The Frog Princess (film)
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| The Frog Princess | |
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| Directed by | Ron Clements John Musker |
| Written by | Ron Clements John Musker |
| Music by | Randy Newman |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Walt Disney Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 2009 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Frog Princess is an animated film currently in development by Walt Disney Feature Animation. It will be the first traditionally animated (2-D) feature film in Disney's animated features canon since 2004's Home on the Range. It will be directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, with music composed by Randy Newman. It is currently scheduled for release in 2009.[1]
The film will be an American fairy tale musical set in New Orleans during the 1920s Jazz Age, and the leading character, Maddy, will be the first African-American Disney Princess.[2]
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[edit] History
Disney had once announced that Home on the Range would be the studio's last 2-D entry to their animated features canon, but after the company's acquisition of Pixar in early 2006, it was reported that Ed Catmull and John Lasseter, new leaders of the animation department, were interested in going back to 2-D. [3] Ron Clements and John Musker, directors of successful 2D Disney films Aladdin and The Little Mermaid, will be writing and directing. [4] About a month later, at the Comic-Con, Disney animator Eric Goldberg confirmed the news and also mentioned that Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken would be in charge of the music. [5] [6]
The film promises to return to the Broadway-style musical in the likes of the successful Disney animated films such as Walt's classics, and Disney's musical renaissance of the late '80s and all of the '90s. [7] Wickham also reported that John Lasseter had personally asked Ron Clements and John Musker to direct and write the film, and had let them choose what form of animation (hand-drawn or CGI) they wanted the film to be in. As of June 2006, no artistic staff had been hired for visual development or storyboarding yet, but the script was expected to be finished by Autumn 2006. New and updated software will be used in the digital processing of the film, as the old CAPS system from Disney is now outdated. [8]
On November 13, 2006, it was revealed that Randy Newman, who was responsible for the music of many Pixar films, would be in charge of the music in the film instead of Alan Menken and his new lyricist Glenn Slater, due to John Lasseter not wanting the public to feel Disney being repetitive, as Menken is also working on another Disney fairy tale film, Enchanted. This reportedly upset a lot of Walt Disney Feature Animation employees.[9]
On December 1, 2006, a detailed casting call was announced for the film at the Manhattan Theatre Source forum. [10] The casting call states the film as being an American fairy tale musical set in New Orleans during the 1920s Jazz Age, and provides a detailed list of the film's major characters, including the leading character, Maddy, who will be the first black Disney princess. Disney later officially confirmed this.[1]
In February 2007, it was reported that Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose are currently top contenders for the voice of the film's title character, and that Alicia Keys directly contacted Disney's studio chief Dick Cook, telling him that she wanted the role very much. [11]
During the Walt Disney Company's annual shareholder meeting in March 2007, Randy Newman and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band performed a song from the film called "Down in New Orleans", while slides of pre-production art from the film played on a screen.[1]
[edit] Characters
A list of the film's major characters, as revealed in its casting call:
- Maddy - A 19-year-old chambermaid.
- Charlotte La Bouff - A 18-year-old spoiled, southern Debutante and Diva.
- Dr. Duvalier - An African American Voodoo magician/fortune teller. The villain of the movie.
- Mama Odie - An elderly, 200-year-old Voodoo priestess/fairy god-mother.
- Ray - A lovesick Cajun firefly.
- Louis - A Jazz singer alligator.
- Prince Harry - A gregarious, fun-loving European Prince, in his early twenties.
- Lawrence - Prince Harry's pompous valet.
- Big Daddy La Bouff - Wealthy, Southern plantation landowner and father of Charlotte La Bouff.
- Eudora - Maddy's mother. In her fifties. Used to be Charlotte's nurse maid.
- George - The La Bouff family's cook.
- Little Arila - Maddy's little sister. She's little, but very smart.
[edit] References
- ^ Disney to release 'Frog Princess'. Variety (2007-03-08). Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
- ^ Disney Goes Traditional For "Princess". Dark Horizons (2006-07-27). Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
- ^ Rhett Wickham: It's Baaack!. LaughingPlace.com (2006-06-23). Retrieved on 2006-06-23.
- ^ Comic-Con Sees Stars, 2D Officially Back at Disney. AWN Headline News (2006-07-23). Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
- ^ Big News for Walt Disney Feature Animation at Comic-Con. The Disney Blog (2006-07-23). Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
- ^ Hand-Drawn Animation Returning to Disney. The Internet Movie Database (2006-07-27). Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
- ^ It's Baaack!. LaughingPlace.com (2006-06-23). Retrieved on 2006-08-10.
- ^ Why a change of composers on "The Frog Princess" caused lots of WDFA staffers to lose their composure. Jim Hill Media (2006-11-13). Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
- ^ Frog Princess Casting Call. Animated-News.com (2006-12-01). Retrieved on 2006-12-04.
- ^ Alicia Keys into Next Movie Role. E! Planet Gossip Blog (2007-02-05). Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
