Walt Disney Pictures goes someplace they’ve never been before with their first black heroine in the upcoming animated film, “The Princess and the Frog.” While their hearts may be in the right place, this initial teaser shows that this project will be fraught with peril.
The film, which began production under the working title The Frog Princess, will be an American fairy tale musical set in New Orleans during the 1920s Jazz Age, and Tiana will be Disney’s first African-American Princess.
Based upon the classic fairy tale, “The Frog Princess,” it will be the Disney’s first animated film since 2004′s “Home on the Range.” When completed, it will be the company’s 48th animated film. The film’s score will be composed by Randy Newman and features the voice talents of Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, John Goodman, Jenifer Lewis, Angela Bassett and Peter Bartlett. Dreamgirls star Noni Rose will provide the voice for the lead character, Tiana.
The lone controversial moment in the teaser comes when Cajun firefly (voiced by Jim Cummings) sounds just a little to ETHNIC for our taste. Call it sensitivity if you want to but there is a reason that it took almost 50 Disney films to have a Black female heroine!
Check it out for yourself and let us know what you think.
“The Princess and the Frog” comes to theaters in 2009.
[...] FilmGordon claims that Jim Cummings’ accent is racially offensive in the trailer. However, after watching this a great many times, I am not convinced that the bug in question is even played by Jim Cummings. Yes, JC is in the movie, but the trailer doesn’t say if his character is the one featured. [...]
What the heck does “sounds just a little to ETHNIC for our taste” freaking mean? Explain this!