Why did Disney make frozen?

Frozen was developed at Walt Disney Animation Studios under the working title Anna and Elsa. It originated from an attempt by Chris Buck to adapt Hans Christian Andersen's 1844 fairy tale "The Snow Queen". Buck had been struggling to develop an adaptation for several years until he and Jennifer Lee decided to reinvent the title character as Elsa, a warm-hearted young woman with icy powers. The film's producers initially hesitated about making a female-led film and featuring two sisters at the center of a story. Frozen marked the first time that a Disney animated film had two female protagonists.

According to Lee, the concept for Frozen arose during the development of Tangled (2010), when she was asked by the animators to come up with ideas for a new fairy tale. Lee was drawn to the idea of adapting "The Snow Queen" because it had a strong female character, and she wanted to write a story that showed that true love was more than just romance. Lee and Buck pitched their idea to John Lasseter, the chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, in 2011, and he approved it.

The film's production was troubled. Buck and Lee had difficulty deciding on the story's plot and characters, and the animators struggled to create a realistic-looking winter environment. The film's budget was increased multiple times, and its release date was delayed twice.