Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee recently sat down with eCartelera to speak about The Princess and the Frog franchise, and how the upcoming Disney+ musical sequel series Tiana will take the beloved Princess of Maldonia in a “new direction.”
Speaking about the new project, Lee stated, “I love that Disney+ allows us to introduce experimentation and freshness while also exploring our legacy. Combining celebration and narrative innovation. In that sense we can play more with the Disney+ series. […] Tiana is a new world for her, a new direction, and a new voice. I think it’s a very good platform to start playing with things that have meant a lot to many of us.”
On what excites her about the series, Lee said, “For me, it is also recognizing that there is no turning back, only moving forward stronger and stronger. How technology had allowed us to maintain the importance of traditional animation through the artists is what excites me the most. There is a balance between the sequels and the original content.”
Stella Meghie, the acclaimed writer/director of The Photograph, The Weekend, and Jean of the Joneses, has joined Walt Disney Animation Studios as director and writer of the series, which sees Tiana set off for a grand new adventure as the newly crowned Princess of Maldonia. But a calling to her New Orleans past isn’t far behind. Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls) returns as the voice of Tiana.
Originally set to release on Disney+ in 2023, Tiana is now expected to arrive on Disney+ in 2024, while The Princess and the Frog streams now.
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