Disney decides to remove Olaf's Frozen Adventure from theaters after backlash
Olaf's Frozen Adventure, a short film by Disney based on the characters of the 2013 blockbuster Frozen, is being pulled from theaters across the United States starting 8 December.
The short film hasn't exactly been loved by critics despite being based on the beloved Olaf the snowman (voiced by actor Josh Gad). Olaf's Frozen Adventure is currently being screened before every showing of Pixar's new animated movie Coco. Pixar has produced Coco whereas Walt Disney is responsible for its distribution. Coco, the big holiday release universally praised by critics, is the story about a 12-year-old boy who is accidentally transported to the land of the dead and seeks help of his musician great-great-grandfather to return to his family.
It is not unusual for a Pixar movie to begin with an short animated movie.
Viewers look forward to these short movies which are not more than two to eight minutes in length. Short movies have preceded every Pixar release since 1998's A Bug's Life. These shorts are Pixar's own and have been a tradition ever since. Olaf's Frozen Adventure, on the other hand, is a Disney short movie and is 21 minutes long. Many who went to the theaters to watch Coco were confused if they were at the right screening.
The 21 minute Disney short — along with the trailers — delayed Coco by at least 40 minutes. Viewers expressed their dislike for the movie and couldn't make sense of Disney's decision to screen the Frozen short before Coco.
Sometimes I wake up covered in sweat and screaming, filled with the horrifying certainty that I’m STILL watching that seemingly endless Frozen “short” that played before Coco.
— Jhonen Vasquez (@JhonenV) November 26, 2017
Coco is spectacular but unfortunately the Frozen short that precedes it will eat your brain from the inside, then spit the amygdaloid rind that remains thereafter down your throat. Arrive late. — Ian Bogost (@ibogost) November 23, 2017
I’m going to say it, since no one else will. The Frozen short in front of Coco is a giant piece of frozen shit. Olof made me want to punch myself in the face. — devon sawa (@DevonESawa) November 26, 2017
My 8-year old nephew, after the excruciating 20 minute Frozen short in front of Coco: “Nobody asked for that” — Nicholas Gurewitch (@PerryFellow) November 25, 2017
good evening to everyone except for the executive that doubted coco's natural ability to draw in an audience and forced a half an hour long frozen 'short' before it that made everyone wanna walk out early — Calvin (@calvinstowell) November 25, 2017
making us endure Olaf's Frozen Adventure to get to Coco is a metaphor for the Mexican American experience I just haven't figured out how yet
— JuanPa (@jpbrammer) November 27, 2017
Coco is the first animated movie to be based entirely in Mexico. The story revolves around the Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos (Day of the dead). It's the first animated movie to feature an all-brown cast and has performed extremely well at the box-office. It has already become the highest grossing movie in Mexico's history. Coco has also received widespread acclaim from critics.
The same cannot be said about Olaf's Frozen Adventure. Disney's short movie, which was originally supposed to premiere on ABC during Christmas, was moved to the theaters as a holiday special. Critics have universally panned Olaf's Frozen Adventure with The Washington Post calling it "irritating".
Many blamed Disney's lack of confidence in a movie that stars all-brown Mexican characters as the reason for the Frozen short to be included before Coco. Hollywood has talked a number of times about how a non-white cast cannot attract the same number of audiences like an all-white cast does. Pushing in a 21 minute long short movie is being seen as an attempt to lure in audiences that would not be keen on watching Coco; a movie based firmly in Mexican roots, heritage and culture.
When Coco was released in Mexico with Olaf's Frozen Adventure, it sparked an outcry on social media. The decision has since been taken to completely scrap the screening of the Disney short movie before Coco; first in Mexico and then in the US.
