FIRST LOOK

First Look: Disney's The Princess and the Frog

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January 14, 2008

First Look: Disney's The Princess and the Frog

After Disney's Enchanted late last year dazzled me, I'm anxiously awaiting anything Disney's got next. Their triumphant return to hand-drawn 2D animation began with a few scenes in Enchanted, but The Princess and the Frog is Disney's actual first fully traditionally animted movie since Home on the Range in 2004. The story is about Princess Tiana, voiced by Dreamgirls' Anika Noni Rose, and the movie arrives in theaters in 2009. Our very first look at the princess can be found below.

The Princess and the Frog is being co-directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, whom previously worked together to bring us the Disney classics Aladdin, Hercules, and Treasure Planet.

Disney's The Princess and the Frog

A musical set in the legendary birthplace of jazz -- New Orleans -- The Princess and the Frog will introduce the newest Disney princess, Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose), a young African-American girl living amid the charming elegance and grandeur of the fabled French Quarter. From the heart of Louisiana's mystical bayous and the banks of the mighty Mississippi comes an unforgettable tale of love, enchantment and discovery with a soulful singing crocodile, voodoo spells and Cajun charm at every turn.

The Princess and the Frog is currently set to be released sometime in 2009.

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19 Comments

1

Glad to see 2-D back. Granted, it's only a still, but it looks promising.Plus, the directors brought us Aladdin, so there's another positive for me. - I'd loved to see the audience response to an animated movie featuring an African-American character.

Daniel on Jan 14, 2008

2

I have no doubt in my mind with the talented crew behind this that it will be nothing less than excellent but I think it will be intetresting how it will do at the Box Office in the animated age.

Ryan on Jan 14, 2008

3

This is gonna be something to see, the first "real" disney movie since probably either Brother Bear or Tarzan. It's certainly not gonna be a "Rock & Rule" type animated movie, but it should be good, I still love watching Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast even though those were my bed time movies when I was a kid.

Kail on Jan 14, 2008

4

Oooh my gosh. 2D! I can't WAIT! I'm so excited to see it already!

Koneko on Jan 14, 2008

5

It's great to finally see another quality traditional animation from Disney, after years of stale CGI animations.

avoidz on Jan 14, 2008

6

Beautiful, simply beautiful! I truly feel Disney will give the new Disney Princess, her due, not just because she will be Black American, but someone ALL little girls can look up to. I am very excited about this coming out, and I know it will be a blockbuster. Thank you so much Disney! ^_~v

Hoshino Ai on Jan 18, 2008

7

To see that Disney is doing a movie featuring an African-American young lady almost brought me to tears. I'm African American and have a 4 year old daughter who loves all of the Disney Princess, but not to long ago she had ask me why there were no princess like her...I couldn't believe she was aware enough to ask me that, but to see that by the time she is 5 there will be an animated Disney movie where the star will be just like her is just beautiful. Thank You Disney 🙂

Heather on May 7, 2008

8

I'm truly glad that Disney is returning to its 2D roots when 3D has become so abundant it has begun to lose its magic touch (especially when there are too many slapstick movies which mostly feature talking animals, urgh. Only Pixar understands the legacy of Walt Disney better than any animation studios these days). We also should thank John Lesseter, Pixar's CEO for taking a larger role in reconstructing the studio system from scratch, tossing away the bad reputation that has been accumulated in recent years. Hopefully, The Princess and the Frog, along with others, would signify another glorious return of the American Animation Renaissance since Beauty and the Beast.

Glen Bosiwang on Jun 9, 2008

9

im so glad they finally are making another princess movie expecially since its animated like the previous others. i think its kind of weird that its about a princess in america though. they should have made her an african princess and show the culture over there but this is still cool.

rebecca on Jun 16, 2008

10

I know exactly when this movie is going to theaters December 25, 2009 in 18 moths wow thats a long time but it's worth it I cant wait until this movie comes out!

