Disney's 'The Princess & The Frog'

[Tom Morrow]

Disney's The Frog Princess officially announced



Disney Announces The Frog Princess for 2009 (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=19250)
Coming Soon (source: Walt Disney Pictures)

http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/gallery/files/15227-Maddy.jpgThe Walt Disney Studios will continue its fairy tale legacy in animation by taking moviegoers on an all-new "once upon a time" musical adventure with its 2009 release of The Frog Princess, it was announced today by Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, and John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Disney and Pixar Animation Studios. A musical set in the legendary birthplace of jazz - New Orleans - The Frog Princess will introduce the newest Disney princess, Maddy, 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 Frog Princess is based on an original story written by Disney's acclaimed filmmaking duo John Musker & Ron Clements (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules), who will also direct. Oscar?-winning songwriter/composer and New Orleans native Randy Newman (Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and Cars) will write songs and the score for this project. Peter Del Vecho, a 12-year Disney animation veteran, will produce.
complete article (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=19250)



New Orleans the Site of New Disney Film (link no longer valid)
Orlando Sentinel - FL (source: Associated Press)

http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/gallery/files/15227-Maddy2.jpgThe Walt Disney Co. has started production on an animated musical fairy tale called The Frog Princess, which will be set in New Orleans and feature the Walt Disney Studio's first black princess. "The film's New Orleans setting and strong princess character give the film lots of excitement and texture," Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook said.

Disney said its new animated princess -Maddy- will be added to its collection of animated princesses used at the company's theme parks and on consumer products. The company unveiled the plans Thursday at its annual shareholders' meeting in New Orleans.

John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Disney and the Disney-owned unit Pixar Animation Studios, said the movie would return to the classic hand-drawn animation process, instead of using computer animation that has become the industry standard. He called the film "an American fairy tale."




Disney's upcoming Princess film to have black heroine (link no longer valid)
Reuters

The Walt Disney Co will introduce the first black animated heroine of its lucrative Princess line in its upcoming film "The Frog Princess," the company said at its annual meeting on Thursday. Maddy joins eight other Disney princess characters that have generated $3 billion in global retail sales since 1999. Disney Princesses is the fastest growing brand for the company's Consumer Products division.

Disney introduced its first non-white animated heroine in its 1992 film, "Aladdin" with the Middle Eastern character Jasmine, and followed it three years later with the Native American princess "Pocahontas."
The creation of the Chinese heroine from "Mulan" came in 1998.

Other Disney princesses include the main characters from the films "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Beauty and the Beast," and "The Little Mermaid." The Consumer Products division aggregated the eight characters in 1999 under the banner "Disney Princesses" and has rolled out toys, books, clothing, furniture and other merchandise aimed at girls ages 3 to 8.




Sent from Ezra (http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/z/Ezra/)

[kairamoon]

Cool! Can't wait to see it!

[TsWade2]

WHEE! Traditional animation strikes back! The princess looks beautiful.

[alexis08]

Hmm so I guess from the title she'll be the one being a frog instead of a guy. I like the part that there will be a soulful singing crocodile, makes me think of All Dogs Go to Heaven, "Let's make sweet music together...".

[TsWade2]

Hmm so I guess from the title she'll be the one being a frog instead of a guy. I like the part that there will be a soulful singing crocodile, makes me think of All Dogs Go to Heaven, "Let's make sweet music together...".
That's Ken Page who played the crocodile from All Dogs Go To Heaven. He's also the Oogie Boogie Man. In fact, I met him and had his autograph at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.

[norcal1219]

Does anyone know where they will animate this? Because I heard that Disney shut down all of their animation studios except for maybe the one in Australia. Im not sure though

[Ezra]

From pieces I read at The Animation Guild Blog (http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/) it will be at Walt Disney Feature Animation in Burbank.

(I think the one in Austrialia was supposed to close after Cinderella III completed, unless something's changed.)

[Imjustpeachy]

This is so great! I can't wait for it to come out! How exciting :)

[norcal1219]

From pieces I read at The Animation Guild Blog (http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/) it will be at Walt Disney Feature Animation in Burbank.

(I think the one in Austrialia was supposed to close after Cinderella III completed, unless something's changed.)

Great!! Thanks!

[AuroraBell]

HEY! Hand drawn animation. I was thinking that they always "this new technology will blow you away!" I've seen enough mind-blowing technology that watching hand drawn animation seems like new. This is soooooo cool!

