True, Elsa is a relatively new character, only inspired by Anderson’s Snow Queen, but the Snow Queen in his story is not pictured that much in detail either. Elsa herself is a twist on a character who has been part of our (pop-) culture for a while. They could very well pick up ideas from Anderson’s fairy tale to add.
Disagree that Frozen has not such a broad appeal, compared to who, Peter Pan, The Wicked Witch of the West, Snow White? Frozen is now the highest grossing animated full feature movie, it is in the top 10 of the highest grossing movies (not just animated) of all time. Frozen merchandise is selling great (they even have a shortage problem at the moment). Yes, it’s new, but it has a huge impact. Agreed is a higher risk to use a character that wasn’t already rewritten and parodied multiple times and for years because you’re one of the first to take a different look at it. People might cling too much to the character they met in the movie, but, well, seeing how people reacted to characters and twists on the show so far, think that always is happening, some people can’t let it go.
I don’t understand, why this should mean a change in the show’s policy from attracting new audience to drag out as long as they can. For one, don’t think that it was before all about attracting new viewers. For running show it is always as important if not even more important to keep viewers. And most showrunners have an interest to tell a story as long as they can and can come up with something (good), it’s business, they make a living with it.
Frozen is very attractive to (younger) women, besides that Elsa has gained some interest in the queer community. She is an interesting new character in the Disney Worlds, besides Merida, she is a female protagonist, something still rather underrepresented on screen. Of course she is of interest for OUaT.
The only worries I have at this point: Given the sometimes mediocre and even weak writing, and particular if it comes to character development, of the past two seasons, I am not so sure, if I want to entrust these writers with this character, it might not do Elsa that much good. The show can only win, but the character could lose.
Bringing in now Frozen has rekindled my interest in the show. I find that more intriguing than doing the umpteenth version of Camelot or 1001 Nights, Sindbad, Ali Baba, whatever. The only thing that would maybe get me even more interested again is discovering and exploring (fairy) tales from other cultures, become more diverse in characters and story resources. Otherwise the show would go on tracking only well trodden roads, boring.
¯\_(?????? ?)_/¯