Disney Animation boss Jared Bush says a Princess and the Frog special for Disney+ is in active production with new songs and the original cast. Here’s what we know, and what we don’t.
Tiana is coming back to Disney+, and she’s bringing music with her.
Jared Bush, the chief creative officer at Walt Disney Animation Studios, confirmed that a special set in the world of The Princess and the Frog is in active production. He told Collider’s Steve Weintraub about it at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, in a Collider exclusive published Friday, Oct. 30.
“Well, there is something we’ve actually been working on. It is a special set in the world of The Princess and the Frog,” Bush said, per WDW News Today’s report on the interview. Then came the part fans wanted to hear: “New songs. Original cast. It is pretty spectacular.”
Is the Princess and the Frog special a series or a movie?
“It’s a full story with a lot of songs as part of it,” he said. He added, “I’d say it probably will feel more like a special to people.” WDW News Today also reports he made clear it isn’t a batch of shorts.
Think holiday special energy, but on the bayou.
That’s a different shape than what Disney first promised. Back in 2021, Disney announced Tiana, a full Disney+ series. Then in early March 2025, TheWrap reported that the series was canceled and that a special would move forward instead.
Who’s in the cast of the new Princess and the Frog special?
Bush said “original cast,” and that’s where he stopped. He didn’t name anybody, as The Main Street Mouse pointed out in its write-up.
The original 2009 voice cast was stacked. Anika Noni Rose voiced Tiana. Bruno Campos played Prince Naveen, Keith David was the smooth-talking villain Dr. Facilier, and Jenifer Lewis voiced Mama Odie. Jim Cummings played Ray the firefly, and Michael-Leon Wooley gave us Louis, the trumpet-playing alligator.
Rose has kept voicing Tiana in other Disney projects over the years, so fans are betting she’s back. We’d still hold the confetti for an official cast list.
When does the Princess and the Frog special come out?
No date yet.
“We have not announced a specific timing of that yet,” Bush said. What he did confirm is the stage it’s in: “So, that’s actually in active production.”
Active production means the team is building it now. But animation takes a while, so don’t clear your Saturday night just yet.
There’s no trailer or teaser for the special either. When one drops, it’ll be on Disney+ and Disney’s YouTube channels first.
Is a live-action Princess and the Frog movie happening too?
Maybe. It’s early.
In July 2026, Deadline reported that Colman Domingo and Robert O’Hara were in talks to write an original live-action movie about Tiana. It’s billed as a spinoff of the animated film, not a shot-for-shot remake.
Disney hasn’t officially confirmed it, and no director or cast has been announced. If you see headlines calling it a done deal, take those with a grain of Cajun seasoning.
The special Bush talked about is a separate animated project. It comes from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the same studio that made the 2009 film.
Why does The Princess and the Frog still matter to Disney?
Because people never stopped loving it.
The movie opened wide in theaters on Dec. 11, 2009, after a limited run in New York and Los Angeles in late November. It was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the duo behind The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. It was also Disney’s big return to hand-drawn animation after years of computer-animated hits.
It picked up three Oscar nominations. One was for Best Animated Feature, and two were for original songs, “Almost There” and “Down in New Orleans.”
Tiana also moved into the parks in a big way. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure replaced Splash Mountain and opened at Magic Kingdom on June 28, 2024, then at Disneyland on Nov. 15, 2024.
What else has Jared Bush said about Disney Animation?
Bush took over as Disney Animation’s chief creative officer in 2024, and he co-directed Zootopia 2, which hit theaters in November 2025.
Fans have been asking for more Tiana for years, and the canceled series stung. Now there’s something real in the works again, with new music and familiar voices. We’ll update you when Disney gives it a name and a date.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Collider (Oct. 30, 2026), Steve Weintraub’s interview with Jared Bush at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival
WDW News Today (Oct. 30, 2026), Bush’s quotes on the special and the “not shorts” detail
The Main Street Mouse (Oct. 30, 2026), Bush’s quotes and the note that no cast was named
Deadline (July 2026), Colman Domingo and Robert O’Hara in talks to write a live-action Tiana movie
TheWrap (March 2025), the Tiana series cancellation
Walt Disney Animation Studios, the 2009 trailer
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