‘Tiana' Musical Series Not Moving Forward At Disney+
Walt Disney Animation Studios has decided not to move forward with Tiana, an animated musical series offshoot of The Princess and the Frog movie set for Disney+, Deadline has confirmed.
While Disney did not respond to request for comment today over the Tiana series cancellation, sources confirm that going forward neither animation studio will be providing long form content for Disney +.
More from Deadline
'Descendants 5' Adds 4 To Cast As Offspring Of Robin Hood, Dr. Facilier & Mr. Smee
2025 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming
'Doctor Who' Trailer Teases Killer Cartoons, Interstellar Song Contest & New Companion In Season 2
With a Tiana original special now the focus, we hear, it seems that creatively a Tiana series had been going nowhere fast for several years. That creative funk was why all we've seen the past four years is a single image from the proposed Tiana series.
First announced in December 2020, the project was expected to feature Anika Noni Rose reprising her role as Tiana from the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog, which revolved around Disney's first Black princess.
Set in New Orleans during the 1920s, the film tells the story of a hardworking waitress named Tiana who dreams of opening her own restaurant. After kissing prince Naveen, who has been turned into a frog by the evil voodoo witch doctor Facilier, Tiana becomes a frog as well and the two must find a way to turn human again before it is too late.
In addition to Rose, the film also starred Bruno Campos, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jim Cummings, Jennifer Cody, John Goodman, Keith David, Peter Bartlett, Jenifer Lewis, Oprah Winfrey and Terrence Howard.
The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and produced by Peter Del Vecho, from a screenplay co-written by Clements and Musker with Rob Edwards. Musker and Clements also co-wrote the story with writing duo Greg Erb and Jazson Oremland.
The Hollywood Reporter was first to report the news.
Best of Deadline
2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery
How To Watch Sean Baker's Oscar Winner 'Anora': Streaming, For Rent And More
Every Oscars Best Animated Feature Winner Since 2002
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
31 minutes ago
- New York Post
Theresa Nist fires back at ‘Golden Bachelor' Gerry Turner's claim they divorced over his cancer
Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner's journey came to an end — but not because of his health battle. The reality star who found love with Turner on Season 1 of 'The Golden Bachelor' revealed that the pair 'absolutely' didn't split over his cancer diagnosis. 'It was a zero factor, zero. Absolutely. I was just so surprised that he even said that,' Nist said on Thursday's episode of 'The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast.' 'I knew about the cancer a long time ago. And the way Gary presented it to me was that, 'The doctor said that I'm going to die of old age before this cancer gets to me.'' Advertisement 5 Theresa Nist speaks about about her marriage to Gerry Turner ending. almost_famouspodcast/Instagram 'He bluffed it off, like it really wasn't that important,' she continued. 'And he had no symptoms, and he still doesn't. So we never had a conversation that said, 'Oh my gosh, you're sick. I can't stay with you now. I have to leave.' That never happened.' Turner and Nist first got engaged at the end of 2023 on the show before saying 'I do' on a TV special in January 2024. But by April of that year, the exes announced in an interview with 'Good Morning America' that they were divorcing. Advertisement 5 Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner. Disney via Getty Images In December 2024, Turner revealed he had been diagnosed with a blood cell cancer, Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, claiming it played into their split. The reality star also noted that he and Nist each wanted to live close to their families in different states. 'When you are hit with that kind of news and the shock wears off after a few days or a few weeks and you regroup and you realize what's important to you, that's where you start to move forward,' Turner told People. 'And I hope that people understand in retrospect now that that had a huge bearing on my decisions and I think probably Theresa's as well.' Advertisement 5 Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner cuddle in bed. goldengerryturner/Instagram 'They interviewed him the day before they interviewed me,' Nist continued on the podcast. 'And right before my interview, they contacted me, and they said, 'Hey, we want to talk to you right now, because Gerry just came out and said that his illness was the reason you broke up.' And I go, 'What?' I said, 'No, it wasn't that.' There was zero conversation about that being in it.' Although, at the time, the New Jersey resident felt maybe Turner believed what he was saying. 'If that was the reason, it was in his mind only, never discussed as a reason. He said it was a factor that weighed heavily into my decision. And I would imagine Theresa's, too,' Nist confessed. 'He just imagined. But it had nothing to do with it. Nothing. I would have never left my husband over in illness. I stayed with my husband, Billy. I mean, for years he was sick, and he passed away at home. He was in hospice. I mean, it was really pretty bad. But I would never leave … That's just not me. That wouldn't happen.' Advertisement 5 Gerry Turner with his new partner. goldengerryturner/Instagram Turner, meanwhile, revealed in April, per TMZ, that he's dating a retired school teacher named Lana, who also lives in Indiana. 'I really am happy for him,' Nist, who's also dating, stated. 'And if he had to find his person by going this circuitous route, then he did, then it was successful. He found someone that really suits him, and that's wonderful. So I think it worked out the way it was supposed to work out.' In September, the finance whiz made it clear she had no hard feelings toward Turner. 'So Gerry and I have spoken,' Nist exclusively told The Post in September 2024. 'We don't speak regularly. I would say I wish him all the best, and I can see that he has so many friends, and I'm so happy for him that he does.' 5 Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist on their wedding day. Disney 'I truly hope he finds his person,' she added, 'because he wants that, and he deserves that, and I'm rooting for him. I'm in his corner.' At the time, Nist shared what she was looking for in her perfect suitor. Advertisement 'Sense of humor,' she detailed. 'Let's laugh together. Smart. Somebody smart. And then I have to be physically attracted to the person, so there has to be chemistry. And that's something that you can not define, it's undefinable. You just either are attracted to someone, or you're not.' Nist noted, 'It's just the ability to have fun together and to support each other, make each other laugh, and have each other's backs.'
