Disney is tapping Colman Domingo and Robert O'Hara to develop a live-action Princess Tiana film. The Emmy-winning actor and Tony Award-winning playwright known for the provocative Broadway hit "Slave Play" are in early talks to write an original story inspired by 2009's "The Princess and the Frog," the studio's only traditionally animated film centered on a Black protagonist.
The pairing signals Disney's intent to bring serious theatrical talent to the project. Domingo, an Oscar nominee for "Rustin" and veteran performer across film, television, and stage, brings both acting credibility and screenwriting ambition. O'Hara, whose genre-pushing work on "Slave Play" redefined how theater addresses race and power dynamics, offers a provocative creative voice. That combination suggests Disney plans depth beyond typical animated-to-live-action adaptation mechanics.
"The Princess and the Frog" holds specific cultural weight. Released in 2009, it marked Disney's return to hand-drawn animation after a decade-long gap. The film's central character, Tiana, broke ground as a Black Disney Princess with agency and ambition. Yet the film underperformed at the box office, a failure often attributed to changing animation preferences but which many observers tied to industry reluctance to champion stories centered on Black characters.
A Tiana live-action project offers Disney a second chance at that IP while the studio confronts its own reckoning on representation. Recent live-action remakes of animated classics have become tentpole strategy. "The Little Mermaid" (2023) grossed over $569 million globally, and "Aladdin" (2019) topped $1 billion. Those successes prove audiences will embrace reimagined classics with diverse casting.
But this project differs. Rather than a direct remake,