Disney’s First African American Princess

Posted on March 10, 2007


Disney’s trying to be… ummm…progressive?

Disney’s next animated fairy tale, The Frog Princess, will feature the studio’s first black princess.

Maddy is an African-American girl living amid the faded grandeur of New Orleans’ French quarter.

The movie will also see a return to the hand-drawn animation process, instead of using computer animation that has become the industry standard.

….

Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook said: “The film’s New Orleans setting and strong princess character give the film lots of excitement and texture.”

Composer and singer Randy Newman will provide music for the film, which promised an “unforgettable tale of love, enchantment and discovery with a soulful singing crocodile, voodoo spells and Cajun charm,” a Disney spokesman said.

The studio said its new princess will be added to its collection of animated princesses used at the company’s theme parks and on consumer products.

The film is set for release in 2009.

Also, there’s a casting call describing the main characters from the Manhattan Theatre Source forum:

THE FROG PRINCESS.
“The Frog Princess” is an animated American fairy tale musical, set in New Orleans, in the 1920’s Jazz Age.
SINGING ROLES:
[MADDY] A 19-year-old African American chambermaid. Bright, resourceful, ambitious, intense. A little too grown-up for her age. Dialect: Mild southern colloquial.
[CHARLOTTE] 18 years old. A spoiled, southern debutante. A diva. Comic “steel magnolia”. Bossy but insecure. Dialect: Southern belle.
[DR. DUVALIER] A 30-40 year old Voodoo magician/fortune teller. African American. Charming, charismatic, smooth and a sinister bad guy. Theatrical and grandiose. Dialect: Elegant, possibly New Orleans Creole.
[MAMA ODIE] An elderly, 200 year old Voodoo priestess/fairy god-mother. African American. Broad, comic, eccentric. Benevolent, wise and all knowing. A mixture of Moms Mabley & Yoda. Dialect: Southern colloquial.
[RAY] A 25-35 year old lovesick Cajun firefly. Warm, friendly, laid back and easygoing. Comically obtuse. Missing front tooth, has a lisp and occasionally speaks in Cajun French. LOOKING FOR AUTHENTIC CAJUN ACTORS.
[LOUIS] A 20-40 year old Jazz singer alligator. Comic, manic, high strung. Can be African American or white. Has extraordinary jazz singing voice since he, in effect, “sold his soul” to get it. Dialect: New Orleans hipster.

NON-SINGING ROLES:
[PRINCE HARRY] A gregarious, fun-loving European Prince, in his early twenties. A young Cary Grant. Charming, witty but irresponsible and immature. Loves jazz. Dialect: British upper-class.
[LAWRENCE] Harry’s pompous roly poly valet. In his forties. Stiff, snobbish and sarcastic. Secretly envious and resentful of Harry. Dialect: Overly affected British upper crust.
[BIG DADDY LA BOUFF] Wealthy, Southern plantation landowner. Doting father of Charlotte La Bouff. A “good ol’ boy.” Warm, affable, courtly, imposing and powerful. Dialect: Thick southern drawl.
[EUDORA] Maddy’s mother. In her fifties. Eudora used to be Charlotte’s nurse maid. Warm, homespun and nurturing. Overly fretful.
[GEORGE] The cook for the La Bouff family. African American 50s-60s. Curmudgeonly.

Huh… I’m not sure I would go and see this… I’m just wondering how this all will be handled…

I’m gonna say no comment until further notice or until I see an actual trailer.

From A Hot Mess

Comments

One Response to “Disney’s First African American Princess”

  1. Kendra on October 22nd, 2007 1:26 pm

    I think this is going to be great. I have to young girls and I love disney however I am sick and tired of African American being under represneted at Diseny World.

    I can’t wait.

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