At Disney+ Day on Friday, the streaming service shared more information about the Princess Tiana series. For the spinoff of The Princess and the Frog, they hired one of the most popular Black women writers to help bring the story to life.
They also said that the first episode will air in 2023 and shared a concept picture.
Stella Meghie will write and direct ‘Tiana’
Meghie, who has worked on films like The Photograph and The Weekend, has been hired by Disney to write and direct the series. It will be a long-running singing show about Tiana. It will be shown on Disney+ Day. A press statement says that the show is “about the New Orleans-born Princess of Maldonia who just got her title.”
Meghie is a huge fan of the movie. In an exclusive chat with ESSENCE, she said, “When Princess and the Frog came out, it was the first time there was a Black princess. It was also the first time I could see myself in a Disney character. It was very big. I enjoy music. I was moved by everything about it.”
The people who made it are excited to put it on TV.
Meghie is happy to be a part of this project, but she says that it’s a lot of pressure. She recently told ESSENCE, “It’s a lot of weight because she means so much to me.” “Right now, she’s the only one. It has to be done right. Black people can be very critical of each other. But I’m not a beginner. I really believe this. I’m used to it, and it makes me want to work even harder to make sure we dig really, really deep to get to the heart of Tiana.”
But Meghie likes being a part of the world of animation. “There’s something about animation that is so freeing,” she says. “It’s very exciting to be able to put whatever you want on the page without worrying about a note that says, “We can’t afford this.” It’s all in your head. You don’t have to deal with real-world problems, and you can go deep into some ideas, stories, and adventures. I love writing cartoons, it’s all blue sky to me.”
Tiana will first appear in 2023.