Colman Domingo In Talks To Write “The Princess And The Frog” Live-Action Film
Disney has had plenty of box office success with the live-action reimagining of its classic animated films with “Aladdin”, “Lilo & Stitch”, “Alice In Wonderland”, “Beauty And The Beast” and “The Lion King”.
However, not every remake has been a hit with fans, such as “Dumbo”, “Snow White”, and “Pinocchio”, with the latest movie, “Moana”, failing to connect with audiences at the box office.
This hit-and-miss strategy continues, as Disney is developing a new film based on Princess Tiana from Disney‘s animated 2009 movie, “The Princess and the Frog”, with Robert O’Hara and Colman Domingo in talks to join the project as co-writers.
The original animated film is a modern twist on a classic tale of a beautiful girl named Tiana, who dreams of owning her own restaurant. When she meets a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, a fateful kiss leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana…with the villainous voodoo magician Dr Facilier in hot pursuit.
Colman has previously worked on HBO’s “Euphoria” and was nominated for Oscars for his performances in “Rustin” and “Sing Sing”. While Robert O’Hara has previously worked on “Inheritance” and “Insurrection: Holding History”.
This isn’t the first project to feature Princess Tiana, as back in 2020, Disney announced it was developing a new series for Disney+ called “Tiana”, but that project was eventually cancelled.
According to Deadline, this new film is being billed as a spinoff from the film, rather than a full-on adaptation, which could mean it might be more like “Cruella” or “Maleficent”, rather than a shot-for-shot remake like “Moana” or “The Little Mermaid”.
The original film was released back in 2009 and pulled in $267 million at the box office, but its catchy tunes like “Almost There” and “Dig A Little Deeper”, have meant Disney has heavily invested in using the franchise in its theme parks, where it rebranded the iconic “Splash Mountain” to “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure”, along with a themed restaurant on the Disney Wonder cruise ship.
Roger’s Take: While this film is still in the early stages of development and might never actually make it to our screens, the idea that it could be more of a spin-off sounds more interesting. I personally dislike the shot-for-shot remakes of animated films, because I might as well just watch the better animated versions. However, if they can do a different take on the story, maybe from Dr. Facilier’s point of view, this could potentially deliver something fun and different. While we wait, you can find the original animated film on Disney+.
What do you think of a “Princess And The Frog” live-action movie? Let me know on social media!