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Review: ‘Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' is Joffrey Ballet's wacky and wonderful season closer
The Joffrey Ballet's season rarely extends this far into summer, but it's safe to say 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' was worth the wait. This beast of a ballet by the Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon had its North American premiere at the Lyric Opera House on Thursday. If, like for me, Lewis Carroll's 1865 fairy tale about a girl who stumbles into Wonderland is a core memory, all those beloved characters are there, with a splendidly cogent (and at times delightfully grotesque) libretto. It's more Tim Burton than Disney, but you'll recognize moments no matter your preferred version (including my personal favorite, the 1985 TV movie musical starring Jayne Meadows and Carol Channing). Following a drowse-inducing garden party at her Victorian Oxford estate, Alice (magnificently danced Thursday by Amanda Assucena) awakens to find an anxiously tardy White Rabbit (Stefan Gonçalvez). She of course must follow him, kicking off a series of Don Quixote-style adventures with wild, wacky and terrifying characters. Letting her curiosity guide her, she encounters a tea party hosted by a tap-dancing Mad Hatter (Edson Barbosa) and a slithering Cheshire Cat (whose dismantlement is made possible by a corps of dancer-puppeteers). Indeed, 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' will resonate strongly with those who adore 'Alice' — so much so that Joffrey extended the production to three weekends before it opened. In any case, exploiting its usefulness as a ballet was far overdue. There is much within Wheeldon's zany world for everyone to admire. Very small children may not appreciate some scarier moments, most notably a scene at the Duchess' house, in which viewers quite literally see how the sausage gets made. The brutish Duchess (Dylan Gutierrez) and her ax-wielding cook (Lucia Connolly) contribute some of the night's most, um, salient imagery. The pair of them (along with henchmen Valentino Moneglia Zamora, Hyuma Kiyosawa and Xavier Núñez) are terrifically terrifying. 'Alice's' third and final act is devoted almost wholly to the search for who stole the Queen of Hearts' tart. It begins with a game of croquet, played with bendy flamingoes on pointe as the mallets, striking adorable summersaulting hedgehogs. This not-so-regal realm, ruled by prima ballerina Victoria Jaiani as supreme leader, embarks on a tribunal when it's uncovered that the Knave of Hearts — a two-eyed Jack danced by the princely Alberto Velazquez — is most likely the offender and about to lose his head. Hilarity ensues. As hard as it will be to peel your eyes from Jaiani, every once in a while, be sure to glimpse her ridiculous King (marking David Gombert's glorious return to the Joffrey stage 15 years after retirement). There are tender moments, too, particularly in a satisfyingly sweet duet for Assucena and Velazquez as Alice tries to accept the blame in tart-gate. She eventually prevails, if only by waking up back in Oxford. If there's a lesson to be learned from 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,' it might be that taking the blame for your boyfriend's impropriety could turn out poorly. That, and vindictive, power-hungry leaders whose kingdoms are built on a literal house of cards are not likely to succeed. Cleverly, 'Alice' borrows hallmarks from the ballets of Carroll's time, winking at canonical works like 'The Nutcracker,' 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Cinderella.' There's a waltz of flowers; a for our protagonist and her scrappy love interest; a hilariously satirized 'Rose Adagio' for the Queen of Hearts and four suitors (in this case, hearts and clubs); and a shirtless, hookah-smoking sultan-turned-Caterpillar (Jonathan Dole) performing a seductive take on 'the worm' with a quartet of scantily clad temple women. I'm pretty sure we didn't need that last one when 'Alice' premiered in London in 2011, and I'm certain we don't need it in 2025 — though I'll take the cameo of academy kids as sparkly pointe-shoed caterpillar legs all day, every day, plus Sunday. To be clear, such tongue-and-cheek references now to 19th century ballet are generally welcome and especially fun for those who see the parallels — perhaps even more so to those familiar with Wheeldon's catalog, too, which includes Joffrey's nearly decade-old 'Nutcracker.' In some instances, that ballet and this one parrot one another; Wheeldon went so far as to use some of the exact same ideas in his 