[snowjaz]

i think it seems like a great movie! and it looks different which should be good! awesome!

[Tom Morrow]

Anika Noni Rose cast as The Frog Princess


Disney Crowns Its Frog Princess (http://www.eonline.com/gossip/planetgossip/detail/index.jsp?uuid=781c7854-fddc-4433-8b02-c295bc4899f1)
Mark Malkin, E! Online

Disney has its new princess.

I have just learned that Dreamgirls starlet Anika Noni Rose has landed one of the most coveted roles among today's leading black actresses and singers. Rose will voice the 19-year-old-heroine in Mickey Mouse studio's upcoming animated musical feature, The Frog Princess, a rep for Rose confirmed to me. She will be the first black princess in Disney's long line of blockbuster princesses.

Rose, 34, costarred alongside Jennifer Hudson and Beyonc? as the third Dream in last year's big hit, Dreamgirls. Before that, she won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in Caroline, or Change. As I've reported, Hudson and Alicia Keys also auditioned for the role. A source now tells me others who tried out for it include Tyra Banks.

The Frog Princess takes place in 1920s New Orleans. Randy Newman is writing the music.

Sent from Ezra (http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/z/Ezra/)

[James N.]

I've known about this for a while but I cannot wait for it! This is such great news that Disney is going back to traditional animation... AND traditional Disney storytelling!

With Musker and Clements as the directors, and John Lasseter overseeing the production, it'll be awesome.

From pieces I read at The Animation Guild Blog it will be at Walt Disney Feature Animation in Burbank.

(I think the one in Austrialia was supposed to close after Cinderella III completed, unless something's changed.)

Yep, it'll be done in Burbank. That's where Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons was done.

And yeah, the Australia studio closed down after Cinderella 3 was finished which was a SHAME because they produced a lot of impressive and quality animation work (even if the stories sucked :P ).

----

Here's something interesting to note, although this film is hand drawn I belive (according to my dad who used to work at Disney Animation and still keeps in touch with the guys there) it will involve no pencil or paper.
I believe the animators will be using Cintique tablets which are monitors you draw straight onto like an animation board.

http://www.wacom.com/cintiq/index.cfm

[bella_italian1125]

This movie doesnt sound to great at all! I mean come on, why can't they just stick to the original Disney Princesses.

[phd516]

This movie doesnt sound to great at all! I mean come on, why can't they just stick to the original Disney Princesses.

Correct me on my interpretation if I'm wrong, but are you asking for more "original Disney Princess" movies as in sequels??
And back on topic.. this movie definitely attracts my attention. :smile:

[Tom Morrow]

Disney rep adresses Frog Princess rumors



Disney rep adresses Frog Princess rumors (http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur33357.cfm)
Character breakdown on Wikipedia causes concern

A character list for Disney's The Frog Princess describing Maddy as a ?chambermaid? suddenly appeared on Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that requires the public to fill in the pages. (The site already got in trouble after someone added a false post stating that comedian Sinbad had died.) Wikipedia?s Frog Princess posting includes characters "Dr. Duvalier, an African American Voodoo magician/fortune teller and villain of the movie" and "Prince Harry, a gregarious, fun-loving European Prince"

One angry reader of industry Web site A-List took issue with some of the character list described by Disney. "Disney's first black fairytale and the lead is a black chambermaid who runs way with a white prince?!? wrote filmmaker/designer Shirley Bruno. ?There's a villainous Voodoo priest!" Bruno also pointed out that the villain, Dr. Duvalier, could be a reference to Haitian dictators Francois ?Papa Doc? Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude ?Baby Doc? Duvalier.

A rep for Disney has reportedly released a statement clearing up some rumors about the studio?s upcoming animated feature, The Princess and the Frog, formerly known as The Frog Princess.
complete article (http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur33357.cfm)



Related Article:
Why For is Disney already doing damage control on The Princess and the Frog? (http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2007/05/11/why-for-is-disney-already-doing-damage-control-on-the-princess-and-the-frog.aspx)
Jim Hill Media
Jim Hill reveals why the Mouse's PR department has gone into overdrive in their attempt to defuse the PC controversy that currently surrounds Ron'n'John's next movie. You see, it's not just the future of traditional animation at Walt Disney Studios that may be riding on The Princess and the Frog. But also the DVD release of Song of the South



Sent from Ezra (http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/z/Ezra/)

[gaetkoguy]

According to imdb.com, the movie title has officially been changed to "The Princess and the Frog" and will come out in 2009!

