The Princess and the Frog is a 2009 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Inspired in part by the 2002 novel The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker, the story is a modern adaptation of the German folk tale "The Frog Prince" as collected by the Brothers Grimm. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, and written by Clements, Musker and Rob Edwards. It stars the voices of Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jim Cummings, Jennifer Cody, John Goodman, Keith David, Peter Bartlett, Jenifer Lewis, Oprah Winfrey, and Terrence Howard. Set in New Orleans during the 1920s, the film tells the story of a hardworking waitress named Tiana (Rose) who dreams of opening her own restaurant. After kissing Prince Naveen (Campos), who has been turned into a frog by the evil voodoo witch doctor Facilier (David), Tiana becomes a frog as well and the two must find a way to turn human again before it is too late.
The Princess and the Frog began production in July 2006, under the working title The Frog Princess. It marked Disney's brief return to traditional animation, as it was the mainstream animation studio's first traditionally animated film since Home on the Range (2004). Musker and Clements, directors of Disney Animation's The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), and Treasure Planet (2002) returned to Disney to direct The Princess and the Frog. The studio returned to a Broadway musical-style format frequently used during the Disney Renaissance, and the film features a score and songs composed and conducted by Randy Newman, well known for his musical involvement in Pixar films such as the Toy Story franchise.
The Princess and the Frog premiered at the Roy E. Disney Animation Building on the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank on November 15, 2009, and first opened in a limited release in New York City and Los Angeles on November 25, followed by a wide release on December 11. The film received largely positive reviews from critics, who praised the return to a traditional hand-drawn animation style, though it was criticized for its depiction of Louisiana Voodoo and alleged historical negationism of its depiction of the Southern United States during the Jim Crow era. Although it underperformed by Disney's standards, it grossed $271 million and received three Oscar nominations: Best Animated Feature and two for Best Original Song.
Plot
In 1926, New Orleans, a teenager named Tiana dreams of opening a restaurant. She works two waitress jobs to earn money, leaving no time for a social life. The arrogant Prince Naveen of Maldonia arrives in town, and intends to marry Tiana's wealthy best friend, Charlotte La Bouff, because his parents have cut him off from the family fortune. Charlotte's father, Big Daddy, hosts a masquerade ball in Naveen's honor, and Charlotte asks Tiana to make beignets for the party, paying her enough to buy an old mill to convert into her restaurant. Naveen and his valet, Lawrence, encounter Dr. Facilier, an evil voodoo witch doctor who plans to rule New Orleans. Facilier turns Naveen into a frog and Lawrence into a doppelganger of Naveen, using a voodoo talisman containing Naveen's blood. Facilier intends for the disguised Lawrence to marry Charlotte, then kill her father with a voodoo doll so he can gain the La Bouff fortune.
At the ball, Tiana learns she has been outbid for the mill and accidentally spills food on her outfit, so Charlotte lends her a princess costume. Feeling disheartened, she begins wishing on a star when Naveen appears. Mistaking Tiana for an actual princess, he asks her to kiss him to break the spell, offering her a reward. Tiana reluctantly agrees to save her restaurant, but instead turns into a frog as well. They are chased into a nearby bayou, where they meet a jazz-loving alligator named Louis. When they explain their predicament, he suggests they seek the help of Mama Odie, another voodoo practitioner who lives in the bayou. The trio comes across a Cajun firefly named Ray who helps them find Mama Odie's abode and he had a girlfriend named Evangeline, an Evening Star in the sky. During the journey, Tiana and Naveen begin developing romantic feelings for each other, especially after Naveen learns to be more responsible.
Meanwhile, when the talisman containing Naveen's blood runs out, Facilier asks his "friends on the other side", a legion of voodoo spirits, to help retrieve Naveen, offering them the souls of the city's population once he succeeds in taking over, and they grant him an army of shadow demons for his bidding. Mama Odie confirms that only Naveen kissing a princess can break the spell. Tiana realizes that since Charlotte's father has been crowned Mardi Gras king, Charlotte will be a princess until midnight. The group hitches a ride on a steamboat back to New Orleans, during which Naveen tells Ray about his love for Tiana and plans to propose marriage to her. After talking to Tiana, Naveen selflessly decides against proposing, since transforming him and Tiana into humans and financing Tiana's restaurant is contingent on him marrying Charlotte. The shadow demons capture Naveen and bring him to Facilier to replenish the talisman with Naveen's blood. After Ray tells Tiana of Naveen's love for her, Tiana heads to the Mardi Gras parade to find Naveen, only to see the disguised Lawrence marrying Charlotte.
Ray rescues the real Naveen and steals the talisman, but is mortally wounded by Facilier, who then offers to make Tiana's dream come true in exchange for the talisman. Refusing to dishonor her father, Tiana destroys the talisman into the ground, leading the voodoo spirits to claim Facilier’s soul and drag him into the underworld as punishment for failing to pay back his debt. After Lawrence is arrested, Tiana reveals her love to Naveen, and Charlotte agrees to kiss Naveen, but the clock strikes midnight before she can do so. Tiana and Naveen see Ray die, being held by Louis, and Ray is reincarnated as a star beside Evangeline in the night sky in front of his friends and his firefly family in a bayou during his funeral.
Tiana and Naveen are wed by Mama Odie and then restored to human form when they kiss, since Tiana is now truly a princess. They return to New Orleans and open their restaurant, named Tiana's Palace, as Ray and Evangeline watch them dancing together.
Voice cast Anika Noni Rose as Tiana, a 19-year-old African American waitress who dreams of owning her own restaurant. She is an intelligent, hardworking, and independent teenager, but always puts work over 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 amateur musician and playboy who has been 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, (nicknamed "Shadow Man") a voodoo bokor (witch doctor) who plans to rule New Orleans with help from his "Friends on the Other Side" and the main antagonist of the film. He is modeled off of Baron Samedi and/or Ghede Nibo wearing a tailcoat and top hat. Bruce W. Smith, supervising animator of Doctor Facilier, jokingly referred to the character as the "lovechild" of Cruella de Vil and Captain Hook. 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 anthropomorphic alligator whose dream is to play his trumpet in a jazz band. His name comes from the famous jazz artist and trumpeter Louis Armstrong. Trumpeter Terence Blanchard performed the music 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 White 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 find her. Ray has an unrequited love for the evening star, which he believes is a lady 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 pudgy 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 Jasper and Horace Badun and Mr. Smee. Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie, a blind, 197-year-old voodoo priestess, 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, who 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 wealthy Southern sugar mill owner and Charlotte's father. While he spoils his daughter 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 that Tiana would not be able to manage it. 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.
The film's composer Randy Newman makes a brief cameo as Ray's "Cousin Randy"; the character is also designed to resemble Newman.
Production
Early development
Disney had once announced that 2004's Home on the Range would be their last traditionally animated film. After the company's acquisition of Pixar in 2006, Ed Catmull and John Lasseter, the new president and chief creative officer of Disney Animation Studios, reversed this decision and reinstated hand-drawn animation at the studio.. Many animators who had either been laid off or had left the studio when the traditional animation units were dissolved in 2003 were located and re-hired for the project. Lasseter also brought back directors Ron Clements and John Musker, whose earlier works include The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), and Treasure Planet (2002). The duo had left the company in 2005, but Lasseter requested their return to Disney to direct and write the film and had let them choose the style of animation (traditional or CGI) they wanted to use.