'Nutcracker's' transformation and snow scenes, further tugging the plot parallels to these two coming-of-age stories set in magical fairy lands that may or may not have all been a dream. But 'Alice's' superpowers, all due respect to 'The Nutcracker,' are its magnificently evocative original score (by Joby Talbot) and Wheeldon's pinpointed attention to detail in every character, masterfully embraced by the Joffrey's excellent dancers, whose full-throttled performances and comedic prowess grab you and hold on for the entirety of this (very, very long) spectacle. Another thing: Wheeldon's imagination could only run this wild in a superbly-crafted Wonderland, made possible through the ingenuity of scenic and costume designer Bob Crowley, lighting designer Natasha Katz, projectionists Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington and puppeteer Toby Olié — seamlessly executed by a Joffrey team that, frankly, has never attempted something this big. 'Alice' was originally created for London's Royal Ballet, a company of 100 dancers and nearly 10 times Joffrey's budget. Until Thursday, it had not been performed this side of the Atlantic. Pulling it off was going to be a challenge. But they did. And Wonderland turned out to be a risk that will pay off in Joffrey Ballet presents 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' (4 stars) When: Through June 22 Where: Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive Running time: 2 hours, 50 minutes with 2 intermissions Tickets: $45-$233 at 312-386-8905 and
Geek Tyrant
an hour ago
- Geek Tyrant
Lucasfilm "Likely" Replacing Kathleen Kennedy at Lucasfilm with Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck — GeekTyrant
It looks like big changes are brewing at Lucasfilm. According to a new reprot from The Hollywood Reporter about the shifting power dynamics at Disney, Kathleen Kennedy's time as president of Lucasfilm is winding down, and the studio may be headed in a new, but familiar, direction. The names being floated to 'likely' replace her are Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck. Filoni currently serves as Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm and is also producing several Star Wars TV and film projects. The report notes: 'The current thinking is a scenario where chief creative officer Dave Filoni and production head Carrie Beck — both Lucasfilm vets — take co-head roles. Even as an arm of Disney, Lucasfilm remains, in many ways, a family business, and as a George Lucas protégé Filoni long has been considered a golden boy.' Filoni's rise is no surprise to anyone who's followed Star Wars since The Clone Wars . His creative connection to George Lucas and the way he's carried forward that legacy with Rebels , The Mandalorian , and Ahsoka has earned him a loyal following, and he's their guy. However, not everyone in the room is sold. The same THR piece offers this commentary: 'But the knock against him is that he might be too steeped in Star Wars lore and risks steering a show into dense mythology that loses a broader audience. 'He's not the Andor guy, he's the Ahsoka guy,' says one Disney insider. 'Beck, who joined the company in 2012, knows the ins and outs, but neither she nor Filoni has much film experience, which could be mitigated by Kennedy's continued presence as a producer on certain Star Wars projects, ensuring quality control in the short term.' That's a fair point. While Filoni thrives in the animated and live-action series space, Star Wars hasn't exactly had a smooth run on the big screen lately, and neither he nor Beck has much experience steering theatrical releases. That's where Kennedy may linger for a while longer, potentially sticking around to produce key projects and maintain consistency as they transition. Still, fans online are already drawing battle lines. For many, the idea of a 'Lucas guy' who lives and breathes Star Wars mythology is exactly what Lucasfilm needs. After all, the most frustrating part of the franchise's modern era has often been its uneven grasp of what makes Star Wars feel like Star Wars . And yet… Andor exists. It's a perfect example of what Star Wars can be when it steps outside of the mythological comfort zone, when it slows down, digs into real human struggles, and reimagines the galaxy far, far away with grounded stakes. So here we are, at a crossroads. Lucasfilm seems like they are preparing to pass the lightsaber to two trusted veterans who've built their reputations inside the galaxy. The next era of Star Wars is about to begin, and even if Filoni isn't taking the lead, as continuing CCO, the franchise is going to have Filoni's fingerprints all over it.
