Colman Domingo and Robert O’Hara are co-writing a live-action Princess and the Frog Tiana movie

Colman Domingo is in talks to co-write a live-action movie focused on Princess and the Frog protagonist Tiana Rogers, alongside playwright and director Robert O’Hara, according to IGN’s source. That is the headline. The bigger story is what it suggests about Disney’s next move, because this is not an isolated project. It is another entry in Disney’s string of live-action adaptations, even as several recent efforts have underperformed at the box office or landed with less-than-stellar momentum.

The pattern matters because the source points to two recent live-action rollouts as caution signs. IGN’s source says 2026’s Moana bombed at the box office, with an approximate global total of $95 million from its opening weekend in July. It also cites the similarly “snoozy” start to 2025’s Snow White remake, which earned $87.3 million globally on its opening weekend last March. Those are early numbers, but in Hollywood, early is destiny. Studios often decide whether to lean in harder, adjust marketing, or reshuffle priorities based on how quickly audiences engage.

So why is Disney “moving full-speed ahead” toward even more live-action remakes after those underwhelming figures and middling reviews? The source lists additional projects that confirm the pipeline is not slowing down. A new Tangled is in the works, with Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim set to play Rapunzel and Flynn Rider. The source also says Andor’s Diego Luna has been cast in an as-yet unspecified role specific to the movie. Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson, who was reportedly in talks to play Mother Gothel, is no longer involved. Put those pieces together and you get a studio that is actively casting, reframing, and re-stacking talent, even if the commercial math from recent entries has looked shaky.

If you are an executive in media, this is where board-level questions start. Not about whether audiences know these characters, but about timing and trust. The source’s example list extends beyond Tiana: other live-action flicks in Disney’s schedule include Bambi, Hercules, and even a Gaston spinoff movie. The forthcoming Hercules film has Joe and Anthony Russo producing, and it is set to put a “modern spin” on the beloved Disney classic with the goal of telling a “different story.” That “modern spin” phrasing is important, because it hints at how Disney is trying to square a circle: use recognizable IP for demand, but change the story enough to justify the adaptation label and compete in a crowded release calendar.

And that brings us back to what Domingo and O’Hara’s Tiana-focused adventure may represent strategically. The source frames it as aligned with the same general approach appearing with Domingo and O’Hara’s project, implying that Disney wants this live-action work to be something more than a simple retread. But at the same time, the financial context is not getting easier. When early box office results are described as underwhelming, every new adaptation has to earn its keep fast. It is not just production costs. It is also attention, marketing spend, and the intangible asset of consumer belief that these remakes will feel fresh enough.

There is also an industry implication here that decision-makers do not ignore: live-action is resource-intensive. It tends to require higher production complexity, more above-the-line talent negotiation, and a bigger burden to perform globally, not just domestically. In that world, the difference between $95 million and $87.3 million opening weekends may look incremental on a spreadsheet, but it can create a psychological whiplash across executives, investors, and internal stakeholders. Underperformance, even if not catastrophic, can lead to more conservative rollout strategies, more pressure to secure recognizable stars, and more insistence on narratives that justify themselves beyond nostalgia.

For peers trying to forecast how to allocate budgets and talent, the second-order question is whether Disney’s live-action engine is learning faster or merely continuing by habit. The source shows a studio that continues to staff projects, cast roles, and stack producers, even while citing “middling reviews” and early box office benchmarks that did not light the world on fire. For a board, the key is to separate optimism from execution. Casting moves like Teagan Croft, Milo Manheim, and Diego Luna tell you Disney is committed to building recognizable hooks around the next wave. The exit of Scarlett Johansson from the Mother Gothel talks tells you commitments can change quickly. Together, those facts point to a process that is still in motion, not frozen.

In short, Domingo and O’Hara’s Tiana co-writing effort is real momentum. But it is also a test. Disney is not pausing to recalibrate after its live-action streak’s recent starts. Instead, it is adding more projects to the schedule: Tangled, Hercules, Bambi, Gaston, and more. If you are a studio executive, investor, or operator, the stake is simple: the next live-action bet has to perform not just as content, but as proof. Proof that the strategy can overcome the recent box office wake-up calls, and proof that “modern spin” and “different story” are enough to move audiences when the market is already saturated with adaptations.