Domingo, O'Hara in Talks to Write Live-Action Tiana Movie
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- Colman Domingo and Robert O'Hara are in early-stage talks with Disney to write a live-action film centered on Princess Tiana, described as an original idea inspired by 2009's "The Princess and the Frog."
- "The Princess and the Frog" grossed $267 million globally, earned three Academy Award nominations (including best animated feature), and featured Anika Noni Rose as the voice of Tiana.
- A planned Tiana spin-off series stalled, but Disney honored the character's popularity by retheming the Splash Mountain attraction as "Tiana's Bayou Adventure" at Disney World and Disneyland.
- Colman Domingo is having a banner 2026: his Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" crossed $1 billion to become the highest-grossing musical biopic ever, and he picked up two more Emmy nominations for "Euphoria."
- Accepting Variety's Creative Conscience Award, Domingo said he's being seen as the "multi-hyphenate" he's always wanted to be, and will soon direct, produce, and star in the Nat "King" Cole biopic "Unforgettable."
- Robert O'Hara, a Tony-nominated director of "Slave Play," previously collaborated with Domingo on "Wild With Happy" at The Public Theater in 2012; Deadline first reported the Tiana talks, and Disney declined to comment.
Why it matters: The project hands Domingo his first major studio screenwriting credit at the exact moment his star power is peaking — "Michael" just became the highest-grossing musical biopic ever at $1 billion. Pairing him with O'Hara, whose Tony-nominated work on "Slave Play" marks him as a top-tier Black theater voice, signals Disney is entrusting Tiana — its first Black princess — to two stage-trained Black creators with proven writing and directing credentials.
