Frozen 2 is officially a thing now, and we’ve had some time to process that, now that the initial rush of pure excitement has settled into a mellower, chiller sense of anticipation of far-off things. And now that that the thought has settled in… the rarity and risk of Frozen 2 has become obvious. The movie is extremely exciting news, but it’s actually something Disney hasn’t really done before. It is, strictly speaking, the first sequel in the 77 years of the Disney animated canon.

Frozen 2: Disney’s First Full Animated Sequel

Now, let me be clear here. Disney has of course made stacks of sequels to its hit animated movies, especially the ones in the 90s. The Lion King 1 ½ and The Return of Jafar come to mind. But those are not the same thing. Those are direct-to-video sequels, made for a fraction of the cost of one of the major theatrical releases, and shunted off to the side in terms of distribution. Most of them are considered pretty bad. Most importantly, they aren’t part of the animated canon, the list of 54 animated theatrical feature films that are, essentially, the greatest legacy of the Walt Disney Company, the crown jewels of mainstream American animation.

Frozen 2 is not, as far as we know, direct to video. It is going to be a full theatrical sequel, with the full support of the studio and, from what we can tell, pretty much the whole original cast and production team. It is unprecedented. The only other movie even remotely resembling a sequel in Disney’s animated canon is Fantasia 2000. But that’s not exactly the same thing. Fantasia isn’t a narrative movie, it’s more of an art piece, and besides, Fantasia 2000 came out a full sixty years after the original, an actual lifetime. Other theatrical sequels like The Jungle Book 2 aren’t in the proper canon—they weren’t made by Walt Disney’s main studio.

Frozen 2, of course, will be a normal, narrative film—at least it better be! And it is going to cost a lot. Frozen cost $150 million, according to EW. Frozen 2 will certainly be more expensive. There’s more at stake, and everyone will need raises. After all, they were just part of the most successful animated movie ever, ever. And they’re tasked with turning in a similar achievement.

It’s a tall order. Frozen 2 is going to be very expensive, and it will have a lot riding on it—perhaps most especially the good will and affection of an entire generation of kids, who love this movie in a way that Disney hasn’t experienced since the golden days of the early ‘90s. That’s why it isn’t just about the money. This is the first time in almost eight decades that Disney has decided to make an official sequel, a movie it’s betting can stand up next to Beauty and the Beast and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and The Jungle Book… and Frozen itself.

It’s a tall order. Disney is taking a risk here, doing something it hasn’t done before. And we can’t wait to see how it turns out.

Read More:

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Frozen 2 Release Date: Is Everyone Coming Back For The Frozen 2 Cast?

Frozen Musical: Will Anyone From The Movie Be In The Frozen Broadway Cast?