Disney’s secret VR short of 'Frozen 2' is set to debut at Sundance

Disney’s Frozen II might have been snubbed at the Oscars, but the animated blockbuster film is making its debut at Sundance Film Festival later this month — in VR form.

The seven-minute virtual reality short, “Myth: A Frozen Tale” is the second of its kind headed by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The short film is reported to give a personal look into spirit characters from Frozen II including the wind spirit, Gale; Bruni, the fire spirit salamander; Elsa’s water spirit horse, Nokk; and the Earth Giants. This debut follows Cycles, Disney’s first venture into virtual reality.

The new short, directed by Jeff Gipson, who is also the director of “Myth,” is the first VR short to debut at Sundance. It originally debuted last November with the world premiere of Frozen II, but has since remained exclusive from mainstream release.

Disney makes a move for VR — Disney’s latest release signals a commitment to the exploration of newly ventured territory for film: virtual reality. In 2018, the Void, a company responsible for VR productions, announced a 15-minute VR experience, “Ralph Breaks VR” at various locations around the country. The following year, Disney announced a partnership with Audi for the development of a Marvel-focused VR game that gives players the experience of being on the road. Users were able to participate in mini games and challenges in a virtual-reality format including locations and characters from the film.

Disney has proven itself to be a top competitor among streaming services with its mid-November launch of Disney+. The app was downloaded more than 30 million times beating out TikTok with the top spot in Q4 2019, according to data from Sensor Tower. Virtual reality seems to be no different as the company taps critically-acclaimed movie “Frozen II” for its second go-round of a VR short film production.