Disney Finds A Doctor...

Walt Disney Animation Studios announced that Keith David has been cast as the voice of the villain in "The Princess and the Frog".

David will play Dr. Facilier, a character originally known as Dr. Duvalier. The character was described as African-American, mid-thirties, probably Creole with a smooth charisma and sinister personality. No word yet if anything other than the name has changed. Sounds like David's distinctive voice will be a very good fit for the Witch Doctor/Voodoo Magician. I'm a particular fan of his voice-work in the "Spawn" animated series.

This is the third name change known for Disney's 2009 release. First was the title: "The Frog Princess" which became "The Princess and the Frog" because some felt it would offend the French(is this really a problem?). Then the lead character Maddy was changed to Tiana because the name sounded too close to Mammy, a derogatory. racist term(uhm... a little too PC here?). It's not known if Tiana's character has been changed from a chamber maid... afterall, we wouldn't want to offend anyone else. Would we?

One hopes that the wish not to offend doesn't handicap the story. I trust Lasseter on these matters but I find it troubling when they've become so sensitive to complaints that they change the American name of the film simply because it "might, possibly, maybe, conceivably" offend French people? If this is truly a problem for them, then how about they change the foriengn release of the film in... uhm, I don't know... France? I have faith in Uncle John, but none what-so-ever in political correctness. It's wrong, it's fascistic and un-American...

Still, I greatly look forward to this film as the return of classic animation. May it herald a new 2D rebirth. After the 2010 release "Rapunzel" the emphasis will go back on Disney being a hand drawn animation company. This will not be mandated. We know that John Lasseter believes the studio should be "director driven", but I beleive that it will be strongly encouraged so as to differentiate the Disney brand from everything else out there.

Disney Officially Announces Frog Princess 2009...

Although it's been mentioned quite often here on MouseKingdoms it appear at the company sharholder meeting Walt Disney Animation Studios finally made it official:


"2007-03-08 13:04 (New York)
By Andy Fixmer and Cecile Daurat
March 8 (Bloomberg) -- Walt Disney Co., owner of Pixar animation studio, will release ``The Frog Princess'' in 2009 in a return to the hand-drawn movie format the company had ceased producing.
``The Frog Princess,'' set in New Orleans, will be directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, who made ``The Little Mermaid'' and ``Aladdin.'' The film, based on the pair's original story, features Maddy, Disney's first African-American princess, Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter said.
``We're going back to hand-drawn animation,'' Lasseter told investors at Burbank, California-based Disney's annual meeting in News Orleans today. ``This movie is going to be classic Disney and yet you have never seen this before.''



Taking place in the roaring 1920's New Orleans during the heydays of the Jazz Era. The story focuses on a beautiful, young girl named Maddy.




The story starts out with her as a small 6 year old child and establishes the relationship between her and a prissly little girl named Charlotte. The story quickly moves up from there to her as a 19-year-old African American chambermaid. Bright, resourceful, ambitious, intense. A little too grown-up for her age. Charlotte has grown up to be an 18 years old, spoiled, southern debutante. A diva. So to speak...




Maddy's mother is Eudora. In her fifties is a warm homespun and nurturing woman who is overly fretful. Eudora used to be Charlotte's nurse maid. Charlotte's father is known as Big Daddy La Bouff Wealthy, Southern plantation landowner. A "good ol' boy." Warm, affable, courtly, imposing and powerful with a thick southern drawl.




There are plenty of interesting characters around the La Bouff family. Like George the La Bouff's chef, a curmudgeonly, African American in his 50's-60's. And no Disney tale can be told without a cute loveable creature, can it? The Frog Princess has Ray, a lovesick Cajun firefly. Warm, friendly, laid back and easygoing. He is comically obtuse, missing front tooth, has a lisp and occasionally speaks in Cajun French. Then there is Louis a Jazz singing alligator who is comic, manic, and very high strung. He's hip aligator with a extraordinary jazz singing which he sold his soul to get.

Now along the way, Maddy will meet Mama Odie, an elderly, African American 200 year old Voodoo priestess/fairy god-mother who is eccentric, benevolent, wise and all knowing. Think of her as a mixture of Moms Mabley & Yoda.

Now as we all know every Disney Princess must have her Disney Prince. The Frog Princess has Maddy falling for an actual prince. Prince Harry... no, not the one being sent to Iraq in a few months. This Prince Harry is a gregarious, fun-loving European Prince, in his early twenties. Picture a young Cary Grant. Charming, witty but irresponsible and immature who just happens to loves jazz. And he couldn't have come at a more perfect moment than during Mardi Gras.