Melody on Jun 29, 2008

11

I think that they should make it the way they WERE going to. The real Disney princess way. But too many people (like that moron on BET) bitched because she was going to be a chambermaid (like Cinderella, snow white, and sleeping beauty before she was taken back to the castle). And then they bitched about the name of the movie (which was supposed to be The Frog Princess). There's nothing wrong with that name. Oh and HER name was supposed to be Maddy, but they said it sounded like a "slave name", no, it doesn't, and I know a girl named Maddy! She wasn't offended! And finally they started complaining about the prince. I wish they'd just cancel the damn thing. Maybe no princess would make them happy.

Jazmin on Nov 11, 2008

12

I agree with those who think people should stop complaining about the original layout for this film Disney has not done a bad princess movie yet and I don't think they plan to... Disney is good at making heart felt movies which depict good character development and have obviously done what they've chosen to do for a reason... and besides I have no doubt that if Tiana starts out in a bad place she will come out in a better one, so stop worrying and let them do their movie the way they want some people hear a bit of information and already they're upset amd ready to jump down Disney's throat... "Why her name gotta be Maddy? like a slave" "Why it gotta be called the Frog Princess?" "Why it gotta be in New Orleans?"---uhm let's think Maddy-hm-Madeline, I had no idea it was a slave name and if the chick marries a Frog Prince she can be called the Frog Princess, just like how a woman can be called Mrs. Tom Jones if she marries Tom Jones, and lastly Disney is big on music and since they're doing a black princess they're going to include music that is significant of that race... hence Jazz which played a major part in New Orleans (as the article mentions)

Fan55139 on Jan 14, 2009

13

I thought lilo & stitch, was the first full return to this art, they even involved water colors in it, something that hadn't been done in years!

Bo on Mar 10, 2009

14

I think they should've left everthing as is, like stated above, Disney has yet to do a bad princess film... and pulling the plug would be a reasonable outcome for those whining about every little detail, they should be happy that Disney is trying to appeal to an African American audience with a princess whose not eurocentric, but has clear AA features, ... and the name Maddy, I swear that's not a slave name... isn't that the name of Ashley Tisdale's character on Disney, as well as the commmon shortening of Madeline ???--clearly I must've missed somethig--Plus, I personally like the title of "The Frog Princess" as it's a play on the original story "The Frog Prince", but from the princesses point of view, and if she ends up marrying a Frog Prince-da-da-daaa... she becomes a frog princess... and on the prince not being black, should it matter, he's probably going to be green and slimey for the whole movie (like how The Beast's true form wasn't revealed to the end) ... and the jazz era setting controversy is ridiculous, what would you prefer, a tale set in Medeival times, where black divas and trumpeteers ruled the courtyard???

JP on Mar 12, 2009

15

White folks complain about everything under the sun. Black folks speak up and there's a problem. You demand perfection but we can't . Please....

Iman on Mar 21, 2009

16

THANK YOUSO MUCH FOR THIS MOVIE IT'S LONG OVER DUE.

kimberly ellis on Jun 6, 2009

17

Im getting tired of this, white people always trying to say stuff about something, dont you blame us for complaing, its about time disney channel gets a black princess. I am African american and 17 years old, when all the other princess movies came out i was very young so i looked up to them. But the one i favored the most was Jazmin from Alladin because she was the one who looked like me the most. Now that the world is changing (Obama!!!), It is really about time that we have an African American princess in the Disney films. I cant wait to see the movie!!!

Morgan on Jun 10, 2009

18

I?think Morgan's suggestion is very creative for the new princess of Disney films.

ashley nicky on Jul 1, 2009

19

Stop making this a race thing, good for the kids to have positive role models NO MATTER WHAT COLOR. But seriously, aspiring to be a princess is just creating more entitlement for our next generation. White people this, black people that...STOP...teach your kids to love EVERYONE, where tf do you thing racism comes from???????????

wtf on Jul 8, 2009

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