Walt Disney Animation Studios has officially scrapped its long-planned Disney+ Tiana series, marking another major retreat from original streaming content. The decision, first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, comes as Disney moves away from producing long-form animated content exclusively for its streaming platforms. This will unfortunately lead to layoffs at the Vancouver animation studio that worked on this series and produced Moana 2.
Princess Tiana about to kiss Naveen in The Princess and The Frog – YouTube, Walt Disney Animation Studios
The Tiana series cancellation isn’t without consequences. A spokesperson for Disney confirmed that its Vancouver animation studio will see layoffs due to the shift in business strategy. In addition to shelving Tiana, the studio has also scrapped an unannounced feature-length project that was intended to debut on Disney+.
A Costly Exit From Streaming
The Tiana series was first announced in December 2020, with the intention of bringing back Anika Noni Rose to voice her character from The Princess and the Frog. The show was envisioned as a musical continuation of Disney’s first animated film featuring a Black princess, but despite multiple creative overhauls, insiders say the project ultimately didn’t justify the production costs.
(L-R): Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) and the Stranger in Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, season one, exclusively on Disney+. ©.
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This latest move signals that Disney is continuing to rethink its streaming priorities. Over the past few years, the company poured billions into Disney+ originals, particularly with Star Wars and Marvel series, but many of these efforts failed to generate the expected returns. Shows like The Acolyte and Secret Invasion were expensive bets that ate up hundreds of millions of dollars and didn’t resonate with audiences, adding to the mounting evidence that Disney’s streaming-first strategy was a misfire.
Vancouver Studio Layoffs Raise Questions
The impact of this decision could extend beyond just one series. If Moana 2—a film that crossed $1 billion at the global box office—was primarily created at the Vancouver studio, then Disney may be letting go of the very staff responsible for one of its biggest recent hits. However, it remains unclear exactly who at the studio is being affected.
Moana in Moana (2016), Walt Disney Studios
Disney has already started shifting back toward theatrical releases as its primary focus, with Moana 2 initially conceived as a Disney+ series before being reworked into a feature film. That decision paid off, and combined with Inside Out 2’s record-breaking run, reaffirmed that Disney’s greatest strength still lies in traditional theatrical animation (that stays away from political agendas, but that’s another conversation).
The Future of Disney Animation
Despite cutting the Tiana series, Disney isn’t abandoning The Princess and the Frog entirely. A short-form animated special based on the 2009 film is reportedly in early development, though details remain under wraps. Meanwhile, Disney Animation is committed to releasing one theatrical film per year, with Zootopia 2 set for November 26, followed by another unannounced feature in 2026 and Frozen 3 in 2027.
Princess Tiana and Naveen in The Princess and The Frog – YouTube, Walt Disney Animation Studios
One thing is clear: the days of Disney banking on expensive Disney+ animated exclusives appear to be over.
Are you surprised that Disney canceled the Tiana series? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
Disney can’t even keep Hulu running during extreme peaks in use and D+ is still a massive money sink with too little content people *want* to watch. That’s on top of everything else going horribly wrong at Mouse House. So no, this is no surprise at all. The Board can claim they’re all about “representation,” but in the end money speaks louder than their virtue signaling.
I guess Disney’s feminist woke movies are not doing the business. Quelle surprise.