Disney Brings Oprah on Board for The Princess and the Frog

Disney announced that—none other than talkshow host and one-woman empire Oprah Winfrey—will be one of the star voices for its first African-American animated production The Princess and the Frog. The Princess and the Frog has of course been under a great deal of scrutiny from the African-American community.

Could it be that this voice-over casting is a way for Disney to appease the criticism and skepticism it has received concerning the stereotypical plotline of the upcoming animated feature, scheduled to be released in the latter part of 2009? After all, popular wisdom seems to be that anything with Oprah involved is pretty much al-right. In any case, it’s a great move on the part of Disney to beef up The Princess and The Frog’s stellar cast that includes Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls), Keith David (Barbershop 1).