[disneygirl3366]

I cannot wait for this to come out! I was just talking with my friend the other day about how I miss the old hand drawn animation. There was an art to that genre and that amazes me more than some of the computer animation that is out now. There is something special about watching a story come to life from the hands of an artist. Not to say that computer animation isn't an art, I just prefer the hand drawn animation! I am also glad that Disney is having a new idea, a new character. I personally cannot stand all the sequals in the animated line. Enough already!!

[Tom Morrow]

Anika Noni Rose casting confirmed



Actress Rose kisses Frog for Disney (http://www.reuters.com/article/filmNews/idUSN2428733720070524)
Reuters

Anika Noni Rose, who sang with Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls. will provide the voice for Princess Tiana in the Walt Disney Co.'s musical animated feature The Princess and the Frog, slated for a holiday 2009 release.

Walt Disney Animation Studios will produce the New Orleans-set fairy tale, which will introduce the newest Disney princess, Tiana, a girl living in the fabled French Quarter. The film, previously titled The Frog Princess, is based on an original story written by Disney filmmaking duo John Musker and Ron Clements, who also will direct. Randy Newman will write songs and the score for Frog.

Rose next will been seen in USA Network's miniseries The Starter Wife.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter



Sent from Ezra (http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/z/Ezra/)

[lpetiti]

This sounds really cool, though I was kind of disappointed that Alan Menken would not be working on this. Has he retired?

[norcal1219]

Nope. He did the music for Enchanted.

[gaetkoguy]

Anika Noni Rose was on The View this morning and they discussed the movie a little. Sounds cool!

[Disneyknight467]

This sounds more like song of the south (but I can't really say since I've never seen it; Singing/Soulful crocodiles?) but I'm looking forward to the outcome and popularity of it.

[tiffany..16]

thats a good idea a black princess but they souldent had her from new orleans it would be cool if she lived in africa like mulan was from chaina and jasmine its still a really cool idea though.

[Sesshomaru-sama]

I thought that the setting of New Orleans was a good idea. If it was in Africa, I think it would have been expected that she would be the princess of that continent. But, that's my opinion.

Sincerely, a brother of a half-demon,
Sesshomaru-sama

[CoryTheRaven]

This sounds more like song of the south (but I can't really say since I've never seen it; Singing/Soulful crocodiles?) but I'm looking forward to the outcome and popularity of it.

There aren't any singing crocodiles in Song of the South. Most of the animal characters you see in Splash Mountain are actually from the old America Sings attraction, not the movie. They were brought over when America Sings closed because A) it was cheaper than making new animatronics, B) they fit with the theme of Song of the South, and C) as a tribute to all those great Marc Davis designs that went into America Sings.

But with any luck, the rumours will hold true that Song of the South will get released on DVD as part of the promotion for The Princess and the Frog (I still like The Frog Princess better).

[Disneyknight467]

^I was talking about in "The Princess and the Frog" there are going to be singing soulful crocs.

[Tom Morrow]

Keith David cast in The Princess and the Frog



David hops aboard Frog (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ib1ebc09603fb86d215ab99660c74793b)
The Hollywood Reporter

Keith David will voice the villain, Dr. Facilier, in Walt Disney Pictures' musical animated feature The Princess and the Frog. Walt Disney Animation Studios will produce the fairy tale, which is set in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, and will introduce Princess Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a young girl living in the French Quarter.

Frog is based on an original story by Disney filmmaking duo John Musker and Ron Clements, who also will direct. A 2009 holiday release is planned.

David's credits include film, TV and voice-over work, such as narration for Ken Burns' The War and Jazz, voice-over on The Proud Family Movie and the films Delta Farce and Crash" He is repped by Innovative Artists for commercial and voice-over and Sneak Preview Entertainment. He also is repped by Stone Manners Talent and Literary for theatrical.




Sent from Ezra (http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/z/Ezra/)

[HiddenMickey]

I love Disney, I love traditional animation, and I love New Orleans -- I'll be seeing this one!

[Sesshomaru-sama]

I'm want to see this film now. I can't wait for that movie to come out in theatres.

Sincerely, a brother of a half-demon,
Sesshomaru-sama