Disney Permanently Removes a Princess From Company After Backlash

For nearly a century, Disney princesses have stood as cultural landmarks.

From the sweet innocence of Snow White to the fierce independence of Moana, these iconic characters have reflected changing values and inspired generations. They’re more than animated leads—they’re branding powerhouses, park staples, and childhood companions.

In fact, for many fans, the introduction of a new Disney princess isn’t just another release—it’s an event. It’s merchandise, potential Halloween costumes, theme park meet-and-greets, and sing-alongs. So when Disney quietly scrapped an entire princess movie that was deep in development, many were left confused… and curious.

Inside the Magic previously reported that Disney had an original princess film scheduled for a 2024 release. The movie, which would’ve introduced a new Persian princess, was unceremoniously shelved before it ever saw the light of day. No title, no trailer, no press tour. Just… gone.

And sure, it might be easy to brush it off as another corporate decision. But here’s where things get more interesting.

A Missed Opportunity?

With all the buzz around sequels like Moana 2 (2024), Inside Out 2 (2024), and the upcoming Zootopia 2, Disney’s decision to cancel an original story in favor of safer bets might sound like a smart move on paper. After all, the studio had taken a few hits in recent years—Strange World (2022), Lightyear (2022), and Wish (2023) all bombed. It’s not shocking that Disney is playing things safe.

But while we get the business logic, this isn’t just about another canned movie. This is a full character—an entire world—vanishing from Disney’s universe before it even got a chance.

What if this princess could’ve been the next Tiana? Or gone on to lead a cultural movement like Elsa and Anna? She could’ve potentially been the next Moana. Instead, we’ll never know.

Was It the Backlash?

To be fair, Disney’s been on the receiving end of intense scrutiny lately. The live-action Snow White (2024) remake became a lightning rod of controversy. From Rachel Zegler’s comments to the reimagined storyline and the digital dwarfs, the backlash was loud—and it clearly shook something loose at Disney.

According to the original report, the backlash and box office bombs of recent years prompted the company to hit pause on anything that felt too risky. And unfortunately, a brand-new princess might have felt like too much of a gamble.

So instead, Disney doubled down on what it knew would work. Moana 2, which was originally developed as a Disney+ series, was quickly reshaped into a full-length theatrical sequel. And it worked—fans showed up in droves, and it joined the billion-dollar club.

But what we gained in a safe win, we lost in potential.

The Vanishing Princess

What’s strange is that there was no official announcement. No mention of who would’ve voiced her, what her story would’ve looked like, or what songs we might’ve been singing by now. The character—and the film—has essentially been erased. It’s as if she never existed.

And while Disney hasn’t confirmed if the idea might come back one day, it seems increasingly unlikely. With Frozen 3, Tangled rumored to be getting the live-action treatment, and Lilo & Stitch proving that nostalgia sells better than new ideas, this mysterious Persian princess might have quietly slipped into Disney’s vault for good.

Maybe the timing was off. Maybe the vision wasn’t strong enough — which certainly seemed to be the case with Pixar’s latest bomb, Elio. Or maybe the company just isn’t willing to take big swings right now.

Whatever the case, a piece of Disney’s potential future is gone. Not because it failed—but because it never had a chance to succeed.