‘Hurtful’ and Unexpected—‘Tiana’ Actress Reacts to Disney+ Series Cancelation

Princess Tiana herself, Anika Noni Rose, shares her thoughts on the cancelation of her own original series.

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The voice behind Princess Tiana, Anika Noni Rose, has released a statement detailing her thoughts and feelings toward Disney’s decision to cancel her Disney+ original series. News of this cancelation dropped earlier this year following an array of production issues and delays.

Simply titled Tiana, the series, which had already been in development for years, would have shown fans what happened to her, Naveen, Louis, and the rest of the crew after the events of the original film. The series was also expected to tie into Disney’s new ride based on Princess Tiana, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which officially opened in 2024 at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts.

Tiana was originally supposed to premiere in 2023 but was pushed back to 2024. However, Disney remained silent on the project throughout the year, even removing mentions of any potential release dates.

Disney officially announced its decision in March 2025, confirming that the series and other projects would not proceed.

This proved to be quite controversial and shocking, not just for fans but also for those who worked on the series, with the voice of Tiana herself, Anika Noni Rose, weighing in with a new statement on Instagram.

“I too am deeply disappointed that the continuation of Tiana’s journey in series form has been cut short. The series was a long time coming, and a lot of beautiful work was put into it by all of the creatives involved, including but not limited to — long time champion Jenn Lee, our wonderful writer/director Joyce Sherri, some fabulous animators, and an amazing music team.”

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First announced back in 2020, Tiana would have followed “the newly crowned Princess of Maldonia on a new adventure, but her New Orleans past isn’t far behind.”

While disappointing for fans, this is not the end of Tiana, with a short-form The Princess and the Frog special now in development. Rose mentioned this upcoming special in her post, saying that she hopes fans “tune in.”

“Tell all the people you know who have loved Princess Tiana, Naveen, Louis, Charlotte, Mama Odie, and the magic they’ve created together over the years, and make sure you are watching. Show your love and your desire in the numbers. Make that desire an undeniable and real thing. Until then, we will be continuing to work hard to bring you the most beautiful content we can.”

While not an immediate commercial success on the same level as other Disney classics like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, The Princess and the Frog is just as popular and beloved, only increasing in notoriety since its 2009 release.

Blending wonderful animation with some of Disney’s best songwriting, The Princess and the Frog marked a lot of firsts for the company, namely acting as a vessel for Disney’s first African American princess.

How would you rank Disney’s animated princess films?