The Snow Queen (Russian: ненa королева, romanized: Snezhnaya Koroleva, lit. 'The Snow Queen) is a 2012 Russian 3D computer-animated fantasy adventure family film directed by Vladlen Barbe and Maxim Sveshnikov and written by Vadim Sveshnikov.
Wizart Animation created The Snow Queen, which was distributed by Bazelevs. Co-production studio InlayFilm was involved. The film is a remake of Hans Christian Andersen's 1844 story of the same name. Timur Bekmambetov, Alexander Ligaiy, Yuri Moskvin, Sergey Rapoport, and Olga Sinelshchikova produced the film.
Gerda, the main character and heroine of the film, is similar to the fairy tale (voice of Nyusha and Jessica Straus). The film follows Gerda, who embarks on an improbable frigid journey up North to save Kai after the Snow Queen casts the spell of eternal winter. When henchman troll Orm (voice of Ivan Okhlobystin and Doug Erholtz) joins Gerda's quest as a friend, the Snow Queen has no idea Gerda is truly the last threat to winter domination.
In 2012, The Snow Queen was one of the most anticipated projects in the Russian film industry. The Snow Queen's inspiring reception at international film markets set the stage for international distribution. In Russia, the film was released on December 31, 2012.
It was released on October 11, 2013, in the United States. Following generally positive critical reviews, an Annecy International Animated Film Festival review noted that the film's ambition is reminiscent of the golden age of Russian animation.
The film was also a commercial success, grossing 233 million rubles domestically and a total box office of $13.6 million, nearly doubling its $7 million budget. The film became a milestone in the history of Russian animation as it received accolades from Moscow Film Festival and Zelenograd International Youth Film Festival.