The Princess and the Frog

Movie Details:

Voice Cast & Characters:

• Anika Noni Rose as Tiana, a 19-year-old African American waitress and aspiring chef/restaurateur. She is an intelligent, hardworking, and independent young woman but works so hard that she often forgets about other things in life such as love, fun, and family. Mark Henn was the supervising animator for Tiana.
• Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, the prince of Maldonia. Naveen is a 20-year-old musician and playboy cut off from his family’s riches until he learns the value of responsibility. Randy Haycock served as the supervising animator of Naveen in both human and frog form.
• Keith David as Dr. Facilier, also known as the Shadow Man, a voodoo bokor (witch doctor) who plans to rule New Orleans with help from his “friends on the other side” and the film’s main antagonist. He is depicted in the image of Baron Samedi and Ghede Nibo wearing a tailcoat and top hat. Bruce W. Smith, supervising animator of Doctor Facilier, referred to the character as the “lovechild” of Cruella de Vil from One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) and Captain Hook from Peter Pan (1953). Smith was nominated for the Annie Award for Character Animation in a Feature Production for his work.
• Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis, a friendly yet neurotic trumpet-playing alligator whose dream is to join a jazz band. His name comes from the famous jazz artist and trumpeter, Louis Armstrong. Terence Blanchard did the trumpet playing for Louis. Eric Goldberg, the supervising animator of Louis and other miscellaneous characters, won the Annie Award for Character Animation in a Feature Production for his work on the film.
• Jennifer Cody as Charlotte “Lottie” La Bouff, a 19-year-old wealthy European-American débutante and Tiana’s best friend since childhood who dreams of marrying a prince. Though she is initially spoiled and self-centered, she has a heart of gold and cares deeply for Tiana’s well-being, going as far as giving up her chance to be a princess when she sees that Prince Naveen and Tiana are truly in love. Nik Ranieri served as the supervising animator of Charlotte as an adult and child. Jennifer Cody won the Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production for her performance.
• Jim Cummings as Ray, a middle-aged Cajun firefly. He and his vast family are close friends with Mama Odie, so he offers to help the frogs get to her. Ray has an unrequited love for the Evening Star, which he believes is another firefly named “Evangeline” (a reference to the 19th-century Longfellow poem). Mike Surrey was the supervising animator for Ray. Ray’s name comes from the blind pianist Ray Charles.
• Peter Bartlett as Lawrence, Prince Naveen’s valet, whom Dr. Facilier recruits as a partner in his scheme by transforming him to look like Naveen using a blood charm. Anthony DeRosa was the supervising animator for the Lawrence character, whose design was influenced by the Mr. Smee character from Peter Pan.
• Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie, a blind, 197-year-old voodoo bokor, who serves as the film’s “Fairy Godmother figure”. Andreas Deja was the supervising animator for both Mama Odie and her pet snake, Juju, and was nominated for the Annie Award for Character Animation in a Feature Production.
• Oprah Winfrey as Eudora, Tiana’s mother, wants to see her happy and is concerned that Tiana focuses too much on her dream of owning a restaurant. Ruben A. Aquino animated both Eudora and her husband, James.
• Terrence Howard as James, Tiana’s father, who helped instill a strong work ethic in Tiana
• John Goodman as Eli “Big Daddy” La Bouff, a very wealthy Southern sugar mill owner and father of Charlotte La Bouff. While he spoils Charlotte with everything she asks for, he is a loving and generous man and loves Tiana’s cooking. Duncan Marjoribanks was the supervising animator for La Bouff.
• Ritchie Montgomery, Don Hall, and Paul Briggs as Reggie, Darnell, and Two-Fingers, three bumbling frog hunters who try to catch Tiana and Naveen as frogs. Their resemblance to The Three Stooges has been noted.
• Corey Burton and Jerry Kernion as the Fenner Brothers, two antagonistic real estate agents who eventually sell Tiana the sugar mill under duress after initially refusing because someone else was offering to pay for it in cash and because they believed Tiana could not manage it because of her “background”.
• Kevin Michael Richardson and Emeril Lagasse as Ian and Marlon, two of a congregation of wild and hot-tempered alligators who try to eat Tiana and Naveen while they are transformed into frogs.

Storyline:

A modern-day retelling of the classic story The Frog Prince. The Princess and the Frog finds the lives of arrogant, carefree Prince Naveen and hardworking waitress Tiana crossing paths. Prince Naveen is transformed into a frog by a conniving voodoo magician and Tiana, following suit, upon kissing the amphibian royalty. With the help of a trumpet-playing alligator, a Cajun firefly, and an old blind lady who lives in a boat in a tree, Naveen and Tiana must race to break the spell and fulfill their dreams.

About Movie:

The Princess and the Frog is an American animated musical romantic fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film draws inspiration from the 2002 novel The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker, which is based on the German folk tale “The Frog Prince” as collected by the Brothers Grimm. Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the film features a screenplay co-written by Clements, Musker, and Rob Edwards, along with a story developed in collaboration with Greg Erb and Jason Oremland.

Set in 1920s New Orleans, the story follows Tiana, a hardworking waitress voiced by Anika Noni Rose, who dreams of opening her own restaurant. Her life takes a magical turn when she kisses Prince Naveen (voiced by Bruno Campos), who has been transformed into a frog by the evil witch doctor Dr. Facilier (voiced by Keith David). Instead of breaking the spell, Tiana also becomes a frog, and together they embark on an adventure to find a way to return to their human forms before it’s too late.

Production for The Princess and the Frog began in July 2006 under the working title The Frog Princess, marking Disney’s return to traditional animation after Home on the Range (2004). Musker and Clements, known for their work on classics like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, returned to direct this film. The animation style harkens back to the Broadway musical format typical of Disney’s Renaissance era, featuring a score and songs composed by Randy Newman.

The film premiered at the Roy E. Disney Animation Building on November 15, 2009, before its limited release in New York City and Los Angeles on November 25, followed by a wide release on December 11. Critics generally praised The Princess and the Frog for its animation quality, engaging characters, music, and voice performances, particularly highlighting Keith David’s role as Dr. Facilier. However, it faced criticism regarding its portrayal of Louisiana Voodoo and historical context related to the Jim Crow era.

Financially, The Princess and the Frog grossed approximately $271 million worldwide against its production budget but was considered a qualified success as it underperformed compared to Disney’s expectations. It became Disney’s most successful traditionally animated film since Lilo & Stitch in 2002 and received three Oscar nominations at the 82nd Academy Awards: one for Best Animated Feature and two for Best Original Song.

Overall, The Princess and the Frog is notable not only for its return to hand-drawn animation but also for featuring Disney’s first Black princess, Tiana, which marked a significant step in representation within animated films.

Budget & Box Office Collection: