07 December,2009 08:05 AM IST | | Agencies
Seventy-two years after Snow White first emerged on the silver screen, Disney's exclusive pantheon of fairytale royals is about to get another member to delight little girls around the world.
Yet Tiana, the heroine of The Princess And The Frog, to be released in the US and Canada this Friday, differs from her aristocratic predecessors.
For the first time in Disney's illustrious history, the magic kingdom is crowning an African-American princess.
Actress Anika Noni Rose, who provides the voice of Tiana, says the film will have different meanings to different generations.
"For my nephew it will be the norm, he will think nothing of it, it will be his first princess, period," said Rose.
"For my mother it will be something that she's been waiting for; for my grandmother it will be something that she never thought would have happened in her liftime," she added.
Americana
Rose, a Tony Award-winning actress in 2004 for her performance in the hit show Caroline, or Change, said the film represented another chapter in Disney's tradition of cultural "Americana."
"Disney is Americana and we've simply opened a new chapter in Americana, something that's been here for a very long time but it hasn't necessarily been shared," Rose said.
Obama-esque
Tiana's emergence has been linked to the election of US President Barack Obama, although the studio has pointed out that development on the project pre-dates his election to the presidency.
"When they began the production of this film, Barack Obama wasn't in the White House," said actor Terrence Howard, who provides the voice for Tiana's father.
