Disney Cancels the Sequel to 1 of the Best Animated Movies of the 2000s After 5 Years of Development

The Princess and the Frog sequel series has been scrapped at Disney+. Titled Tiana, the streaming exclusive would have brought back Anika Noni Rose as the voice of Disney’s first Black princess, Tiana.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Walt Disney Animation Studios has officially pulled the plug on Tiana as it abandons making original long-form content for Disney+. Sources close to the project revealed that despite best efforts, including several changes to the creative team, the animation studio couldn’t get Tiana where it needed to be given its budget. The decision to scrap Tiana in its entirety comes as a bit of a surprise, given that Disney recently found success at the box office with Moana 2, which was announced alongside Tiana back in 2020 as a Disney+ series before ultimately being reworked into a feature-length animated sequel.

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Tiana being shelved also comes just a few months after Disneyland and Walt Disney World debuted Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a theme park attraction based on The Princess and the Frog franchise. A re-theme of the popular Splash Mountain attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set after the events of the 2009 animated film, following Tiana as she embarks on a trip across the bayou in search of critter musicians for her party.

The Princess and the Frog Featured Disney’s First Black Princess

Set in 1920s New Orleans, The Princess and the Frog — the 49th Disney animated feature film — follows a hardworking waitress named Tiana who dreams of opening her own restaurant. After kissing a prince who has been turned into a frog, Tiana becomes a frog herself and must find a way to turn back into a human before it is too late. Besides Rose, the voice cast includes Bruno Campos, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jim Cummings, John Goodman, Keith David, and Oprah Winfrey, among others.

The Princess and the Frog was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, who previously helmed the Disney animated films The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997) and Treasure Planet (2002). The film marked Disney’s first traditionally animated film since 2004’s Home on the Range. Although the film underperformed at the box office, it was a critical success and earned three nominations at the 82nd Academy Awards, including one for Best Animated Feature.

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The report on Tiana being shelved does come with a silver lining, as a separate short-form special inspired by The Princess and the Frog is mentioned as being in early development. Details are currently under wraps for the project, which has Joyce Sherri attached as director and writer, with Steve Anderson also directing.

As for Walt Disney Animation Studios, its next feature will be Zootopia 2, which is scheduled to hit theaters this November. Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman are reprising their respective roles from the first Zootopia as Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, who must go undercover in Marsh Market in the sequel to crack the case when they find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile, Gary, voiced by Ke Huy Quan.

The Princess and the Frog is available to stream on Disney+.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

The Princess and the Frog

Release Date

December 10, 2009

Runtime

97minutes

Director

John Musker

Writers

John Musker

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