'Frozen' set for Broadway in 2018

New York - It took cinemas by storm and now the smash-hit Disney animation "Frozen" is heading to Broadway, the entertainment giant said Tuesday, confirming months of fevered speculation.

The musical adaptation will open outside New York in August 2017 and then hit Broadway in spring 2018.

"As you know, a sequel of Frozen is in the works," Disney chief operating officer Tom Staggs said during a conference call with analysts.

"In the meantime Disney Animation is creating the first ever Frozen television special, which will air on ABC during the 2017 holiday season, and in the tradition of Lion King and Aladdin, we have a new Frozen musical slated for Broadway in 2018." Released in 2013, the film is one of the most successful in history, making $1.27 billion at the box office, according to the specialised website Box Office Mojo.

The musical will feature the same writers as the film - music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.

Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," the film tells the story of princess Anna, who sets off on a journey to find her sister Elsa, whose hard-to-control icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter.

The hugely popular film picked up two Oscars and a clutch of other awards along the way.