Frozen continues with TV special in 2017, stage musical in 2018

Anna, Elsa and the beloved characters from animated hit Frozen are returning, with the next chapters in the hit Disney franchise to include an animated TV special and a Broadway musical.

Broadcast network ABC, which is owned by Disney, announced Tuesday that the original actors who voiced the key roles in the smash 2013 film — including Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel and Josh Gad — would be returning for a holiday special, set to air in 2017. 

Meanwhile, in New York, Disney has tapped one of Broadway's freshest talents to direct the anticipated Frozen musical.

Alex Timbers will helm the show, which is expected to land on Broadway in 2018 alongside Disney hits Aladdin and The Lion King, according to a Disney Theatrical Productions announcement Tuesday on Twitter, 

Timbers is a two-time Tony Award nominee who directed Peter and the Starcatcher, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Pee-Wee Herman Show and Rocky. He also is a co-creator and co-writer of the music-themed Amazon series Mozart in the Jungle.

The show will have sets by seven-time Tony winner Bob Crowley, choreography by Peter Darling, lighting by five-time Tony winner Natasha Katz and sound design by four-time Tony nominee Peter Hylenski. Two-time Tony winner Stephen Oremus is the music supervisor and will create vocal and incidental arrangements.

It had been previously revealed that the husband-and-wife team of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez are working on the show and Jennifer Lee, co-director and screenwriter of the film, is writing the story.

The musical Frozen will have an out-of-town tryout in summer 2017 at a theatre to be announced later.

Inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Snow Queen, Frozen has earned Disney more than $1.27 billion at the box office worldwide, becoming the most successful animated movie of all time. Frozen's signature song, Let It Go, won an Oscar. Apple said the animated film's soundtrack was the year's top-selling album on iTunes in 2014.

The movie also spawned a touring ice show, the animated short Frozen Fever and a wildly successful merchandise line. In March 2015, Disney announced plans for a sequel film, Frozen 2.