He's accompanied by Lawrence, Harry's pompous roly poly valet. Stiff, snobbish and sarcastic, he is secretly envious and resentful of Harry. Hmmm... I smell a conspiracy brewing...




Oh and before we forget. A Disney Film without a villian? I don't think so. Not when we have Dr. Duvalier a African American Voodoo magician/fortune teller. Duvalier is charming, charismatic, smooth and a sinister mean, bad guy. Picture a cajun male version of Malificent.

I can't wait for it go get here. The Frog Princess offers us the chance to have a "Third" Golden Age of Disney Animation now that John Lasseter is in charge. Whatchathink?

Frog Princess Finds It's Character...

Well, it looks like we get our first glimpse of the characters that will be appearing in Disney's first 2-D animated film since 2004.

The Manhattan Theatre Resourse put out the list of characters in their casting call this week, so enjoy:

"THE FROG PRINCESS . Animated Feature Film SAG
Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements Composer: Randy Newman
Casting Director: Jen Rudin Pearson Casting Assistant: Phoebe Rosenberg
Interview Dates: In New York November 13-17 Shoot/Start Date: January 2007

SUBMIT HARDCOPY WITH COVER LETTER. NO FAXES OR PHONE CALLS.
JEN RUDIN PEARSON WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION
500 SOUTH BUENA VISTA STREET BURBANK, CA 91521-4970
ATTN: THE FROG PRINCESS

"The Frog Princess" is an animated American fairy tale musical, set in New Orleans, in the 1920's Jazz Age. SINGING ROLES:

[MADDY] A 19-year-old African American chambermaid. Bright, resourceful, ambitious, intense. A little too grown-up for her age. Dialect: Mild southern colloquial.

[CHARLOTTE] 18 years old. A spoiled, southern debutante. A diva. Comic "steel magnolia". Bossy but insecure. Dialect: Southern belle.

[DR. DUVALIER] A 30-40 year old Voodoo magician/fortune teller. African American. Charming, charismatic, smooth and a sinister bad guy. Theatrical and grandiose. Dialect: Elegant, possibly New Orleans Creole.

[MAMA ODIE] An elderly, 200 year old Voodoo priestess/fairy god-mother. African American. Broad, comic, eccentric. Benevolent, wise and all knowing. A mixture of Moms Mabley & Yoda. Dialect: Southern colloquial.

[RAY] A 25-35 year old lovesick Cajun firefly. Warm, friendly, laid back and easygoing. Comically obtuse. Missing front tooth, has a lisp and occasionally speaks in Cajun French. LOOKING FOR AUTHENTIC CAJUN ACTORS.

[LOUIS] A 20-40 year old Jazz singer alligator. Comic, manic, high strung. Can be African American or white. Has extraordinary jazz singing voice since he, in effect, "sold his soul" to get it. Dialect: New Orleans hipster.

NON-SINGING ROLES:
[PRINCE HARRY] A gregarious, fun-loving European Prince, in his early twenties. A young Cary Grant. Charming, witty but irresponsible and immature. Loves jazz. Dialect: British upper-class.

[LAWRENCE] Harry's pompous roly poly valet. In his forties. Stiff, snobbish and sarcastic. Secretly envious and resentful of Harry. Dialect: Overly affected British upper crust.

[BIG DADDY LA BOUFF] Wealthy, Southern plantation landowner. Doting father of Charlotte La Bouff. A "good ol' boy." Warm, affable, courtly, imposing and powerful. Dialect: Thick southern drawl.

[EUDORA] Maddy's mother. In her fifties. Eudora used to be Charlotte's nurse maid. Warm, homespun and nurturing. Overly fretful.

[GEORGE] The cook for the La Bouff family. African American 50s-60s. Curmudgeonly.

[YOUNG MADDY] Six years old, African American.

[YOUNG CHARLOTTE] Six years old."

This should give everybody an idea as to what to expect. It sounds great and Disney has a GREAT team bringing it to the screen.

The Frog Princess Has Soul?

The latest rumors regarding "The Frog Princess" are that it will feature Disney's first "African-American" Princess and be set in or with the flavor of New Orleans. This might be the explanation as to why Ron Clements & John Musker were quoted as saying this would be an American rendition of the classic story. It also might explain John Lasseters desire to use Randy Newman for the score. Can't wait... 2D animation coming back to Disney. ;)