Disney sparked backlash online after news broke it would be pulling the plug on a Tiana princess series for its streaming platform, Disney+.
The decision to nix the Tiana series — a spin-off of The Princess and the Frog film– comes as Walt Disney Animation Studios cuts back on long-form streaming content in general.
Per the Hollywood Reporter:
A spokesperson confirmed there will be some layoffs in its Vancouver studio as a result of this shift in business strategy. In addition to the Tiana series, the studio is also scrapping an unannounced feature-length project that was set to go straight to Disney+.
Tiana was first announced in December 2020, and was envisioned as a musical featuring Anika Noni Rose reprising her role as Tiana from the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog, the film centering on Disney’s first Black princess.
Sources close to the streaming series say that despite best efforts, including several changes to the creative team, Tiana ultimately could not get to where it needed to be given production costs.
Princess Tiana’s status as the first black princess in the Disney canon seemed to influence the degree of backlash online after word spread of the show’s shelving.
“Rapunzel got a whole series with 3 seasons but Tiana can’t get 8 fucking episodes????? Not even an special?????” wrote one user on X.
“Just a reminder that Disney does not give a fuck about Tiana,” another chimed in. “They never have. The whole reason she even got a ride in the first place was because they wanted to get rid of Splash, and using Tiana made them look like they care about representation.”
“Disney really hates her, when was the last time Tiana got any media since the release of the movie in like 2009? Can we at least get an art book from the show?” asked a different X user.
Rapunzel got a whole series with 3 seasons but Tiana can’t get 8 fucking episodes????? Not even an special????? https://t.co/5jBEoi31cN
— Startboii (COMMS OPEN) (@Startboii1) March 3, 2025
Just a reminder that Disney does not give a fuck about Tiana. They never have. The whole reason she even got a ride in the first place was because they wanted to get rid of Splash, and using Tiana made them look like they care about representation. https://t.co/M4gTXEZGSQ
— KK (@disney_sphere89) March 3, 2025
Disney really hates her, when was the last time Tiana got any media since the release of the movie in like 2009?
— wigasus (@MarmaBa31137) March 3, 2025
Can we at least get an art book from the show? https://t.co/8XgV1Y2jWT pic.twitter.com/mEMNa5fvrx
also notice how they waited until after black history month was over to announce this https://t.co/tNCzG6IeXY
— soph ᥫ᭡ (@cleanrings) March 3, 2025
It’s official there’s no hope for ideas and animation in Disney.
— Love (@1Am1nL0ve) March 3, 2025
Big time studios will then wonder why no one wants to work for them and why everyone’s going indie now. https://t.co/ST7Ly8X0dO
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning Christian tech thriller, EXEMPLUM, which has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critic rating and can be viewed for FREE on YouTube, Tubi, or Fawesome TV. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free rental can also be streamed on Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, or YouTube Movies. Follow him on X @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
