The Princess and the Frog sequel series, Tiana, has been shelved.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tiana is a casualty of Walt Disney Animation Studios‘ decision to abandon making original long-form content for streaming. A spokesperson for the company confirmed to THR that there will be some layoffs in its Vancouver studio as a result of this shift in business strategy.
Tiana was first announced in December 2020, alongside three other animated series: Baymax!, Zootopia+, and Moana. While Baymax! and Zootopia+ both made it onto Disney+, Moana was ultimately reworked into a feature-length theatrical sequel (where it made over a billion dollars at the box office).
While plot details for Tiana were never fully shared, Disney had reported that the series would have picked up after 2009’s The Princess and the Frog, with Anika Noni Rose reprising her role as Tiana, the studio’s first Black princess.
Disney fans shouldn’t expect Tiana to get the Moana 2 treatment, as sources close to the project told THR that “despite best efforts, including several changes to the creative team, Tiana ultimately could not get to where it needed to be given production costs,” suggesting that Disney isn’t about to invest more money into the series to rework it into a theatrical sequel.
On the upside, THR reported that Walt Disney Animation Studios is developing a separate short-form special inspired by The Princess and the Frog. Joyce Sherri is attached as director and writer, with Steve Anderson co-directing. Disney also recently added the franchise to its theme parks, with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure replacing Splash Mountain at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
With Dream Productions and Win or Lose marking Pixar’s last long-form streaming content for Disney+, it looks like Disney’s animated studios are getting out of the streaming game, at least for the time being.
Tiana may not be coming to Disney+, but fans can still view The Princess and the Frog on the streamer.
Are you sad to hear that Tiana is not moving forward at Disney? Would you welcome a new theatrical film set in the franchise?
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