'Frozen': Disney launches new Olaf series voiced and animated from home
Disney has started a brand new animated miniseries featuring Olaf, the talking snowman from the Frozen franchise.
Voiced - from his home - by Josh Gad and animated by Disney Animation’s Hyrum Osmond - from his home - At Home With Olaf is a free, digital-only series, that can be watched online on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ social media channels including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter (below).
The first video shows Olaf playing with snowballs, and it features one of the little walking snowballs, first introduced to the series in short film Frozen Fever.
Starting this week, enjoy an all-new original Disney Animation digital series with everyone’s favorite snowman, Olaf. #AtHomeWithOlaf created at home by Hyrum Osmond. Voiced from home by Josh Gad. #DisneyMagicMoments pic.twitter.com/gFFuHE8mev
— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) April 6, 2020
Gad shared a bit more information about the project via his own personal Twitter account.
He explains that Jennifer Lee, Chief Creative Office of Walt Disney Animation Studios and co-director of both Frozen films, and Osmond had asked him to record some dialogue and sounds as Olaf from home for the series.
My friends @alittlejelee & @mrhyrum called me up one day & asked me if I would be able 2 record some dialogue & sounds as Olaf from home. These little shorts done from home by Hyrum & the @DisneyAnimation team are so charming & hopefully provide a smile during these scary times🙏 https://t.co/pjdVGSDa2U
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) April 6, 2020
He also shared a snap of himself recording the audio with the caption “guys, I’m now a sound engineer too”. The series was presumably then animated by Osmond from his own home.
Here’s a behind the scenes look at me recording new Olaf dialogue from home for #AtHomeWithOlaf in conjunction with @DisneyAnimation led by @mrhyrum and the geniuses all working from homes to bring these new shorts to life. Also, guys, I’m now a sound engineer too!! pic.twitter.com/9Yl6rsx1m3
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) April 6, 2020
The news comes just days after Gad tweeted that his inbox had been flooded with requests from fans asking Disney to release new Olaf shorts.
Read more: Frozen 2 scores huge home release
A tweet he shared on 31 March showed a follower asking him to “develop a short series where Olaf recaps Disney classics” like his character does in Frozen II when Olaf retells the story of the first film in his own inimitable style.
Literally this idea keeps flooding my inbox. 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/RY0coKC0S3
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) March 31, 2020
Hyrum Osmond was Supervising Animator of Olaf on 2013’s Frozen, and Head of Animation on Disney’s animated musical Moana.
Gad’s next film, Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Artemis Fowl, has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. It was due in cinemas this coming May, but instead will go straight to Disney+.
Since you can’t come to us, we’re coming to you. So thrilled we are able to bring #ArtemisFowl to your homes soon on @disneyplus so that everyone can expierience this magical film. NOTHING can ever replace going to a theater, but during these hard times it’s important to adapt. pic.twitter.com/1wSYGvq4Er
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) April 3, 2020
In the fantasy foil, he plays Mulch Diggums, a soil-eating, master burglar dwarf.
