and the Frog”).

Featuring music from Tony® winner Robert Lopez (“The Book of Mormon,” “Avenue Q”) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“In Transit”), “Frozen” opens across the Philippines in 3D on January 2014.