Dreamgirls Star Anika Noni Rose Is Disney's The Frog Princess

Dreamgirls star Anika Noni Rose has signed on to voice Maddy in Disney's The Frog Princess. Rose will become Disney's first black princess in the first hand-drawn film Disney has committed to since the Pixar purchase. The film promises to return to the Broadway-style musical in the likes of the successful Disney animated films such as Walt's classics.

Written/directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the animated musical scored by Randy Newman, is set in New Orleans. The movie follows Maddy, a young African-American girl who lives in the infamous French Quarter. The new movie will feature a soulful singing crocodile and voodoo spells.

"This movie is gonna be a classic as you've never seen before." – John Lasseter

Earlier this year it was reported that Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys were also being considered for the role. I'm wondering why Hudson passed? I'm sure she was probably the studios first choice. The Frog Princess will hit theaters in 2009.