The Princess and the Frog is an upcoming animated musical feature film currently being produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and based upon the classic fairy tale The Frog Princess. It will be the first traditionally animated (2-D) feature film in Disney’s animated features canon since 2004’s Home on the Range. The story is a fairy tale centered on a young girl named Princess Tiana who lives in New Orleans’ French Quarter during the Jazz Age. With American's first African-American president in the White House, Disney is counting on an African-American princess to be a big hit in Hollywood.
When finished, it will take its place as the 48th animated film by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It is being directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, directors of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, with songs and score composed by Randy Newman and starring the voice talents of Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, John Goodman, Jenifer Lewis, Angela Bassett and Peter Bartlett. Dreamgirls star Anika Noni Rose is providing the voice for the lead character, Tian.
I would applaud Disney had it not taken them so long to create such a character. It seems like for years they have tip-toed on the fringes (Pocahontas & Jasmine in Aladdin) of introducing us to an African American character of some kind of worth but have instead chose to create every other race but. Why didn't they release such a project like this oh let say right before or after Aladdin? Could it be that Disney is only looking to capitalize on the recent Obama euphoria? Yes, "change" is a good thing but if you ask me, Disney should have been ushering in such "change" long ago. But it seems that Disney may be in for more controversy still. Although the black princess’s love interest in the new animated musical is called Prince Naveen of Maldonia and is voiced by a Brazilian actor, he looks more white (gasp!)than black in photographs from the film that Disney have released.
Well being a bi-racial child I don't nor have I ever seen anything wrong with two persons who love each other falling in love and living happily ever after. But I'm sure that this will create debate on both sides of the coin. So tell me what do you think?
I always wondered why Disney never had African American characters in their cartoons as well. I have to agree with you I think they are just trying to seem pro Africa American during these times because of the whole Obama thing and trying to cash in on it. Makes me sick too because they could have helped a whole generation of African American girls to feel better about themselves and had a hand in helping to foster positive attitudes in them.
ReplyDeleteI am a black women and I TOTALLY support this movie. WHO CARES that the prince is not black. This movie will do wonders for black women in this country and that is ALL that counts. All of the losers that are crying about a non-black prince and jump off of a cliff. GOOD JOB DISNEY!
ReplyDeleteDisney’s animated feature films have certainly featured interracial couples before, but to date they’ve always been a white man with a woman of color (John and Pocahontas, Milo and Kida, Phoebus and Esmeralda). So that’s not controversially -new- ground for them or anything. Whereas I’m pretty sure “Princess & the Frog” will be the first time that -both- partners in an interracial romance were -minorities- of different ethnicities. That’s pretty exciting to me too.
ReplyDelete… I feel like I want to nitpick about Pocahontas technically being Disney’s first American princess (if one considers being the daughter of a chieftain “princess” status, and I do) but then it wasn’t really established as “America” in her time, at least in the same sense that it would’ve been in the 20th century, so I won’t
didn’t martin luther king want people not to see color?? well stop looking at the color of the prince.
ReplyDeleteOH Get Over It Already the character of the prince is NOT white, As a mixed race person myself I am SICK of African American jealousy just because someone is NOT completely “Black”.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that if there were black men who were writing this movie that the prince would be black and the princess would be light, bright, nearly white, or all the way white just like it is in all of their videos and movies and tv shows. So excuse me if I’m not up in arms over this “slight” against them. I do think that Disney is doing the right thing but like you I question their intentions and timing.
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