The Walt Disney Company has been making headlines for its box office performance for both the best and worst reasons. The big winner this year thus far is Pixar, who not only won big with the original sci-fi comedy Hoppers, but also with the wildly successful Toy Story 5, which is practically guaranteed to be the year’s next billion-dollar movie after The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Michael. However, the company has also had some recent misses, with The Mandalorian and Grogu becoming one of the lowest-grossing Star Wars movies ever made and, more recently, the woefully underperforming live-action remake of Moana.
Live-action remakes are already a controversial subject, with Moana being an especially egregious case given it’s a remake of a film that’s not even 10 years old yet. The box office results of all of these films has varied from monster hit to box office disaster. The highly controversial The Lion King remake defied online noise to gross over a billion dollars, while others like Snow White fell incredibly short of expectations. The projects overall have been a bit of a gamble, making Disney‘s recent habits of being more selective in it’s live-action remake understandable. As of now, at least two are in active development, with one being a live-action Tangled remake (which was originally cancelled after Snow White failed to impress audiences) as well as a sequel to the live-action Lilo & Stitch, directed by the original filmmaker, creator, and voice of Stitch, Chris Sanders.
Even after the absolutely abysmal performance of the House of Mouse’s Moana remake at the box office, Disney isn’t done with live-action reimaginings of popular franchises just yet. Deadline is now reporting that a live-action The Princess and the Frog movie is officially in the works, with none other than Euphoria icon Colman Domingo and Tony-nominated director Robert O’Hara attached to write the screenplay. However, this new take on one of Disney‘s last 2D-animated movies may not be a typical remake in the traditional sense. The movie is currently being billed as an “untitled Princess Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose in the 2009 animated classic) movie,” implying that this could be a more original story following Princess and the Frog‘s main protagonist.
Could Colman Domingo’s Live-Action ‘Princess and the Frog’ Movie Be a Sequel to the Original Film?
Plot details on Colman Domingo‘s prospective new take on The Princess and the Frog are still under wraps, but another reason for its current description could mean it’s a sequel to the original story fans of the 2009 classic already know and love. It actually wouldn’t be the first time Disney has taken that approach, even all the way back to the film that started helped start the live-action trend, Alice in Wonderland, with Tim Burton‘s movie technically taking place after the events of the title character’s first trip to Wonderland. Another example is Christopher Robin, which follows an older version of the titular protagonist (Ewan McGregor) as he reunites with his friends from the 100 Acre Wood. If that is the case, it’s honestly a very positive sign that Domingo’s new project will be taking a more original approach to the source material and won’t be a borderline shot-for-shot remake.
Colman Domingo and Robert O’Hara‘s live-action Princess and the Frog movie is reportedly in early development. The original 2009 movie is streaming now on Disney+.
via Collider