Colman Domingo, a two-time Oscar nominee, is set to co-write an original live-action take about Princess Tiana, inspired by Disney’s 2009 animated feature ‘Princess and the Frog’. According to sources, Domingo will co-pen the feature with Robert O’Hara, the 2020 Tony-nominated director of ‘Slave Play’. The project is still in its early stages, with no deals yet in place.
‘Princess and the Frog’, directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, was the last hand-drawn animated feature from Disney, released in 2009. Set in New Orleans during the 1920s, the film is based on E.D. Baker’s ‘The Frog Princess’. The story follows Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a waitress who dreams of opening her own restaurant, and her journey to turn a frog prince, Naveen, back into a human after he’s cursed by an evil voodoo witch doctor, Facilier. However, Tiana also becomes a frog, and the couple must find a way to become human again.
The film’s score and songs, written by Randy Newman, were widely acclaimed, with one of the most memorable tunes being Tiana’s ‘Almost There’. It’s reported that Domingo and O’Hara’s take on ‘Princess and the Frog’ is being billed as a spin-off of the animated feature, rather than a full-on adaptation. This approach is similar to Disney’s other live-action projects, such as the upcoming ‘Beauty and the Beast’ film, which is set to feature a live-action retelling of the classic tale with a twist.
Other live-action adaptations of Disney animated films in the works include ‘Tangled’, currently in production under the direction of Michael Gracey, with Kathryn Hahn, Diego Luna, Milo Manheim, and Teagan Croft attached to star. Additionally, there’s ‘Stepsisters’, a Cinderella spinoff, directed by Akiva Schaffer, ‘Lilo & Stitch 2’ from filmmaker Chris Sanders, and ‘Impossible Creatures’, based on the fantasy series by Katherine Rundell.
Domingo, a prolific playwright and actor, has written the book for ‘Summer: The Donna Summer Musical’ and co-produced ‘Fat Ham’, a modern take on William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, which was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play. His double Emmy nominations this year include Comedy Series Supporting Actor for Netflix’s ‘The Four Seasons’ and Guest Actor Drama Series for HBO’s ‘Euphoria’. He’s already won a Guest Actor in a Drama Series Emmy Award in 2022 for his role in ‘Euphoria’. Domingo is also set to guest host ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ next week.
Domingo was nominated for two Best Actor Oscars back-to-back for ‘Rustin’ and ‘Sing Sing’. He’s also set to appear in Antoine Fuqua’s highest-grossing film ever, ‘Michael’, which has passed the $1 billion mark at the box office.
O’Hara, the director and writer of ‘Inheritance’, a 2011 feature horror thriller, has also written ‘Insurrection: Holding History’ and ‘Bootycandy’, a time-traveling play exploring racial and sexual identity. ‘Bootycandy’ won the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Drama.
