In 2009, Walt Disney Animation Studios released “The Princess and the Frog,” introducing princess Tiana. The House of Mouse is scrapping both a series and feature-length project for Disney+ centered on the character. This is all part of a larger initiative by the studio to abandon original longform streaming content.
According to a company spokesman, this shift will also mean some layoffs in its Vancouver studio.
“Tiana” was first announced in 2020 and was intended to be a musical with Anika Noni Rose reprising the titular role. The show’s development just couldn’t get off the ground, even after undergoing several changes to the creative team.
Which is a shame considering this ground-breaking princess is so beloved that last year Splash Mountain at both Disney’s U.S. parks were transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The studio even still has a separate, shortform, special inspired by “The Princess and the Frog” in early development. At this time, that project will be co-directed by Joyce Sherri and Steve Anderson, with Sherri penning the script. Showing this move is less about that character’s popularity and more about Disney changing its content strategy.
Not Just “Tiana” Cancelled
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney executives — including then-CEO Bob Chapek — pushed their various branches to make original content for Disney+ to grow subscribers. Now it seems that the tides are shifting. Last year, the studio announced that its Pixar branch will no longer prioritize developing longform episodic content.
The studio’s recent box office smash “Moana 2” was originally intended to be a series. But was eventually reimagined as a feature length theatrical release that netted an over $1 billion return. Pixar’s theatrical release “Inside Out 2” was one of the biggest films of 2024 and raked in $1.7 billion in earnings.
Keeping those figures in mind, you can see why Disney is moving away from episodic animated content. Instead sticking with licensed shows like the wildly popular “Bluey” to fill out its content library, and returning series like “Daredevil: Born Again” which premieres today.
