Miley Cyrus as White Tiana in New Princess and The Frog
Disney is all about diversity, equity, and inclusion. We saw this with the announcement here that Elsa will marry a woman in Frozen 3.
In another shocking twist, Moana will be the first transgender Disney princess, in Moana 2: Rise of Kai. However, now, Disney is taking a reverse diverse approach with the announcement that Miley Cyrus will play a white Princess Tiana in the new live-action remake of The Princess and the Frog.
We saw Disney inject diversity into the new Tangled live-action film. They cast Jada Pinkett-Smith, an old African American bald lady to play Rapunzel. However, people didn’t react well to that.
Also, Disney is trying this with Rachel Zegler in the new Snow White, but that movie is canceled due to backlash, which we reported on here.
Miley Cyrus as Princess Tiana in New Live-Action Movie
Clearly, Disney has been struggling with infusing diversity in their films. Each time they do it, it seems to backfire on them. Instead, they are casting Miley Cyrus.
While this seems like a rather unusual choice, it makes a lot of sense. The Walt Disney Company has a lot of experience working with Miley Cyrus as she was the star of Hannah Montana for four seasons, which is very impressive for a Disney channel show.
Disney can thank Cyrus for her incredible acting, which kept the show alive. However, it isn’t just her acting. Miley Cyrus has pipes and can sing. We know this from her hit songs like “Nobody’s Perfect”, “Wrecking Ball”, and most famously “Party in the USA”. The Princess and the Frog is known for its soundtrack. They need someone who can act and sing at a high level and Miley Cyrus is the best option.
While we don’t know the plot for the new live-action remake, it’s expected to follow the original movie closely. It will be a lot like Disney’s other live-action remakes, like The Little Mermaid.
The story will be similar, there will be familiar songs, as well as the addition of new songs. Disney expects Miley Cyrus to bring a fresh perspective to the new songs for the movie, making it even better.
White Tiana Controversy
As you can imagine, making Princess Tiana white in the live-action movie is quite controversial. Many people are disappointed that the first African American Disney princess is getting whitewashed in this movie. They say this is a step backward for Disney when it comes to representation and inclusivity.
Many people also state that Miley Cyrus isn’t an authentic fit for the movie. They cite that she is from Tennessee and has been an LA girl most of her life.
If Disney is going to cast someone white to play the role of Tiana, they should at least pick someone from New Orleans where the movie takes place. They feel this is cultural appropriation and needs to be reevaluated.
On the other hand, there are supporters of this. They say that if Disney can make Snow White not white, then Tiana can be white. It’s the old game of cat and mouse that people like to play. Needless to say, the announcement that Miley Cyrus will be playing Princess Tiana in the live-action remake of The Princess and the Frog is very controversial.
What do you think of Disney making Tiana white in the new Princess and the Frog movie? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
