Above: Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, featuring the first
African-American princess, dominated the box-office with a $25
million nationwide debut.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Sunday, December 13, 2009
New York (Tadias) – Angelina Jolie, the adoptive mother of 4 year old Zahara, is excited about the new animated family comedy, featuring Disney’s first black princess, as a positive influence for her Ethiopian daughter.
The Disney animated musical, The Princess and the Frog, currently number one at the box-office, is a fairy tale about a beautiful princess named Tiana and a frog prince who desperately wants to be a human again. The story takes place in Jazz-filled New Orleans, where a fateful kiss would lead them both on an adventure through the fabled wetlands of Louisiana.
According to OK! magazine: “Angelina Jolie has spoken about how she’s ecstatic that her four-year-old daughter Zahara will have a role model thanks to the barrier being broken.”
Anika Noni Rose, 37, the actress whose voice is used for Disney’s first black princess agrees. “It’s wonderful,” Rose, told Valerie Nome of OK! magazine. “I think every little girl should be able to feel themselves the princess. I think every little girl is worthy of having a princely young man, and vice versa. It’s really thrilling that Zahara will never have a moment where she didn’t see herself in that light. She’s Ethiopian. She comes from kings and queens. She should certainly know herself as a princess.”
Here is the film’s trailer:
Video: Princess and the Frog Reaction
Just a question though..why did it take a Caucasian American to voice an African- American voice – there wasn’t a single black actress that was available?
Kelly,
Anika Noni Rose is African American. Check her out in Dreamgirls. She is great!
Finally! Wow – this is the first I’ve heard about this movie in Australia and I am delighted!
I hope Disney has now set the example for others. It’s the little cultural things that add up.
I agree i think its great to finally have a black princess character. Historically we as a people have always had kings and queens in our history. Taharqa, Makeda,empress Menen, and thousands of others. This film can curb some of the inherited bias that is a part of American society.
This is a great movie. I recommend the film to everyone. I enjoyed it with my son, niece and her two friends! Two thumbs up!
this is interesting news.
Great film and timely and necessary. Congratulations Disney for finally doing the right thing. Although it took 70 years. Better late than never
What’s going on with the film industry? This movie was so boring that I had to leave the Cinema for the second time — the other one was the “Transformers”. With this one, the story is poor and unoriginal, the animations unattractive the story between “Shrek” and “Jungle Book”. I am surprised that Angelina even mentions it. Sorry guys, they are selling us garbage!
I could understand why an adult would be bored watching kids movie.
You all should check out Clint Eastwood’s new movie Evictus, a true story of how newly elected President Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) in the early 1990’s joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), to help unite his country that was griped by racial tension and headed for certain civil war. The poem ‘INVICTUS’ by William Ernest Henley is from which Nelson Mandela drew strength while in prison for 27 years.
It is about time Disney!!! Fantastic!