Frozen 3’s Powerful New Villain & Casting Teased By Disney Boss

Published Nov 13, 2026, 10:54 AM EST

Ryan Northrup is a Senior Staff Writer on ScreenRant's Movie & TV News team, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and reviews. A graduate of McMaster University, Ryan began his career in public relations before attending Vancouver Film School. There, he built lasting industry connections and optioned a feature film screenplay.

Frozen III's powerful new villain may be revealed soon.

Following the success of Frozen (2013) and its 2019 sequel, Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) are confirmed to return for a third outing under directors Jennifer Lee and Trent Correy. No official synopsis has been revealed just yet for Frozen 3's story, but the film is gearing up for its late 2027 theatrical release, with a fourth installment already in the works.

In a recent interview with Collider, Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer Jared Bush shares a new Frozen 3 update, revealing that Bell and songwriter Bobby Lopez are currently working on one of the film's "most emotional songs." The executive also teases the introduction of a brand new character who will serve as a particularly power villain. Check out Bush's comment below:

Well, Frozen 3 is out in one year. I will say, very exciting. Right now, literally as we speak, Kristen and Bobby Lopez are working on one of the movie’s most emotional songs right now. They are about five songs in. I’d say that we have a very special story in store for people. I think one that will surprise people. And we have a brand new character coming in, a new villain, into the world of Frozen, and someone who may be more powerful than Elsa. So, lots going on.

When asked about when the voice actor for this new villain will be revealed, Bush hints that an announcement may not be far off. "That's a great question," he says. "We've already recorded her multiple times. Stay tuned."

Prince Hans (Santino Fontana) serves as the central villain in the first Frozen, with Frozen II opting to avoid a traditional villain character and instead focus on historical guilt and environmental obstacles. Bush's latest comment, then, seemingly confirms that the upcoming third installment will return to more traditional storytelling, pitting Elsa and Anna against an in-the-flesh antagonist.

What Bush doesn't reveal, however, is whether this new villain will be introduced and dealt with entirely in the third movie, or if the character will feature in the confirmed Frozen 4. While the third installment is expected to tell a complete story, it's entirely possible that narrative threads, such as a new villain arc, will be left open for further exploration in the follow-up.

Though the voice actor for the new villain remains a mystery, Frozen 3 is expected to bring back franchise regulars Jonathan Groff as Kristoff and Josh Gad as Olaf. Beyond that, the voice cast for the film is being kept under wraps.

Expectations are high for the third Frozen adventure after the performance of the previous two entries. The 2013 original grossed $1.310 billion worldwide, while the sequel surpassed that at $1.450 billion. The third installment seems likely to continue a strong streak for Walt Disney Animation Studios after Zootopia 2 (2025) grossed $1.870 billion and Moana 2 (2024) grossed $1.059 billion.

Choose the movie with the higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Frozen 2 reviews were softer than the debut installment, however, leaving room for improvement. On Rotten Tomatoes, the sequel has a 77% critics' score, a step down from the original movie's 89%. It's possible that returning to a more traditional villain character will go over better with critics after some of the more abstract forces of antagonism in Frozen 2.

Many questions remain about Frozen 3, but progress evidently continues to be made on the movie behind the scenes. Given Bush's latest comment, audiences should perhaps expect an exciting cast announcement to be made in the near future.