Frozen continues with TV special in 2017, stage musical in 2018

Anna, Elsa and the beloved characters from animated hitFrozen are returning,with the next chapters in the hitDisney franchise to includean animated TV special and a Broadway musical.

Broadcast networkABC, which is ownedby Disney, announced Tuesday that the original actors who voiced the key roles inthe smash 2013 film includingKristen Bell, Idina Menzeland Josh Gad would be returning for a holiday special, set to air in 2017.

Meanwhile, in New York,Disney has tapped one of Broadway's freshest talents to direct the anticipated Frozenmusical.

Alex Timbers will helm the show, which is expected to land on Broadway in 2018 alongside Disneyhits Aladdinand The Lion King,according to a Disney Theatrical Productions announcement Tuesday on Twitter,

Timbers is a two-time Tony Award nominee who directed Peter and the Starcatcher,Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,The Pee-Wee Herman Showand Rocky.He also is a co-creator and co-writer of the music-themed Amazon series Mozart in the Jungle.

The show will have sets by seven-time Tony winner Bob Crowley, choreography by Peter Darling, lighting by five-time Tony winner Natasha Katz and sound design by four-time Tony nominee Peter Hylenski. Two-time Tony winner Stephen Oremus is the music supervisor and will create vocal and incidental arrangements.

It had been previously revealed that the husband-and-wife team of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez are working on the show and Jennifer Lee, co-director and screenwriter of the film, is writing the story.

The musical Frozenwill have an out-of-town tryout in summer 2017 at a theatre to be announced later.

Inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Snow Queen, Frozenhas earned Disneymorethan $1.27 billion at the box office worldwide,becoming the most successful animated movie of all time. Frozen'ssignature song,Let It Go,won an Oscar. Apple said theanimated film's soundtrack was the year's top-selling album oniTunesin 2014.

The moviealso spawned a touring ice show, the animated shortFrozen Fever and a wildly successful merchandise line. In March 2015, Disney announced plans for a sequel film, Frozen 2.