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Plot summary
Tiana works two waitress jobs in New Orleans, saving money to open a restaurant of her own. Prince Naveen of Maldonia arrives in the city, cut off from his family fortune and hoping to marry Tiana's wealthy friend Charlotte La Bouff. At a masquerade ball thrown in Naveen's honor, Tiana discovers she has been outbid for an old mill she wanted to buy. The voodoo witch doctor Dr. Facilier turns Naveen into a frog and Naveen's valet Lawrence into a double of the prince. Naveen thinks Tiana is a princess and asks for a kiss to undo the spell. She agrees, and becomes a frog as well. Chased into the bayou, they come across Louis, an alligator who loves jazz, and Ray, a Cajun firefly who offers to lead them to Mama Odie, a voodoo practitioner.
Cast
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Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Disney had announced that 2004's Home on the Range would be its last traditionally animated film, but after the 2006 Pixar acquisition Ed Catmull and John Lasseter reversed that decision, and animators laid off when the traditional animation units were dissolved in 2003 were located and re-hired for the project.
- Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose were reported as top contenders for the voice of Tiana, Alicia Keys directly contacted Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook about the role, Tyra Banks was considered, and Beyoncé refused to audition as she was expecting an offer instead.
- The film's fiscal shortcoming was a major reason the next year's Tangled had its title changed from "Rapunzel", to dissociate it from The Princess and the Frog and the Disney Princess concept; Tangled would almost double its predecessor's box office take.
- Walt Disney Studios' marketing department warned the animation studio that the word "princess" in the title "would lead moviegoers to think that the film was for girls only", but management insisted on keeping it, believing the film's quality and hand-drawn animation would bring in all quadrants anyway.
- In response to early criticisms, the film's title was changed in May 2007 from The Frog Princess to The Princess and the Frog, the name "Maddy" was changed to "Tiana", and the character's occupation was altered from chambermaid to waitress.
- Alan Menken was initially reported to be composing the soundtrack, but Lasseter thought that since Menken was scoring Enchanted at the time the music might be too repetitive, so he hired Randy Newman, with whom he had worked at Pixar.
- Tiana was inspired in part by the famed restaurateur Leah Chase, whom Clements and Musker met on their research trip to New Orleans; Clements recalled that she "was a waitress and ultimately opened a restaurant with her husband".
