Let it go – to Norway. It’s where Michael Giaimo, Frozen’s art director, found the colour, light and atmosphere that he wanted for the amazingly successful film. Frozen already had a connection to Scandinavia. The story about the princess with cryokinetic powers is based loosely on The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. Norway’s fjords, medieval stave churches and rosemaling folk art were key inspirations for Disney’s animators. And there are several Norwegian landmarks that appear in Frozen. Now that the Disney record-breaker is taking its story to the ice, we thought we’d have a look at the real-life destinations of the animated places.
Akershus Fortress in Oslo in real life
Borgund Stave Church
The castle in Arrendale
And snow-bound
A Fjord Horse in real life
Sitron, Prince Hans’s Fjord Horse
A Viking longship
And the longship that Anna falls into when she meets Prince Hans
And the longship that appears in Olaf’s summer fantasy sequence
Geirangerfjorden
And during Arrendale’s Ice Age
A reindeer
And Sven, Kristoff’s sidekick, conscience and friend
The Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel
The Ice Castle that Elsa built
Inside the Ice Castle that Elsa built
The Aurora Borealis
The Northern Lights and Marshmallow, the Abominable Snowman
The cold never bothered her anyway
(Featured image – Copyright: Disney)
