Disney+ announces Princess and the Frog TV sequel series Tiana

Fans of Princess of the Frog are leaping for joy after Disney+ announced a television spin-off, titled Tiana.

The news about the upcoming long-form musical series came during Disney+ Day on November 12 and was revealed alongside first look concept art for Tiana.

According to a synopsis shared by the streamer, the series follows newly crowned Princess of Maldonia on a "new adventure", adding however that her "New Orleans past isn't far behind".

The series, written and directed by Stella Meghie (The Photograph), will make it the first time Tiana returns to screens since Disney introduced the first African-American princess to the franchise in 2009.

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In a studio first, the movie broke ground with its diverse cast that centred on a young Black princess (Anika Noni Rose), who dreams of opening a restaurant to honour her late father. But after an encounter with voodoo magic, she is transformed into a frog and faces challenges before she can make her dreams a reality.

In a Q&A with Essence, Meghie spoke about the upcoming project, the importance of Princess Tiana and what fans can expect from the series.

"When Princess and the Frog came out, that was the first Black princess, the first Disney icon that I could relate to visually and experience-wise. It was huge. I love jazz. Everything about it was inspiring to me," she said.

Revealing how the prospect of reviving the character manifested, she said Disney were thinking about doing a show "with a particular princess". During a phone call with the studio, when she asked "which one?", Disney said "Tiana", to which Meghie was thrilled.

Disney

Speaking about the pressure placed on her to honour the Black community, the writer-director said: "It's a tremendous amount of weight because it means so much."

She added: "You have to get it right. The Black community can be very scrutinising."

Sharing details about Tiana's next chapter, she said the series will take her on "grand adventure," adding "when we meet her, she's the newly crowned Princess of Maldonia.

"We get to see her explore that world but New Orleans is calling her back," she concluded.

Tiana is coming to Disney+ in 2023.