Sunday 11 March 2007

DISNEY'S FIRST BLACK PRINCESS

Finally the Walt Disney Company presents a Black heroine, Princess Maddy as it was announced this week will be added to the lucrative Disney Princess line, which has generated $3 billion in global retail sales since 1999. Disney Princesses are the fastest-growing brand for the company’s Consumer Products division.

The Black fictional character will star in an animated musical fairy tale called “The Frog Princess,” which will be set in New Orleans and Walt Disney Studio’s first Black Princess will be the central star.

Princess Maddy will join eight other Disney Princesses, two of which are Middle Eastern Princess Jasmine (who was the first non-white Princess introduced in "Aladdin"1992) and Native Indian Princess Pocahontas ( "Pocahontas" 1995).

The Walt Disney Company has just recently started production on the musical fairy tale and the film is set for release in 2009.

Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook on Thursday at its annual shareholders' meeting, which also took place in New Orleans stated: "The film's New Orleans setting and strong princess character give the film lots of excitement and texture". The choice of a black princess is part of a long-term marketing strategy to give Disney characters as much "diversity" as possible.

Singer-musician Alicia Keys is reportedly desperate to lend her voice to Princess Maddy, however no announcements have been made in regards to who will voice the lead character.

It’s about time Disney got in touch with reality and reflected the multicultural world that we live in and I would like to know who YOU think should voice the character Princess Maddy?
(Click here and here to read more)

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