'Black Panther' Star Reportedly Cast as Tiana in 'Princess and the Frog'

The Disney universe was shaken when it was revealed that the House of Mouse was working on a live-action version of The Princess and the Frog (2009). And fans only got more excited when it was rumored that Disney Studios may have already found its Tiana.

The Princess and the Frog marked a return to hand-drawn animation. Set in New Orleans, the film follows the story of Princess Tiana as she tries to open her own restaurant. When she meets a frog named Prince Naveen, she kisses him to turn him back into a human, but the spell backfires, and she becomes a frog as well. They must find a way to become their human selves again while meeting plenty of colorful characters, including Mama Odie, Louis the Alligator, Lottie Lo Bouff, Ray the Firefly, and the villainous Dr. Facilier, AKA the Shadow Man.

While the film wasn’t as successful as they initially wanted, it has become increasingly popular over time, even prompting a retheme of Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Naturally, this has also led to talks of a live-action version of the movie. And if the rumors are to be believed, Disney has already found its Tiana.

Lupita Nyong’o Could Be Tiana in Live-Action ‘The Princess and the Frog’

Related: Disney “Has Not Asked” Actor to Return for ‘Princess and the Frog’ Remake

Although only revealed a week ago, rumors have already begun about who will be playing the iconic Princess Tiana in the live-action version of The Princess and the Frog. And if these reports are to be believed, it looks like Lupita Nyong’o will be working with Disney once again.

A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Lupita Nyong’o is an acclaimed actress who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in 12 Years A Slave (2013). She has also starred in multiple projects associated with Disney, including Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) as Nakia, the Star Wars sequel trilogy as Maz Kanata, and the live-action version of The Jungle Book (2016) as Raksha.

Related: Princess Tiana Ride Exposed for “Out of Touch,” “Bleak” Themes

Since Disney is a company that likes to return to actors they’ve used before, it only makes sense that they’d look at Lupita Nyong’o for this role. She’s incredibly talented and has repeatedly shown how much depth she can bring to her characters. However, there’s one big part of Tiana’s character that may prove difficult for Nyong’o: the singing.

Lupita Nyong’o has never played a role where she has had to sing at the same level as Tiana in The Princess and the Frog. While she has written and performed the song “Sulwe’s Song” for her children’s book Sulwe (2019). It’s a gorgeous song, but it never reaches the same belting power that comes with classic Disney tunes “Almost There” and “Down in New Orleans.” That being said, it’d be wonderful to be proven wrong.

Do you think Lupita Nyong’o is good casting for Princess Tiana? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!