Disney’s animated hit, Frozen, which was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s 1845 fairy tale, The Snow Queen, had a lengthy journey before it finally came to life. The concept initially took shape at Disney nearly a decade ago and was even considered for a hand-drawn animated feature as far back as 1937.

Efforts to bring Frozen to the screen began in earnest in 2002, but despite attempts, the project stalled again in 2003 and several times thereafter. It wasn’t until 2008, when Christopher Buck, known for directing Tarzan, joined the project that things began to gain momentum. The film officially got the green light in 2011, riding on the success of Disney’s Tangled at the box office.

In 2012, Jennifer Lee, who initially joined as a screenwriter, was appointed as co-director. This appointment was groundbreaking as it made her the first woman to direct an animated feature for Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Initially, the movie was set to retain the original fairy tale’s title, The Snow Queen. However, the filmmakers opted for Frozen to better capture the essence of the story. As producer Peter Del Vecho told Bleeding Cool, the title reflects both the icy setting and the central theme of thawing a frozen heart, dismissing any notion that it was influenced by the title of Tangled. Interestingly, The Snow Queen title was still used for the film’s release in international markets.