A few weeks ago, site co-founder Derek Cornell and Editor-in-Chief Dempsey Pillot appeared on the Walt’s Apartment Podcast, and revealed a very exclusive “Rumor of the Week.” The rumor? Well, sources close to The DisInsider claim that Disney is actively (and unsurprisingly) developing a live-action remake of The Princess and the Frog.
Following the recent announcement that the planned Tiana series has been delayed at Disney+, the company is reportedly “all-in on [that] world” and is currently courting writers and directors to work on the project. The plan is for the film to be connected to the new Princess and the Frog-themed ride in development at Magic Kindgom too.
While there are no actors attached to the project, we at The DisInsider thought it would be fun to bring back our classic “Fancast Friday” in an exciting new way.
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As many of you might already be aware, artificial intelligence is on the rise – and not in a Terminator 2 kind of way. There are many different pieces of software that can communicate with you and answer very specific questions when prompted. We thought it would be cool to use this software to see who A.I. thinks should be cast in a potential live-action version of The Princess and the Frog. The results might surprise you!
When asked the simple question “Who should star in a live-action ‘Princess and the Frog’ remake?” the bot we used first told us, “There are many talented actors who could potentially star in a live-action remake of ‘The Princess and the Frog.’”
Then it began to list off the names of seven actors, as well as what character it “thought” they would be perfect for AND – in some cases – why they would be great for those certain roles too!
1. Anika Noni Rose
The reasoning behind this choice? Well, as the bot puts it: “As the original voice actor of Tiana in the animated film, Anika Noni Rose would be an obvious choice to play the role in a live-action remake.”
2. Zendaya
Despite the fact that Zendaya is Disney royalty already, the bot gave the following reasoning for choosing her: “Zendaya is a versatile young actress who has shown her range in various film and TV projects. She could bring a fresh and modern take to the role of Tiana.”
3. Yara Shahidi
Sure, Shahidi is already playing another iconic character in the upcoming live-action version of Peter Pan and Wendy, but our bot did not seem to care. It said the following about casting Shahidi as the popular Disney princess: “Yara Shahidi is another talented young actress who could bring a lot of charm and charisma to the role of Tiana.”
4. Donald Glover
Similar to Shahidi, Glover is no stranger to Disney’s live-action adaptations. Many forget that he played adult Simba in 2019’s The Lion King. Still, here’s why the bot believes he would make a good Prince Naveen: “Donald Glover is a multi-talented performer who could bring a lot of energy and charisma to the role of Prince Naveen.”
5. Dev Patel
Granted, Patel has never appeared in a musical or any other Disney film, but the bot believes he’s got the acting power for Prince Naveen too. It says: “Dev Patel is a talented actor who has proven his range in various film projects. He could bring a lot of charm and humor to the role of Prince Naveen.”
6. Lupita Nyong’o
In case you thought the machine had finished fancasting for Tiana, it wasn’t. Yup, it actually went back and selected one more actress who it believed could embody the beloved character. The bot told us: “Lupita Nyong’o is a versatile actress who could bring a lot of depth and emotion to the role of Tiana.”
Considering the fact that Nyong’o has gotten very little live-action work in the decade since winning an Oscar(!) we agree she’d be a strong contender for Tiana too!
7. Idris Elba
While arguably one of the most out-of-the-box choices for the role of Dr. Facilier, we love it! Considering that Elba can sing and rap, there’s no doubt he would be absolutely entertaining. Here’s why the bot chose him though: “Idris Elba is a seasoned actor with a commanding presence. He could bring a lot of gravitas and strength to the role of Dr. Facilier.”
READ: New Casting Call Teases The Return Of Classic Character In Disney’s Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’
Sadly, the bot stopped generating suggestions after these picks, but they were diverse and exciting enough to get us excited about seeing the project hopefully come to fruition.
What do you think of the A.I’s picks? Do you think it got any characters wrong? Who would you like to see star in the live-action adaptation of The Princess and the Frog? Sound off below!
If you’d like to see more of these fancasts, let us know!
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