A previously announced Princess Tiana series on Disney+ starring Anika Noni Rose has been shelved...
Walt Disney Animation Studios has officially pulled the plug on its Tiana princess series as it abandons making original longform content for streaming, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
A spokesperson confirmed there will be some layoffs in its Vancouver studio as a result of this shift in business strategy. In addition to the Tiana series, the studio is also scrapping an unannounced feature-length project that was set to go straight to Disney+.
Tiana was first announced in December 2020, and was envisioned as a musical featuring Anika Noni Rose reprising her role as Tiana from the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog, the film centering on Disney’s first Black princess.
Sources close to the streaming series say 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.
Still, The Princess and the Frog remains a key property for the company, as Tiana is one of Disney’s canon princesses. Last year, the Splash Mountain attraction was revamped at both of Disney’s U.S. parks and transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
The animation studio is said to developing a separate shortform special inspired by The Princess and the Frog, which is currently in early development. Though details of the project remain under wraps, it’s expected to feature all-new storytelling based on the 2009 film with Joyce Sherri attached as director and writer, and Steve Anderson also directing.
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